The Dolphin Dream

This was quite an odd piece of a dream which tacked onto the end of another dream (which was about hiding out in a jewellery shop in some kind of apocalypse, but I can’t remember that one well enough). I was in an indoor pool, the water was tepid. I was sort of sitting or leaning heavily on a keyboard. A dolphin was in the water in front of me, it had it’s head in my lap. With my left hand I was reaching around tinkling a little tune on the keyboard. I have basic piano playing skills and I knew that what I was playing would not have sounded like it did, but in the dream it sounded lovely like a soft lullaby. The dolphin loved the tune, I was looking it in the eye as it was relaxing and it’s eye was slowly falling shut. Then I leaned in and kissed it on the cheek. That was the end of the dream.

• piano keyboard
• dolphin - blue/gray
• music/piano tune/lullaby
• mellow, relaxed, gentle
• tepid water
• indoors
• love & care
• kiss/lips
• eye contact
• overcast/lack of sunshine
• soft & cuddly
• comfortable
• nurturing/motherly

RE: Allpress Gallery Show 2014

RE:
Group jewellery show at Allpress Gallery.

Exhibitors:

Mandy Flood
Michelle Wilkinson
Tineke Jansen
Dot de Lautour
Lisa Higgins
The Noemi
Eileen Leahy 

Image: Anemone (necklace) sterling silver, freshwater pearls, polyurethane, found objects, by Eileen Leahy.

Masterworks Jewellery Box February 2013

In February I showed a selection of new jewellery in the Jewellery Box cabinet at Masterworks, Ponsonby Rd. Go to my facebook page to see more photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.416416931779281.100314.363132453774396&type=3

OBJECTive 2012

Wow! I can't believe it's been so long since I last posted on here!

One quick update before I can start my 2013 blogging:
In October 2012 I won the second prize in the OBJECTive Art Awards. It was such a thrilling time for me and it was definately the confidence boost that I needed for myself regarding my jewellery career. The pieces I submitted were: Scuttle, Foam Bloom, and Crustacea.

Fingers Graduate Show

"As a recent graduate, Eileen has developed and produced a body of work which shows a sensibility and understanding of the materials concepts she is engaged with. We nominated Eileen for the graduate show, because she showed the determination and commitment needed for a sustained and informed practice as an emerging maker.

Thanks to Fingers for their support, an important and necessary contribution to the development of new graduates."

Shane Hartdegen, Head of Department, Jewellery


"The basis for this body of work has its foundations in my childhood. My intention is that the viewer can also attach their own memories to the jewellery, or use their imaginations to create their own personal attachment with each object.

My work focuses on interaction; interaction within the composition of the individual components of each piece, and also, the viewer's interpretation of the meaning or story behind each piece. My jewellery is tactile. It is meant to be touched and to be connected with in a way that is physical - through wearing and holding. I like to experiment with shapes, textures and the flat and three dimensional, creating juxtapositions with the materials i use. Repetition, solid and hollow forms, bright colours, and layering enhance the visual appeal. Textures and surfaces play a major role in my jewellery as touching and interacting with the work is so important. My intention is to make wearable objects which are visually intriguing and which also provide enjoyment for both the viewer and the wearer."

Eileen Leahy, 2012

Scuttle
(Necklace)
Silver, rubber, polyurethane, found objects.

Remnants
(Brooch)
Polyurethane, found objects, steel pin.

Conical
(Brooch)
Polyurethane, steel pin, found objects.

Midsummers Morning
(Brooch)
Copper, polyurethane, found objects, acrylic paint, steel pin.

Crustacea
(brooch)
Silver, polyurethane, acrylic paint, found objects.

Foam Bloom
Silver, rubber, polyurethane, acrylic paint, found objects.

One week to go...

There's about a week to go until the opening of the grad show at Fingers... exciting! My name is on their website just like all the other big-time jewellers -eek! http://www.fingers.co.nz/exhibition_program.htm I'm really looking forward to seeing the other graduates work and also how it all looks set up in the display.
I have continued my making since handing in my jewellery for Fingers. I've been working along the same lines of the work i made for this show - trying to get myself organised to put on a small exhibition at the end of the year. I want it to be very colourful and vibrant!! Here is a taste of what i've done so far... illustrated in this banana themed photograph.

Finally finished my body of work for the Fingers Graduate show next month!! I am super happy with how each piece had turned out... and i probably should keep this to myself, but, i feel really proud of what i've made :) I can't wait to see the exhibition!

2012...

A complete change of scenery for me this year. I am now working full-time making coffee and earning bugger all - but i am so desperate to be making and living jewellery now that my time for it is so limited!!! Every day i think about what i would rather be making and how i'm going to spend each evening and upcoming weekend. I feel like i'm overflowing with ideas and it is so great. It is almost the opposite to last year when i had almost unlimited amounts of time (was still earning bugger all though), but the ideas didn't seem to happen as freely.

