Art from the Leftside! Jennifer Eustis

I often look wistfully at the work of my colleagues from the Internation Jewelry Designers' Guild and wonder how they came up with their ideas for such beautiful jewelry. But time and time again, I find myself drawn to the work of Jennifer Eustis of Leftside Art whose work ranges from the whimsical to the profound. Jennifer's use of diverse materials in her creations causes me to marvel at her skill with working with metals, and to be amazed by her imagination. The necklace above, "Monkeyshines," is a perfect example. It was made from sterling silver, brass, and "a colorful tin salsa can." Would I want to wear a necklace that has pieces from a tin salsa can? YES! Of course, I love the way that it looks, but I am also intrigued by the materials Jennifer used and how she has managed to meld them into a perfect whole. By the way, the yellow beads are also made from the tin salsa can! How did she do this!? To see this on her website, click here.
The necklace above, "Love Note," is beautiful and once again demonstrates the ability to make various materials work together. Sterling silver, brass, and tin from a candy container lose all vestiges of their origins when she combines them into a pendant and strings it on faceted dark salmon pearls that are hand-knotted. This necklace is contemporary, yet is reminiscent of some of my favourite Victorian jewelry.
My favourite of the 3 necklaces here is the sophisticated "Midnight Deco." This piece is made from sterling silver, 14 karat gold and a faceted smokey topaz. Its sculptural quality is proof that Jennifer Eustis is a jewelry designer that really deserves to be called an artist. One has the feeling that she could have been successful working with any medium, any form. Oh, she also made the sterling silver chain that this pendant hangs from. I told you she was versatile! "Love Note" and "Midnight Deco" will be offered for sale in the IJDG trunk show in November.
To see more of Jennifer's jewelry, and to read her weblog discussing her current pieces, her shows, etc., click here Leftside Art.

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