Candy Spender Jewels

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Candy Spender Jewels

Candy Spender Jewels I am known most for my jewellery. I design and make jewellery. You can see my full range on my website, where there is an online store too.

http://www.candyspender.com.au
I am currently in transition, moving to other aspects of my creativity: painting, drawing, digital prints, photography and curating images from others that inspire me. http://www.candyspender.com.au My influences and inspiration are from Nature, Art, dance, photography, music and the history of fashion.

23/01/2025

Peaches & silk

Peaches from our tree! The blue silk is an old piece of silk organza from The Banana Room

Acrylic on canvas board

20/01/2025

This poor statuette, probably over 100 years old got broken again!
When I first found her she had been clumsily repaired, and I’ve dropped her twice and repaired her, but this last fall was just about terminal until I looked at it lying on my bench getting ready for the next glueing, and saw that it still had an essence of its beauty, and a story to tell about the zeitgeist it came from.
This repair is happening in three stages.

06/01/2025

These three works currently being shown at the Sorrento Art Show.

It is a huge show, and two of them are in room O, the sketch is in room Y.

https://sorrentoartshow.com.au/candida-van-rood/?q=1&pg=18&k=&sort=1&order=&pg_old=18&c=&find=&grid=land&pas=&ceid=&vas=&cr=&price=&nor=1&s=&ignore_f=1

04/01/2025

“Every life has a purpose. We need to let go of the past. Live in the present. Do not waste today worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Embrace your true spirit, embrace and listen to grace and you be transformed in the moment. Do not fixate on what you want but give thanks for what you have.”
~ Caroline Myss
,
‘Antique scissors’ - graphite on paper

13/12/2024

‘Sea’ - acrylic on canvas 2014
Thinking of the sea today 🩵🌊🤍💙🐳🐋🦈🐠🐟🐡🐬🦞🦐🪼🦀🦑🐙🧜🏽‍♀️🌏💦🏄🏽‍♀️🏄🏼🏄🏽‍♂️🏊🏼‍♂️

10/12/2024

Swarovski crystal beads woven into flowers, using fine gold-plated brass wire.

These ones also have my 22ct gold-plated pewter components, that hold the gorgeous sparkling Swarovski crystal stones. They are elsborate yet subtle and beautiful statement earrings. I made them around 10 years ago, but didn’t ever show or promote them at the time.

You can see and feel them, and if they’re yours, buy them from Pomme in atm.

30/11/2024

‘‘Junior penguin’ digital painting using ’ on my iPad.

I’m finding my way with procreate, I think I have barely explored the tip of the iceberg! It’s extraordinary, and keeps opening and opening with new possibilities. Digital painting and drawing is replacing my love of lithography, silkscreening and even etching.

This week I will see the first prints on archival paper. They will be shown at the on in January for the PICS pop-up show, along side an acrylic painting on canvas.

27/11/2024

This ensemble was for an exhibition I curated and organised for Melbourne Fashion week 2006 called ‘Couture Dreaming’ at the Flinders Lane Gallery Upstairs.
This was my exhibit. The ‘Scarrf’ neckpiece, glass, wire and silk organza; the crystal bra top, all hand wired Swarovski crystal and ‘trimmings’ belt, all vintage trimmings salvaged from broken down antique dresses.

It was a massive effort for all of us, an exciting creative collaboration, but unfortunately not a lot people saw it, it was perhaps too much on the fringes, or something like that, not sure why.
It was fun to dream it in though.

24/11/2024

1996!! Editorial of my ‘Amazon Palace’ range.

Colour has always been my language one way or another. I still make some of those brazenly colourful golden pieces from time-to-time, as I still have vintage Swarovski stones and beads, as well as the 22c gold-plated brass and lead-free pewter components I created myself, and they were then hand cast here in Victoria.
(I can’t imagine going through all that ‘trouble now!😆)
One of my colourful tassled ‘Palace’ necklaces is currently being shown

23/11/2024

The practice of life drawing to a visual artist or designer, is like a musician practicing their scales.

22/11/2024

‘Safety Beach’ one of my two paintings entered into the ‘small’ exhibition opens December 3 in Melbourne CBD.
All works are 20 x 20cm or less.
Acrylic on canvas

18/11/2024

A small painting of these magnificent flowers from my garden, Epiphyllum.
acrylic on canvas

13/11/2024

This is a mannequin I have who I re-paint every few years. I call her Cruella, but in this version of her, she’s more like a ‘Cynthia’ or ‘Nora’ I reckon.

