What is it about the warmer months that makes a girl want to throw on a little floral dress (or seersucker pants, whatever) and the strappiest shoes she can find? Is it, as many would suggest, a desire to mimic the nature that is suddenly bursting from every nook, cranny, and sidewalk planter? Is it that we get so excited to be shedding the more somber colors of fall and winter that we feel the need to cover ourselves in pretended foliage? I don't know what it is, but I know that I happily succumb to it, and make no excuses, which is why I was so
excited when the work of Wendy Hacker Moss came across the counter here at the MOCFA. Wendy's pieces are unlike anything I've ever seen, and, since I'm a girl, I fancy myself a jewelry expert. These are the ultimate in "double-take" jewelry - Ruffly, delicate, by turns shiny and matte, these delicate-seeming pieces are made with the most unlikely jewelry material ever
- steel mesh.
That's right - Wendy and her sister Elisa have elevated the humble window screen from utilitarian to high art, creating lightweight origami blooms accented
with freshwater pearls and gleaming sterling silver. The Bouquet Ring sits on your finger like the sweetest bunch of tiny blooms, while the decadent Wreath Bracelet covers your wrist with a garden of lush flowers that move slightly and just beg to be touched.And for those whose tastes run more towards the bright and punchy, Wendy offers the Rock Candy collection, tiny semi-precious stones and seeds beads on sterling silver that look just like those elegant sweet treats you loved as a kid. Try not to taste the tiny black spinels, red rubies, and turquoise chips - these are strictly candy for the eyes. Whether you pair these with jeans and a tee shirt, or a favorite floral print, if you're not careful you might find yourself attracting legions of butterflies as well as admirers.
Wendy Hacker Moss jewelry, available at the Museum of Craft and Folk Art, 51 Yerba Buena Lane, San Francisco. Visit www.mocfa.org for more info.
