Autumn Nooks - Set of Necklace and Earrings by Veruschka Stevens

Veruschka Stevens
Autumn Nooks - Set of Necklace and Earrings
2017
PVS clay 
5" x 4"

About Versuchka

My work is strongly inspired by the complexity, beauty yet unapologetic imperfections of nature. I'm fascinated by the perfect chaos that seems to be so effortless in everything that is conceived in Nature. I spend quite a bit of time hiking the mountains of Sullivan County, PA. This jewelry set is my attempt at capturing some of the surprising tiny nooks I came across deep into the mountains, right after a strong wind and rain storm. Dead leaves intertwined with mushroom-like growths under rocks and inside dead trunks. It's perfect detail became even more beautiful under the close-up lens of my camera. This set, like all my works, is made of PVC clay. Once I have an inspiration, I begin by sketching and deciding on the general shape and size of the jewelry piece. This is mostly driven by the inspiration, and what exactly about it made me want to create something. Sometimes the main draw is color (followed by textures and other details). Other times, it's all about the texture. I knew right away that a flat surface would facilitate capturing these textured details more generously. Then the work truly begins. I start by creating the different shades of colors of clay that I want to incorporate. Using a roller and my razor blade, I begin by creating the flat surfaces (canvas) that will hold the details and tell the story of this piece. Nothing is painted. Each bit of color you see is a hand-cut piece of clay that was manually placed like that. To do this, I use only a small but very sharp razor blade, a small sculpting tool and my fingers. I hope you enjoy it as much as I loved making it.