Sea through the looking glass

by Jeni Bone on 24 May 2011 So bewitched by the azure expanses of The Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef was sailor, Pippa Venter, she had to recreate their shimmering horizons in glass. The result is a jewellery range that magically evokes the crystal depths of her favourite cruising grounds.

'I wanted to create something special for myself, so I set about working with silver, then branched in to making glass designs for colour,' Pippa explains. Her friends and family were impressed and envious, so earrings, bracelets and pendants for gifts were added to her repertoire.

One year on, Pippa’s hobby has evolved into a 'life’s creative calling', and despite no real formal training in the art, she is making incredibly intricate and evocative pieces – utterly unique and hand rendered.

'I enter another world when I am working on a piece,' she recounts, handling a shiny ‘Nemo’ bead that adorns its delicate silver chain. The creature within is so tiny and perfectly crafted, beholders immediately understand the calibre of her skill.

The Barrier Reef Collection is awash with buoyant blues, dazzling shades of green and bursts of colour indicative of life above and below the water.

Then there is the Heart Reef Collection, individual pieces in fine silver that can naturally be traced to the idyllic and iconic outcrop in the warm waters of the Great Barrier Reef – a favourite of honeymooners, divers and most recently, Oprah on her whirlwind trip to our tropics.

Also in her first line, is the Outback Collection – drawing inspiration from the ochre hues, landmarks and motifs of the bush.

All her pieces and any specially commissioned work are available from Sanctuary Style at Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast and Hayman Island, where the love affair with light, crystalline waters and the sea really began.

Quietly spoken and self-deprecating, Pippa is just as in awe of the product of her patience. While she has completed several short and one long course, she can’t trace the initial surge of inspiration which prompted her to dabble in glass.

'There was no ‘bolt out of the blue’, and I don’t have a family history of art, but I needed to capture the serenity and tranquillity of the places we love to sail.'

She and husband Chris, from South Africa more than 25 years ago, have cruised The Whitsundays and Reef for many years aboard their Perry 43 Catamaran, named 'Ocean Star'.

'There were so many special places. I wanted to carry them with me and remind myself of the feeling of being there. Really, I just want to make beautiful pieces that people love and that mean something to them.'

More at www.coastalstyle.net.au