Collaboration with a difference

Collaboration with other artists has become an important part of my practice over the last few years, whether it is with artists across the world or around the corner.

I have been pushed out of my comfort zone, been surprised at what I can achieve and made so many friends through this. Every month I meet, via Zoom, four other artists, two from different parts of the US, one from Sweden and one from Victoria here in Australia, but none of us have ever met. We have become good friends, talking about art and life and we all look forward to our sessions together.

However, what I am going to write about here is a bit different – in a way it’s not really a collaboration, maybe it should be described as more about inspiration from one medium to another. My eldest daughter is an accountant by day and a jeweller by night, making beautiful objects in silver is her creative outlet. I recently had a birthday, and she decided she wanted to make something for me, so after a few discussions we agreed my drawings would be a good place for her to begin. I shared a few images with her of works that I thought could translate into silver, and she made a choice. (To see more about the drawing click here, please note I decided the drawing looked better turned 90º and I have changed the title since I wrote the post!)

Everyone in her jewellery group became interested in her project, her teacher even offering her the use of her own jewellery studio for some of the trickier elements. Eventually, the birthday arrived and I could see the brooch. To say that I was delighted is an understatement. It is the most beautiful object – it is not a copy of the drawing, it is an interpretation of it. In the way she has used the silver it has taken on the shapes and forms in my drawing but taken them to another dimension. Below are some of the progress steps of the development of the brooch. Her months of hard work have created a unique piece of art that I will wear with immense pride and joy.

This ‘collaboration’ has opened up so many possibilities – who knows what the next project will be!

Author: anna warren portfolio

I draw, I paint, I am a printmaker. Always searching for the interesting detail in the world around me.

11 thoughts

  1. Anna, What an incredibly thoughtful and creative gift. I love the idea of translating an idea from one medium to another one. Your daughter, like her mum is very talented. It’s so interesting to see your image and how your daughter envisioned it in 3-D. It’s a beautiful brooch that I’m sure you will wear with a glow of pride and love.

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    1. It was such a thoughtful gift, and a long time in the making! I love the way Tess interpreted the drawing without copying it, it gives the drawing a whole new life! I will always treasure the brooch, for what went into it as much as for the object itself.

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  3. The brooch is an exquisite jewel inspired by your drawing. I wonder if you could explain about the red parts; what is the material and what was the process of including them? I’m intrigued. This is a family heirloom if ever I saw one.

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    1. The red parts are ceramic – when I first saw them I thought they were coral, as I have some similar coral beads, but no. Being ceramic they could be trimmed to fit into tubular shapes on the back of the brooch, and positioned precisely. The back of the brooch is almost as interesting as the front, there is a complex structure there, with a great deal of work, all part of the whole. I see this as a family heirloom too!

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  4. Such an outstanding first collaboration of two talented artists. Both outstanding pieces on their own but such depth of expression by seeing both.

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