Book Review: Showcase 500 Art Necklaces

Showcase 500 Art NecklacesShowcase 500 Art Necklaces by Kathy Sheldon

This is another gorgeous ‘500’ title from Lark Books. More eye candy and inspiration for all kinds of creative people.

This book starts off with an introduction by the juror Chunghi Choo, a professor at the University of Iowa. The introduction is interesting, because Chunghi mentions that “…making art objects…are now wide open to the free use of varied materials, found objects, and flexible meidums.” He is clearly in awe of the freshness of designs as artwork and fashion.

The photos in this edition in the “500 series” depict necklaces. And in this department extreme design is not an overstatement. The artists really press the boundaries of what can be worn as a necklace as well as the principles of design.

Again, neutrals such as bronze, grey, black, gold, pearl and silver dominate the colors in this book, but color is well represented. Vanessa Walilko’s Red Queen necklace is a striking piece is vivid scarlet. The elements of the design look like the tails of a fabulous bird. Marian Acosta Contreras’, pg.344, is a wonderful study in turquoise, using a variety of values in that color family.

The delicate wire structures by Louise Makowski, Dominique Thomas (pg.131), Kristen Baird and Susan J. Cross (pg.130) are examples of equally wonderful yet completely different designs in necklaces.

One piece, Karolina Bik’s Chaos necklace, pg.267, I noticed looked like a melting ice structure. The sterling silver, 18 karat gold and 24 karat gold flakes are mixed with acrylic fiberglass to achieve a completely different look from many of the other examples in this book

Look at the shapes, materials and colors and be inspired.

Thanks to Lark Books for sending this book to me to review!

View all my reviews

Creative Prompt #219: Bow

Bow and arrow

Rob Bowman (director of Castle episodes)

Take a bow

Clara Bow (have you listened to the History chicks podcast on her? If not, you should. It is very interesting)

Bow Street (Have you read Anne Perry’s Victorian mystery series about Thomas and Charlotte Pitt? He works at Bow Street)

tie a bow

compound bow

bow wow

recurve bow

Bow Bow Cocktail Lounge, Chinatown, San Francisco

bow tie

bow down

Minnie’s Bow-Toons

Bow Thayer & Perfect Trainwreck

Post the direct URL (link) where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. I would really like to keep all the artwork together and provide a way for others to see your work and/or your blog.

We are also talking about this on Twitter. Use the hashtag #CPP

The Creative Prompt Project, also, has a Flickr group, which you can join to  post your responses. I created this spot so those of you without blogs and websites would have a place to post your responses.

  • Bow and arrow /?bo?/, a weapon system that uses elasticity to propel arrows, its use is archery
  • Bowing /?ba?/, to lower the head or upper body as a social gesture
  • Bow (ship) /?ba?/, the foremost point of the hull of a ship or boat
  • Bow (rowing), a term which has multiple meanings within the sport of rowing
  • Bow knot, a shoelace knot or a rosette
  • Hair bow, a hair accessory of hair or a ribbon tied in a bow knot
  • Bow tie, a type of necktie and ribbon fashion accessory tied in a bow knot
  • An ornamental knot made of ribbon
  • Bow (music), a device used to play a stringed instrument
  • Musical bow, a musical instrument resembling an archer’s bow
  • EBow, a hand-held electronic device for playing the electric guitar
  • Bows (band), a band from the UK

United Kingdom

United States
Canada