GINNY FRIEDMAN
MINIATURES
BOTANICAL JEWLERY
good things come in really
small packages
beans, twigs,
seeds and nuts ?
OH MY!
The details are not just details.
They make the design.
Charles Eames
Many years ago competitive floral design started me on a path to designing miniatures and botanical jewelry. My minis and jewelry have been featured in many venues, including
The Philadelphia Flower Show
Newport (RI) Flower Show
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology
Art at the Airport Program at the Philadelphia International Airport
I hope you enjoy viewing my work as much as I enjoy creating it.
ABOUT MY MINIATURES
Good things come in really small packages.
The challenge of duplicating everyday items in small scale is what got me interested in creating miniatures. Finding ways to perfect this skill is what keeps me interested.
I'm easily inspired by a delicious plate of food, a beautiful flower, travel somewhere new or down an old familiar path. Almost anything can be duplicated in miniature with enough research, time and persistence.
The process starts and ends with my favorite tool, a ruler. It's well-used and always within reach because if just one component is out of scale the look and feel of the entire piece is wrong. My constant reminder is knowing when to stop adding components and just let each one stand on its' own merits.
I hope you enjoy viewing my work as much as I enjoy the challenge of creating it.
ABOUT MY BOTANICAL JEWELRY
What is Botanical Jewelry?
Jewelry (usually displayed under glass) created from dried plant materials, appropriately sized with the appearance of functionality.
My first piece of botanical jewelry was created on a dare. It was a challenge to myself to make a piece good enough to pass muster in a prestigious flower show. The charge was to interpret a necklace fit for a queen. I chose Nefertiti. The time frame for completion was 3 months and I needed every day to complete my creation. The plant materials I chose to execute this piece are show on the card below the image.
Happily, I came home with the prize for Best in Show. I guess you could call it beginners' luck but I like to think of it as a whole new way of looking at all kinds of dried beans, seeds, pods, vines, petals......
Welcome to My Gallery
click on an image for a closer look
Miniature
"Vineyard"
13"H x 19"W x 8"D
Materials:
Wood, Grapevine, Paper, Clay, Paint
scale reference for image above: round violet orb over table is 3/4" in diameter.
Miniature
Perfume Shop
10.5"H x 12.25"W x 3"D
Materials:
Wood, Glass, Wire, Paper, Metal, Paint
scale reference: door is 2.5" wide
Botanical Jewelry
Nefertiti Necklace detail
Botanical Jewelry
Modern Necklace
Dried Materials:
Banana leaf, Corn husk, Soybean, Reed, Bird of Paradise Leaf Stem
Ginny Friedman