What do the Swan Boats of Boston, a visitors' delight in the Boston Public Garden, have to do with my jewelry? That's certainly a good question. The short answer is that a friend of mine is the 4th generation of the Paget family to own and operate the Swan Boats. They were first launched by her great grandfather in 1877. She has large pieces of patinated copper that were removed for repairs to a Swan Boat built in 1954. Since I have a love of history as well as a history of using non-conventional materials to make jewelry, ie. colored pencils, dried paint from an artist's palette, etc. this was a perfect pairing!
The project was a simple one: see what you can make out of this material so that visitors can have a little piece of Boston history. It was challenging figuring out how to deal with this soft metal and keep the beautiful patinas that naturally occurred over time. After many experiments, the old copper and I came to an understanding and the pieces began to come out as I had hoped. My friend shared many heartfelt stories of the generations who have enjoyed the Swan Boats, making this old copper become much more precious.
On April 13, 2024 the Swan Boats of Boston will launch a new season, just as they have done for 147 years. But this year, visitors will be able to take home a little bit of that experience!
Visit swanboats.com for further details.