My Process in Creating Eco Jewelry

 

  Eco Jewelry by Joy Hellman

I save my plastic in bins in my studio basement and paint it as I go sometimes with just paint that I have left over from painting projects in my classes I am ready to do a project I use either a blow dryer or a heat-gun depending on what I want to do and what kind of plastic I am using. They all change in unique ways and create different effects.. I have experimented to discover how the plastic transforms and now even though I am open to the unexpected and there are always those in the creative process, I now work with it with purpose and a method that have improved upon in time. Plastic is a wonderful material for artists to use and I am just one among many who working with plastic as a resource in their work.

After the  piece is finished I use a variety of found objects sometimes entrapping them in the melted plastic and other times glued. I have used anything that I have in my stash as long as it is small enough for the piece of jewelry. I have the goal of creating something from the plastic that looks ancient or natural. I also use metallic and iridescent paint to enhance the piece. It is a very organic and intuitive process when I make my jewelry. I never really know what the results going to be. As I create a story emerges/ The story defines the piece and becomes he name of my jewelry pieces. It's all very magical and when I hold the piece it is much like it came through me and is brought to life
I love the idea of bringing something to life or giving a new life to ordinary material and watching the alchemy of the creative process form. I also believe as an artist, it is my way to take something headed for the landfill and make it into something beautiful.

I was inspired to start working with plastic when I was listening to a podcast where two artists were talking about how they had started when they were cleaning up the ocean of plastic. Because they were artists, they started looking at the material as resources for their art
As I was listening, I started thinking how I could use plastic in my own work. I already use a lot of recyclables in my art so I started collecting all kinds of plastic not really knowing what I was going to do with it even though somehow I knew I would create jewelry. Luckily, I have a wonderful husband who understands me as an artist and a basement in my studio for all my material... I painted the plastic first with leftover paint from my classes and just waited for the inspiration.... One day I was painting and drying some cups that were made from cornstarch and suddenly I saw the plastic changing form, softening, and transforming into almost a fabric or clay. I started cutting and forming the soft plastic... Well after that I begin to experiment with other types of plastic... each had their own way of transforming... I even made a sculpture out of a plastic painted pop bottle and earnings out of milk bottle plastic. As I worked with the plastic, I began to use it as an art material and even used other things in the plastic. I have since created a whole series of Plastic is Beautiful jewelry and continue to consciously work and experiment exploring the material further, I believe just as ancient artist used material that they found to create their art, we as artist can use plastic as magical and wonderful resources for our art. It is a way to transform something ordinary into something beautiful as well as make a statement for the earth...


Thanks for the opportunity...
It is a gift to share my love for plastic,
Joy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7vU2cDIyjU
http://artheals.libsyn.com/