About
We build on each other. Certain women shaped my consciousness. Authors helped me to make sense of the world, courageous women made me want to be a whole lot better, artists inspired me and some powerful women just scared me. It feels like having an ancestor totem in my brain. The broaches are tributes to these women, composed to be reflections of their personalities. I made the pins by recycling: scavenging old costume jewelry for parts, wiring together beads and stones, buttons, tiny mirrors and found objects. Studying paintings and photos led me to drawing portraits of these women as well.
*Select “Collections” in the navigation bar to see each Collection*
~ ~ ~ ~
Noël M. Ruessmann: Noël created all of the pins and all of the portraits. She loves the wired jewelry pieces from the 40s and 50s of designer Miriam Haskell. Noel’s broach making started with taking apart an old, damaged Haskell earring to see how it was put together. Contact me using the envelop icon in the upper right or through Linkedin.
Don Manza: The late Don Manza photographed the broaches. Throughout managing building projects in Mexico and Japan, his car racing passion, industrial photography–specializing in jewelry–art photography was a constant.
Patrick Cummings: Site builder. www.nofutura.com
Special thanks to Alicia Oluwole, who brought me many bags of old jewelry and was a constant source of encouragement.
~ ~ ~ ~ To my grandmother, Blanche Miller & my mother, Hope Ruessmann ~ ~ ~ ~