Here she is wearing the ‘fire lotus’ set which is from 2009 when we were living in St Kilda East.

31/10/2024

While sitting waiting room where there was a fish tank I made friends with this fish, who kept coming up to the glass and eyeing me off, so I took his photo.
(I do really like Koi, and enjoy 5 in a little pond in my garden.)
This is an experiment of water colour and gouache on Arches paper.

24/10/2024

Camille Claudel’s face mask by her husband August Rodin.
As I drew this I felt such a sadness, the grief of how women’s work is still to this day, sidelined by men’s work.
Her work only really came out from behind his, after they’d both died.
I’ve always loved her work from when I discovered it decades ago, before I found out she was Rodin’s wife.

I found the same to be true for Clara Schumann, I found her work first, and became more appreciative of her husband Robert’s work through her.
He was the better known composer, in the 19th century.

Pencil on paper

21/10/2024

‘Gold Devi’ necklace was a piece I made around 15 years ago. It was a subtle yet luxurious statement piece, which had gentle glimmer of sporadically spaced Swarovski crystals within the the layers of fine gold-plated chains.

19/10/2024

'Every year Australians send at least 200,000 tonnes of textiles to landfill.'

Not only are we are the biggest buyers of fast fashion in the world, but our purchasing habits are detrimental to local talent.

😱😭😡

17/10/2024

3 humming birds study in water colour

I painted these for a dear friend who wanted to have a tattoo of a humming bird.

Address

Melbourne, VIC
3919

Website

http://www.candyspender.com.au/

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Videos

I finally finished the mural I’ve been painting for several months (inbetween all the other stuff I do!). It’s been a fantastic experience, I’ve so enjoyed it. #unique #muralart #mural #painting

Come down to Rye today and tomorrow for our fabulous garage sale!! DM me for more details

Alexander Calder at #ngv #alexandercalder #jewellery

Mamakin Spender🌟🧡✨💛👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 At Howler last night in Melbourne, one proud mama here! What a night of deep joy✨🧡✨ What amazing talent and beautiful creative chemistry in this loving community✨🌟 @spendermusic @mamakinpics @umaspender #mamakinspender #music #brilliant #showstopper #risingstars #songs #choir #australianmusic

My amateurish video of ‘rain’ neckpiece shows off this dualistic piece. Made-to -order limited edition. #candyspenderjewels #neckpiece #handmadejewelry #handmadejewellery

Candy Spender talks about her jewellery practice

Hi everyone, This gorgeous little video was made by talented Suzie Haslam around 7 years ago, and is a little dated now, but nevertheless captures studio life at that time.

New horizons maybe? I had some exquisite heavy 'oily' silk from days when I used it for photo shoots and props for my bridal range of jewellery (the nineties), and thought it needed a new life. So I dyed it and painted it. Only thing is next time I might try try the water colour fabric paints, as I found these went too hard. This scarf is a gift for a beloved friend who has just turned fifty. What do you think, should I develop this further, or just treat it as a moment in my creative practice? . . . . #handpaintedsilkscarf #newdirections #exploration #creativepractice #silkpainting

Jacks beach, Crib Point #peace #natgeo #morningtonpeninsula

#Repost @zacposen with @repostapp ・・・ Swing into spring #zacposen #reddress available at @neimanmarcus

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Our Story

I have previously designed and made high-end fashion and couture costume jewellery. http://www.candyspender.com.au

Although I still keep my jewellery bench alive, these days I prefer to make broader sweeps with my creativity. I paint, draw and sew. Recently I made a large squid for the demonstrations I go on to save Westernport (www.savewesternport.org). But that is another story!

I also make silk pouches from my vast collection of textiles I’ve collected over the decades for the tarot decks I’ve accumulated and use to help people with my readings. (www.transformationalastrologyandtarot.com)

In the meantime I curate and share images of inspiring art, the decorative arts and fashion, which is in my blood. I am currently in the process of doing due diligence and counting the components and value of my Candy Spender Jewels business as it feels like it needs to move on from me, and flourish with a new owner who will passionately breathe new life into it and bring it up-to-speed with where it needs to be in these current times.