The Shape of Things

A surreal week has provided an opportunity to immerse myself in the studio, much more than usual. A creative activity takes your mind in a different direction for a few hours, and it is so necessary to escape, even for a short moment, as we weather this storm. 

The extra time at my bench has allowed me to develop and play with a new fabrication technique. I am discovering endless possibilities for interesting shape shifting designs and combinations. So many, that I need to decide what to focus on and what to set aside for the future.

While I’ve had failures during this phase, some cool successes were achieved too. Failure is helpful because we learn why something isn’t working, and rather than giving up, it challenges us to figure out a solution. What a profound sense of accomplishment when that happens.

The next exciting step is turning these little sculptures into jewelry. I will share them with you soon, hoping they bring you joy. 

As we forge ahead, my thoughts continue to be with everyone who depends on their small business to pay the bills. I know this too shall pass, and praying that it ends quickly. 

For now, this is the shape of things and we must make the best of it, for when it’s over our strength will propel us forward. 

Stay well my friends.

Jackie

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Picture "almost" Perfect

If you ask any artist what the most difficult thing about their business is, I would bet, shooting great images of their work is at or near the top of that list. It's definitely at the top of mine.

As I don't possess the budget to hire a professional photographer and editor, I instead, invested countless hours researching, experimenting, shooting, re-shooting and purchasing a few tools to aid in the photographic process.  Some may say, with all the hours you spent on this, perhaps hiring a professional may not have been so costly. My response, you are likely correct. Still, I wanted to learn this skill, become proficient enough to create great images, and add it to my list of accomplishments. Is the ongoing learning curve worth the overwhelming time and effort? For me, yes. For others, perhaps not.  

I scoured countless articles and blogs regarding product photography, and most suggest a white or neutral background for most everything. Websites, submitting images to potential clients and any social media or catalog placements. With this in mind, I gave it a go. My set up is simple with all the basic equipment for product photography. I also followed the suggestions for lighting, camera settings and opting for a white background.

I must admit, after re-shooting and editing my entire collection I thought, what did I do? I had been so used to shooting on a gradient, or gray background, so seeing my images float on stark white was quite startling.  It took a while before I liked what I was seeing. This change made my website look much cleaner and minimal, which better reflects my design aesthetic, so double bonus! If you visited jackiejordanstudio.com in the past days, the changes in my images are evident and I would love to know what you think!

I've learned a tremendous amount in this quest for, if not perfection, at least images I am proud to publish. There is still much to accomplish and learn, but I am thrilled I made it to this place in my photographic journey. 

My next quest, modeling my jewelry to showcase size, proportion and aesthetic. A scary proposition, but one I must take on. 

Wish me luck in pursuing this next milestone!

Jackie 

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Creative Freedom

How does one define creative freedom?

This answer will certainly vary from each imaginative, gifted, artistic soul to the next. For me, being a former design director in the corporate world, there are many meanings. To be fair, there were countless moments of sheer joy and success, but many were hard fought.  Now, I am no longer constrained by deadlines, budgets, opinions, criticisms, and rejections to name just a few.

Creative freedom means I can conceive and build everything my spirit craves, without scrutiny and audit by anyone other than myself.  I can work as few or as many hours necessary to complete a project to my satisfaction. It also means managing every detail related to this small business. The up's and down's are explicitly mine to handle, solve, enjoy and admire. It's a scary thing, but having complete ownership, accepting what comes with this blossoming venture is definitely worthwhile.  

As artists we crave to inspire others and seek admiration for our work, providing validation and a sense of purpose. If by chance we only inspire ourselves, at least we have done so with absolute conviction, inner fulfillment, and most importantly, creative freedom.

I hope you have a chance stop by and visit Jackie Jordan, LLC to see my latest jewelry creations. Each item is handcrafted with pure delight. 

