Back in January I started working with a company called "Bel Kai". They are a jewelry company who approached me about incorporating my watercolor paintings inside their pendants. I had never done anything like this before, but it sounded interesting and I figured I had nothing to lose so I agreed to work with them. They asked me for at least 9 designs to use for my collection. Most of the pendants were round, so I decided to start with the circle form. I used a bowl for my template and then began dreaming up what I was going to draw inside the circles.
I decided to draw things that made me happy to think about. It was as simple as that. I figured if I used subjects that I enjoyed, then, surely, there would be other people out in the world who would enjoy these same things. I also needed to choose subjects that were simple without too much detail, and things that were easily recognizable. It was challenging having to think about the design being so small because I had never designed for anything that small before. There were some designs that I sent to Bel Kai and had to rework because the focal point in the circle would have been too small after shrinking the design down in photoshop.
These are some of the paintings that I used for the jewelry. The brushes help to show how big the paintings were. I had so much fun experimenting with different designs and color palettes within each circle. I could have gone on forever making these and I can't wait to make more to keep adding to my collection!
Here is an example of how one of my paintings looks inside the pendant. There are different options for metals and sizes. I am absolutely thrilled with how they turned out and I just love seeing my paintings in another format like this! The fact that my friends can now wear my art around their necks is just the coolest! Bel Kai is a great company that donates a portion of their sales to some really great causes such as Destiny Rescue, who rescues children from human trafficking and sexual exploitation. They also partner with MudLOVE which is another amazing company who helps provide Africans with clean water. I just love that these companies are so compassionate to the world around them and I love being a small part in that!
You can view my entire collection by visiting Bel Kai's website at www.belkai.com .
