What started out as a fleeting thought has transpired in my return to full time study. For the next two years I’ll be completing an Advanced Diploma in Engineering Technology specialising in Jewellery – that’s right I’m going to be a qualified metal engineer.

I’m bristling with excitement at the the thought of being surrounded by people actively involved in the local fine jewellery scene on a daily basis, and am galvanised by the myriad of ways this move may transform (or solidify) my aesthetic direction.

Although I battled internally for a couple of weeks about whether returning to study was the right move for me, the process of enquiring, interviewing, and enrolling in the course all took place over just 7 days; and I have orientation on Monday. Naturally this seemingly sudden, compressed agenda has my head reeling a little.

Now that the whirlwind of administration has settled I’ve begun thinking (panicking) about my back-to-school style. In the studio I wear whatever sloppy get-up is appropriate for the weather, most of which isn’t suitable for leaving the house in. I have to be as practically dressed as possible but I’d still like to represent my aesthetic identity convincingly.

An old acquaintance who has done the same course recommended I may like to get myself a little wheely luggage bag as I will find myself dragging heavy tools to and from campus. The rest of the items pictured above are some work-bench practical ensemble ideas straight from my wardrobe. Thanks to my culling efforts I’ve now got a pared-back wardrobe that may not allow for a full-time study schedule so it will be interesting to see how my rather small collection of clothes will cope being worn, remixed and repeated.

In a recent interview I was asked who I would give a limb to find had been wearing my jewellery designs. It was an interesting question, and one I really had to think hard about. I never design my jewellery with a muse in mind, but I came to decide that if I had an opportunity to expose my jewellery to someone I admired with the chance they might wear it, it would probably be Michele Lamy. I find her interpretation of a shared aesthetic enthralling – her eccentricity in jewellery selection is in stark contrast with the pared back minimalism I seek to embody in my designs and yet I feel that she’d be my ideal customer. It’s a sudden realisation of inspiration I wish to take with me on my new journey.

If you have five minutes this afternoon and haven’t yet seen A Little Bit Enternal, I would urge you to do so. The short film is an intimate portrait of Michele Lamy and husband Rick Owens by Danielle Levitt.

Screenshots from my second, slightly more chaotic and colourful Tumblr; Facets of Anarchy.

Although I’m not a gold wearer, I’m feeling very inspired by the organic reticulation in these bold wrist-pieces.

Breathtaking new collection by Melbourne jewellery designer Estelle Dévé now available at Alegorie.

Loving the mix of the ultra-high gloss patent leather with matte leather and suede.
It’s got me thinking about how I can combine a mix of textures and finishes into my jewellery.

Clogs courtesy of the stunning Zanita for Funkis
Flats courtesy of the lovely team at Kelsi Dagger

A selection of recent posts over at my tumblr.

As an occasional contributor to Australian INfront, I felt particularly compelled to enter a submission to their 5th Visual Response design competition. The theme was WOMAN, and much like the title suggests, all entrants were required to design a visual response based on that theme.

After several setbacks with an alternate production method I designed and hand-forged this sterling silver ring as my entry. Although kind of hard to determine in these images, it has a highly polished exterior and a soft, graduating scratch finish across the ruffled lip.

The Nymphae Ring did not make the top 20 but it was the only entry of it’s kind – that is to say, the only three dimensional response to the theme (although I couldn’t physically submit the three dimensional object so it had to be photographed and submitted that way).

When Lorena came to me last year with the proposal of featuring a higher rotation of fashion-based design content on Australian INfront she was met with a lot of resistance from the community, predominately in two-dimensional design fields who saw no merit in something as “frivolous” as fashion design. I would like to think that with my three-dimensional object design and manufacture – that I might inspire and encourage other non-typical two-dimensional Australian designers to partake in such a wonderful community-driven competition to help spread the word that there is more to real design than what is rendered on a computer screen.

The Nymphae Ring is a one-of-a-kind piece and is available for sale. Please e-mail lost@ seaofghosts.com with enquiries.

A glimpse at one of the walls in my studio, as rasterbated from this tumblr post.

Markus Weldon