Photo of the Day, February 21, 2013: Anne Arden McDonald’s Paper Wasp Nest

Anne Arden McDonald was the very first member of the New York Etsy Street Team when I started researching for my guidebook, Markets of New York City. She made silver castings of beautiful and unusual items, such as apple seeds and lace, and created memorable keepsake quality jewelry designs.

So I was delighted to run into Anne last week at the Brooklyn Flea after several years. Her work is as wonderful as ever, and she has added even more dimension to her collection. One piece I fell in love with this time around is a heavy silver casting of paper wasp nest (above). It is dainty, and yet it has a lovely weight to it. She also now makes cast silver buttons (right) that would be breathtaking on a hand-knit cardigan or maybe a little silk purse.

Anne’s designs make me think of items you might find in a country gentlewoman’s jewelry box: delicate and reflective of the beauty in Nature’s details. Her tiny wild onion earrings are brilliant, as are the rings made from castings of the bones of small animals who had the misfortune to be swallowed by an owl. She also makes a silver casting of vintage embroidery scissors (left). They don’t open or cut, as they are a representation of stitches past, but they are sweet, sentimental — and sharp!

Anne is also a fine photographer, and she has published a book of self portraits. She currently has a photography and mixed media exhibit, Reflections on Time, at the Piermont Straus Gallery in Piermont, NY, called Reflections in Time, through April 4, 2013.

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