John S. Brana
Distinctive jewellery….
•John S. Brana was fortunate to grow up in a house where art and craft was encouraged. His father who was a artist and teacher was his first and certainly most important inspiration. He grew up watching his father perfecting his techniques in metal, resin casting, fabrication and woodworking. After taking a few art classes he realized that he wanted to expand his interests and knowledge into ceramics and stained glass. He attended the University of Michigan and helped his father build up his sculpture business.
“My aesthetics and philosophy have been shaped by my family, world travel and the cultural diversity of Northern California.”
He moved to San Francisco Bay in 1990 where he worked in the legal and banking professions. After his fathers death in 2003 he decided to re-consider his priorities and decided to follow his childhood passion for crafts. This is where it all began…
Design philosophy
“Nature is my primary source of inspiration. Whether I’m driving down the coast, strolling through a park or tending my garden, the natural world shows that the creative combinations of colours, textures, patterns shapes and symbols are endless.”
As I do, John also gets his inspiration from nature and not just by looking at it but also joining and experiencing it. He loves creating special handcrafted jewellery with a personal touch. His style is very classic and contemporary but each piece is uniquely manufactured and made from top quality materials.
Normally when not designing for someone specific he likes to get a specific ‘character’ to design around. He believes this way it makes his design more interesting and makes the whole process more challenging.
Materials
In his studio, John likes to use 14-24carat gold, copper, silver and gold precious metal clay. He incorporates hand-picked sterling silver and vermeil beads, faceted gemstones, fresh-water pearls, Venetian glass and hand carved semi-precious and precious gemstones.
Techniques
He likes to use intecrate detail like filigree and putting together a big piece with wire. He also uses techniques like wax carving to cast and texturing to make it look real.
Contribution to the design world
He has a very big contribution to the design world. Not necessarily just on design it self but also to what it will become. I say this because people like John S. Brana inspire me because if you take a look at his story you will notice that he actually has a executive background and that he found inspiration so close to him that he had no choice but to follow it himself and today he is a well known designer and manufacturer in San Francisco. He build up his studio and career from nothing and made it big.
The relevance of his work to mine is that we draw our inspiration from the same source. I also like to do things in nature and use it as a sound board instead of just looking at the shapes and textures. Also, I like to add a personal touch to everything and make it more special. I only like making handmade jewellery and accessories and therefore I feel we have a lot in common when it comes to the industry.
Some interesting facts…….
Seeing that John has a special connection with nature, it is not a surprise that he is a jeweller that tries to use recycled metal and material to manufacture his stunning designs. He also tries to incorporate the rustic recycled look into his design to create a stunningly unique design but says that it is possible for it not to look that way because not all materials have to look recycled.
He started to use aluminum as a metal in his jewellery as it is less reactive, more affordable and also very light weight.
John likes to try out new and innovative techniques and to keep up with new technology although he still goes back to doing it the old way. He is not afraid to try a new product or enhancements, because in the end he might’ve just gained some experience and a wonderful way to add to his designs.
"After seeing the fashion and jewellery industries suffer this holiday season, I decided I would make it easier for customers seeking handcrafted fine jewellery to find me," says Brana of his business strategies. "And when they do find me, I want to be sure I’m giving them the styles they want." Brana is known for his handcrafted jewellery designs inspired by the landscapes of San Francisco and has been consistently experimenting with new textures, such as embossing, or adding new layers to his metallic collection of "SOMA" jewellery.”
Relevant to me…….
I find his work inspiring and his design style very similar to mine. He likes to add meaning to something rather than just making something. One day, when I have found my feet and is settled, I would like to look back on all the learning curves and where it has brought me to that day.
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Elretha Brynard
209075945
Very well written Elretha. You have covered all the relevant points thoroughly, and related back to your own practice.
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