Coming full cycle - from metal art to photography

It was a bit more than a year ago, when a Saturday walk on the beach inspired me to create the 'walk on the beach ring'.

Its colors inspired by the sea, its texture - by the sand. a bit of magic thrown in
with colored diamonds - the walk on the beach ring
https://www.etsy.com/listing/160748118/blue-topaz-silver-ring-with-fancy?ref=shop_home_active_5

At the time, the notion of a simple walk triggering a creative inspiration was new and surprising.
I was not used to translating experiences into inspiration.
Nothing in the 20+ years of hi-tech work prepared me for it.

Since then, a year passed, and I find myself a few days before Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year thinking a bit about the last 12 month. And very very thankful for the path I walked.

The Tanzanite and diamond flower ring. It took me a year to figure out how to create the 'lace' like look on the petals
https://www.etsy.com/listing/199913116/18k-solid-gold-tanzanite-ring-handmade?ref=shop_home_active_2

The initial flower ring I made,
turned into a set of flower ring variations
a few of them bringing daily delight to the ladies wearing them.

With the lacy look and the random brown diamond thrown in accenting a brown Smokey Quartz
a slightly different variation of the flower ring
https://www.etsy.com/listing/200424251/delicate-silver-nature-ring-brown-smokey?ref=shop_home_active_9

In parallel to deepening my understanding of metal I started to .....paint with light.
Photographing.
Well, on second thought it may not be so surprising, after all I had to photograph the jewelry I make.
The surprising thing is the world I discovered when looking through the lens.
I always thought photography is documentary.
I found the creativity and the art.
The magic in painting with light.

So it seems only fitting, to close this year with another 'walk on the beach'.
This time expressed through the camera lens.
Join me on a walk on Santa Monica, California beach - and lets have a look at the setting sun from under its famous pier :)

Walking towards the pier - photographed by Amy Kanka Valadarsky

 A Seagull at sunset - photographed by Amy Kanka Valadarsky

Feel the waves? - photographed by Amy Kanka Valadarsky

Running into the waves - photographed by Amy Kanka Valadarsky

Having fun on the beach - photographed by Amy Kanka Valadarsky

The pier - photographed by Amy Kanka Valadarsky

Under the pier - photographed by Amy Kanka Valadarsky

Looking at the sunset - photographed by Amy Kanka Valadarsky

I really wonder how will the post at the end of next year look ;)

For those of you who celebrate Rosh Hashana - have a wonderful year.
For those who don't - enjoy the coming autumn, and I will be wishing you a great 2015 in just a few months!

bye,
Amy