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About Me Official Beta Tester Portrait Photographer AthansorUnited States Recent Activity Deviant for 4 Years
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A Gateway To Another Time

Journal Entry: Mon Apr 14, 2008, 8:38 PM
One of the many cool things about the internet is the way you collect people. People with your interests and taste find you, and they share their favorite things with you, and in checking them out, you find even MORE people and things to love... Thanks to that process, I've made some truly wonderful friends in the past 15 years or so, and have discovered some many strange and wonderful things, and some truly brilliant art, and, today, I'd like to share one of my "finds" with you. :)

(As an aside: I'd just like to note that I count some extremely skilled and talented artists and artisans amongst my friends here on dA--several of whom are jewelry makers...one of whom, my dear friend, ~redLillith, has even honored me by making not one, but TWO exquisite necklaces just for me. Knowing how dA works, and how we all find each other by mousing around each other's favorites galleries, however, I know you've either already found these folks...or will...or easily can...so the person I'm featuring is someone you WOULDN'T be able to find here, because she's not on dA. :))

It is thanks to Maura, and ~Sidhe-Etain of The Beautiful Necessity, that I was introduced to the fantastically talented Jen Parrish, of Parrish Relics.



Jen is a local artisan, who makes hand-crafted jewelry...only that is too mundane a description for what she really does. She's an enchantress--and she works her spells in clay and glass and semi-precious stones.

She can distill an era into a fragile looking stained glass necklace...pour the passion of Salome into a headpiece...capture the scent of a doomed queen in a reliquary...give you a pre-Raphaelite dream to wear on your wrist...or create a custom piece for you with a photography of a beloved pet. (The moment I saw her dainty little crosses, I found myself wanting one...and I positively drool over her crowns!)

Her website, which is easy to get around, makes finding and purchasing your personal fantasy quick and easy, but mere photographs cannot begin to capture the richness of the antiqued patinas, or the delicate tracery of lines etched into each hand-sculpted piece.

In fact, it is only in person that you get the full "flavor" of her art, and understand completely why her work is popular with brides all over the world, is collected by celebrities, and is increasingly coveted by the entertainment industry. (Her replica of one of Anne Boleyn's necklace is seen weekly on "Ugly Betty", and other pieces of hers may be seen in episodes of the short-lived "Joan of Arcadia"; a slew of other tv shows, and the movies "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", and "Becoming Jane").

Most recently, her work has shown up in the gift shop of the prestigious Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, but it also turns up regularly in various local, national and international magazines and newspapers.

Oh yes--and she also has a very loyal group of "just plain folks" followers, if there's anything "plain" about the eclectic group of people who jump at the chance to own an original, wearable work of art! These devotees claim that once you've bought one Parrish Relic, you become addicted. (And for those of you who "aren't from around here"--the current Euro to dollar conversion rate makes her work extra affordable for those "across the pond". ;))

If you are fortunate enough to be attending the Spoutwood Faerie Festival in May, or FaerieCon, in October, keep an eye open for the Parrish Relics booth, and check out her work in person.

Jen and I are currently working on a project together, and while I'm quite excited about it, the truth is, the very best part of it is just getting to meet her...because as if all that talent and skill wasn't enough, she's nice. Old-fashioned nice. The kind of person who remembers what you were saying, when you get interrupted, and will come back to it later, with an interested look and a, "But you were telling me about your Uncle Leo, and his arrowhead collection--?" The kind of person that you're really, really glad to see succeeding--because it reminds you that sometimes, nice guys (or gals) actually get what they deserve.

I think that's the real secret of her work: there's love and kindness and a little bit of a very beautiful soul tucked into each and every piece. It's why people keep coming back for more...and it's why I couldn't resist featuring her here today. :)

Check out her site. Take your time. Be sure to take her virtual studio tour, and check out her gallery of happy customers. Trust me--you'll be glad you did! :D


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Footnotes:
One of my favorite entries, in my all-time favorite blog - Creating Passionate Users. Prepare to be challenged by it!


Favorite dA Resources:
:iconhever: How to Feel Miserable as an Artist
:iconlockstock: Getting Paid What You're Worth

:iconrealitysquared: Orphaned Works: Be Informed and Make Your Own Decisions


Devious Info

  • Current Residence: Boston
  • Interests: Too many to list!!! :-)
  • Favourite movie: Love Actually; Cold Comfort Farm; A Mighty Wind; LOTR; Pride & Prejudice; Emma; Serenity
  • Favourite band or musician: My family--who play and sing everything from folk, to bluegrass to classical to a capella hymns
  • Favourite genre of music: New Age; Folk; Victorian; Swing; Country; A Capella
  • Favourite artist: John William Godward; Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema; JW Waterhouse; Lord Leighton; Edward Poynter; Mucha
  • Favourite poet or writer: James Herriot; JRR Tolkien; E Nesbit; Frances Hodgson Burnett; Dodie Smith; Kate Douglas Wiggin
  • Favourite photographer: Allen Sisters; Julia Margaret Cameron; David Hamilton; Joyce Tenneson; George Hurrell
  • Favourite cartoon character: Anything by my boyfriend, http://www.jptoonist.com
  • Personal Quote: "Right. Less talking...She's terse. I can be terse...Once in flight school, I was laconic.
  • Tools of the Trade: Photoshop CS; Painter 8; Intuos 3; Canon EOS 5D, Sigma SD10 & Sony DSC-F717

Comments


you gallery is just amazing :worship:
beautiful portraits!!
Bellissimi...:clap:
ciao!!
Excellent gallery! Love ur style!!

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Hi, how are you? :) I haven't seen new work from you in quite a while and I miss that. Although it's normal if real life takes its toll and doesn't allow you to be on here too often... Hope everything's good and you'll be back with some new stuff soon!! :heart: :D

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Hey Aurora, you okay? I've sent you some notes and emails but you havent responded in several months.

I hope you're allright :{

-Cecilia

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Hope you are well! :hug:

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Enter my contest! "The Labyrinth". See my journal for details! Closing date August 1st!
You've been featured in my News
"By imagination to the truth".
[link]

Have a nice day.

Suzana
Miss you! :heart: :bulletblue:

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Inept! Inept! Fatal id10t error encountered, system authentication error. Please check system between keyboard and chair as a connector may be malfunctioning. :bulletblue:
I just took a bit of time and used it to browse through your images. Both the ones in your gallery and favorites strike a strong cord with me and I just wanted to say thank you for sharing.

Have a great day.
Richard

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Richard L. Dawson
Shaped Light Photography
Flagged as Spam
what up.
Hey, whats going on? 23/female.. come chat with me on this website CLICK HERE

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It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.

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