There have been a couple of significant jewellery events so far this year, the first being JEMposium which happened in Wellington in February, and the second being the opening of Best In Show at Objectspace just last week which is showing work by my pal and fellow Hungry Creeker, Lisa Higgins.

JEMposium was a contemporary jewellery symposium which had well known international and local jewellers as speakers. It was a weekend full of making new friends, forming closer bonds with old friends, being completely absorbed in jewellery, as well as fitting in plenty of eating and drinking! I returned to Auckland feeling refreshed, inspired, and full of new ideas!

After JEMposium the next thing on my jewellery calendar was the Best In Show opening at Objectspace. BIS is a show that i have always looked forward to seeing as it is all work by recent graduates (which i am now!). This year's show was particularly exciting because my friend, Lisa, had her beautiful work displayed in the show. A massive CONGRATULATIONS to her! It was a fun night and the work looked fantastic.

Hopefully my next blog with contain photographic evidence that i have been working hard!

Long time no blog!!

Sooo... just a very quick update! I put the flowers aside after the first term. I guess i just lost interest, i still have them sitting in my studio, so you never know - i might pull them out again and finally finish them to my satisfaction! I picked up again from where i left off last year- coating copper with resin to give it a completely different texture & feel to it, it also means that i can colour it brightly (LOVE bright colours atm!). I have been using ovals and circles as my starting point for each piece - cutting out hollow and solid shapes from the copper and then either forming these into 3D objects or leaving them flat (depending on what i plan to use them for). I have also added elements of changeability within some of the pieces, some parts can be removed, pulled apart completely, or changed around... just for a bit of fun.Here is a snippet from a recent artist statement i have written:
My work focuses on interaction, both within the composition of the works components and also in the way in which some elements of certain pieces can be changed, moved and removed to the wearers liking. I like to experiment with shapes, textures and the flat and three dimensional, creating juxtapositions with opposites and contrasts. Repetition, solid and hollow forms, bright colours, and layering enhance the visual appeal. Textures and surfaces play a major role in my pieces as touching, pulling apart, changing, and just general interaction with the work is so important.

Works in Progress.

Large pink blooms on a long silver chain.

This was how i started my year. I sometimes feel confident that i know where I'm going with this, but in reality i think that it is just a bit of fun. The brightness and warmth of summer took me back to a place deep inside where i am still a carefree, naive, imaginative child. I remember the backyard at my parents house (long before we moved to Taumarunui). Crisp spring mornings, a plum tree in full blossom, long, dry summer days, cicada skins. I want this body of work to have a sense of lighthearted playfulness about it. In a slightly abstract way; these pieces represent my happy childhood memories. They represent something that i can never relive except for fuzzily in my own mind, something that perhaps one day i can pass on to my own children.

I took these photos to try and gauge how the flowers will look on this chain when hung in this particular way. The chain is unfinished. The more i look at it... the more unsure i feel about it. I definitely think though, that the two flowers should be the lower ones and the singular flower should be farther up the chain. The spongy soft flowers are lovely to squeeze!

Blossoming brooch-to-be.

Artichoke ♥ (pendant in the making)...

A week of openings...

Best in Show opened at object space (http://www.objectspace.org.nz/) on friday and i was there all evening to help pour the wine and wash glasses - along with the very lovely Ingrid, who is a fourth year student at Unitec. I really enjoyed being at the opening with the opportunity to talk to lots of people at the same time as having something to keep me busy. The show looked great but unfortunately i didn't spend a lot of time looking at it! I will have to go back again and take a better look.

Tuesday i went with a friend from work who is a painter to an opening at the newly openend House of Hedone (http://www.houseofhedone.co.nz/index.php/) on High st. I spoke to the owner, Phoebe, for a little bit and she was very enthusiastic about displaying work by emerging artists. I really liked the recycled metal sculptures there.

This afternoon i'm heading over to Masterworks (http://www.masterworksgallery.com/) to see what they've got on... Also on thursday i'm going to the opening of the Uxbridge Estuary Artworks Competition (http://www.uxbridge.org.nz/), along with Tineke, Lisa, Noemi, and Michelle. We are finalists in the show and our work will be on display - yay! Will write again in a few days!

The holidays are over!!

After a very long and lazy month not thinking about jewellery at all, I'm getting back into the swing of things. Starting, of course, with lots of experimentation with different forms as well as surface, textures, and scale. I think that these look pretty cool so far and I'm excited about their possibilities.

Another wake up call that the year has officially begun is the Best In Show exhibition, held at Object Space on Ponsonby rd. This Exhibition showcases a selection of stand-out graduates from different art, craft, and design schools throughout the country. The opening is from 6-8pm on Friday February 4th. I can't wait to see the work on display!