Excerpt form the MJSA Journal May Issue - Subscribe to the MJSA Journal for access to the full issue and more.
Linda MacNeil | Jewels of Glass | New Hampshire
I went to school for metalsmithing and jewelry, and I evolved into using glass because it’s such an intriguing material. Working with glass is a unique way of making things, and I’m hooked on the range of colors I can develop with glass processes. I find that with minerals commonly used only in jewelry, I just don’t have the freedom of making any shape I want.
Neck Collar No.35, 2018
I work in series, and my neck collar series is probably more sculptural than other series I’ve created. These are more of a statement, and more graphic. And I really enjoy the fact that it’s a structural form that I add glass parts to, so it’s not a free-flowing piece. There’s more freedom to make a design the way I want and not have it change with gravity. I create the shape, and it stays as I built it when on the body.
This neck collar features both plate and cast glass. My strong interest in geom-etry has guided me in many designs, yet I often balance this approach with some organic softness. The bar in the center was cast with glass frit, which gives it that bubbly look for contrast. I made it in a kiln and then shaped it to fit the metal part like a bezel. To get it to glow, I laminated a thin sheet of mirror to the back of the casting. The disc behind the bar is backed with two separate mirrors—the top one laminated with a layer of teal green and the bottom with grass green. At the end of the bar is a small clear glass cabochon that is backed with a mirror with a thin layer of chartreuse. I really love playing with the color combinations. The collar is made with 24k plate over brass, which allows me to make any piece I want and keep the price reasonable. Although some of my pieces may seem simple, they are created through a series of complex working processes. Ulti-mately, the methods I’ve developed give me many ways to bring my ideas into reality, and I don’t rely on tradition other than for inspiration.
Where It All Began
Cover of the original Publication
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