Sincerely,

Jackie  

"Creativity is contagious, pass it on"  Albert Einstein 

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The Tale of Frozen Charlotte

Late 1800s Frozen Charlotte Doll Parts

Downtown McKinney, TX is a beautifully revitalized historic square filled with lovely boutiques, restaurants, antique malls and shops. A frequent destination, this place inspires me with its enduring architecture, quaint atmosphere, unique charm and character. The best reason for venturing here however, is treasure hunting. 

On one such outing, several years ago, while perusing one of my favorite little antique stores, I happened upon a small vessel brimming with miniature porcelain dolls, all of which were missing various body parts. Asking the shop owner if there was a story behind them, she gladly provided a brief history. Fascinated, yet not knowing exactly what they would become, I had to have just a few.  

These tiny dolls, made in Germany in the late 1800s, are being unearthed as old doll factories are dismantled. They also have a name, Frozen Charlotte, due to their immovable body parts. These “broken” Frozen Charlottes, held more interest for me than ones completely intact. I made my purchase, headed home to research more, and figure out a new use for these alluring curiosities. 

I sat with the Frozen Charlottes for a while and finally decided to wire one to a length of rubber cord and make her into a necklace. She was unlike any other piece of jewelry I had ever made. I fell in love with this little doll instantly, returned to historic McKinney, and purchased the rest.

Since that time I have acquired numerous Frozen Charlottes in a variety of sizes and conditions. Heads and busts, headless, limbless, stained and crazed with decades of character. I have crafted jewelry and objects with these precious dolls, each with its own interesting personality. She is an object of art, a distinctive paperweight, display for your favorite earrings or a necklace to adorn you. Knowing these Frozen Charlottes enjoy a second life and new purpose brings me great pleasure. I hope one of these charismatic gems will find its way into your heart. You can find them here at Shop Jewelry and Shop Objects

Creatively yours,

Jackie

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Dreams Realized

Welcome to my inaugural post celebrating the launch of jackiejordanllc.com, a decade of dreams realized. I must admit having a blog associated with my jewelry business was never part of the plan until I had a conversation with my good friend and fellow entrepreneur Kathy Andersson, owner of Rendered Nest Staging. She strongly and passionately encouraged me to create a dialog dedicated to this venture stating it was essential to the success of my website so here I am, awash with anxiety and excitement and officially a maker, entrepreneur and much to my surprise......a blogger.  

For those of you who don't know me I'll share just a little background information that led me to this very special moment in time. In early 2016 I retired from a very successful 30 year career with Sherwin Williams Paints where I directed the company's national color marketing efforts by developing tools for professionals and consumers, researching, creating and presenting color trends and forecasts, designing and art directing interior spaces. It was a profoundly rewarding career that sent me on countless amazing journeys across the great United States and Europe in search of thought provoking trends and design inspiration. Those incredible opportunities and experiences provided fuel for my creative soul, simultaneously influencing and shaping my jewelry aesthetic. 

Creativity is part of my DNA so it is no surprise that I had myriad artistic passions outside of color and design, but the one that captured my heart and soul was jewelry design and fabrication. It all started in Scottsdale, AZ at a small metal arts class at the local Boys and Girls club where an amazingly gifted artist in the techniques of metalwork instructed me.  I discovered how tremendously rewarding it is to take a flat sheet of silver, a spool of wire or found objects and transform them into something special, wearable and functional. I continued to evolve and explore this craft for well over a decade always with a dream of having my own website to show and sell my creations. Well that day has finally arrived and I am more than thrilled to share my art with those who appreciate handcrafted jewelry and small objects with an architectural and whimsical edge. You can learn more about my work and collections on my about page and I hope you will visit and be inspired by my shop!

My goal is to post each week showcasing a new design or work in progress, share new finds and inspiration for my jewelry or just to ask a simple question or share a creative thought. 

I hope you will enjoy my posts and I look forward to our weekly visits.

Creatively yours,

Jackie

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Jewelry Design & Inspiration