The Simple Egg

I have never been accused of being a "less is more" designer. More IS more because it is. I see jewelry in bright beautiful colors and in unusual combinations not to overindulge but to change the commonly commercial character of jewelry. In essence to change the vernacular. I like to make one piece of jewelry for one woman, a piece that is an extension of her life. However recently, I have been keenly aware of restraint and why it helps clarify the message of what jewelry can say and how it says it. I give credit for this epiphany to the Easter egg. The Easter egg is a work of art, when done properly, and a purple /grey mess when done poorly. My childhood is littered with dark purple eggs that simply did not convey the beauty and singular message they should have. I simply tried to do too much, and things got muddy. I did get better but had to resist the temptation to double dip. I had to rein in the breathless enthusiasm and excitement of the process in order to punctuate the individual materials and colors. I love to mix materials on an egg. One singular dip in an aqua wash and then paint in gouache. Juxtapose the techniques and colors, one sees both and discovers a jewel, and convinces a child that they have found something precious. Restraint makes the egg better, as it makes jewelry better. I needed this Easter to remind me that less can be more. Sometimes.