Alchemy Love

Remember when I mentioned Orlando Orlandini's creative process back
in December? It caught my attention because I, too, have a notebook beside my bed.
I found Mr. Orlandini's jewelry because of the Forbes magazine article in which he generously shared about his jewelry and lifestyle.

In that same article Orlandini mentioned that he encourages his apprentices to follow the material (in his case gold) and let it guide the design. After I finished the big stack of Tangle bracelets yesterday I faintly recalled his words; I believe they came to the surface in tangible way through my Tangle design. (It's why I'm so excited about the whole Tangle design.)
This morning I looked them up and read them for the second time. (Never able to afford his gold, I had to search my own blog for Orlandini's name, but I clearly remembered his words, his design, his lifestyle.)

In these days of high-tech gadgets, cool tools, fleeting design, etc., it sounds a little unlikely to think of approaching any design/material in this way. We can design anything in minutes with a computer. We can manipulate materials to fit those designs. We create apart from our materials, we master, we dictate.

What I think results via Orlandini's approach is something alchemistic, respectful, organic. Something intrinsically beautiful. How can anything designed in this manner not reflect positively on the wearer? It's becoming to be natural and harmonic...something that is (sadly now) original and refreshing.

Further on in the article Orlandini mentions that anyone can make the latest, craziest design but eventually it gets tired. He said, "To do something new and classic, that's hard."

Orlandini's entire approach inspires and gives me hope. I have an old desk for a jeweler's "bench" in the corner of my storage room. I have an old Coleman canister for a torch. I have little formal training. I have a love for shine and an instictive desire to create. ...and I think that's enough to dream up designs that are both new and classic.