Category: Collecting

Register here for Helene Plank’s presentation on Monday, May 10 at 2 p.m.

Free Artist Talk & Button Art Workshop

Monday, May 10, 2021 at 2:00 pm 

Join local artist Helene Plank as she discusses her button mosaics composed of hand-sewn discarded buttons and beads on raw canvas. “I combine a variety of shapes, sizes and textures to achieve a specific mood or feeling. My mosaics are influenced by artist Georges Seurat and his technique of optical blending. The highlights and shadows are formed by using various tones and hues so that the viewer’s eyes can blend them visually. One of my signature techniques includes sewing iridescent buttons to specific areas of my artwork, in contrast with the flat finish of the other buttons and beads. The combination of these two finishes adds an extra touch to my button mosaics.” Learn how to make your own button artwork and how the art form can be easily adapted to current pandemic conditions using materials at home. All registrants will receive an electronic packet of handouts in advance of the workshop.

Helene Plank earned her Associates Degree in Visual Arts from Mercer County Community College, and attained her Bachelors Degree in Advertising Design from The College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State College). Throughout her career, Plank has produced and exhibited her artwork at The College of New Jersey, the Lawrence Branch of the Mercer County Library, Mercer County Community College, West Windsor Arts Council, Capital Health at the Hopewell Campus, Lawrence Art & Frame Gallery, New Hope Arts Center, Artists of Yardley and the New Jersey Button Society, to name a few. Her artwork is a part of the Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission permanent art collection, as well as in private art collections. Her most recent recognition for her use of recycled materials is acceptance into the West Windsor Arts Council’s 2020 juried show, “Doom and Bloom.”  Helene’s mixed media mosaics clearly demonstrate a concern for the environment by elevating common, discarded materials to a high art form.

#1 — Would this be considered a carved ocean oyster smoky gray

?#2 — This looks like shell which is set in a brass setting, but I don’t know the proper terminology for it.

#3 — I can’t identify which shell, but it’s laying on top of another, different material (maybe bone?). Again, I don’t know what the classification is for this combination

.#4 — I think this is another carved ocean oyster smoky gray, but it’s a shank button. Is there a carving classification for geometric design

?#5 — This looks like yet another ocean oyster smoky gray, but with a pink shank

.#6 — This one is very small, but has a lot of different features. It’s got concentric circles, with what looks like an etched border, and within that border is shell that has mirror-like metal pieces set into it. Again, I don’t know the correct terms for this#7 –This button has parallel carving on an iridescent shell and has 4 holes. Is there anything unusual to comment about this on

e?#8 — This shank button is very iridescent. I think it’s called rainbow iridescent, and it’s got a deep, metal shank. It’s also carved. It’s pretty, but is it worth using for a competition?

#9 and #10 — Both look like the same type — geometrically-carved ocean oyster smoky gray. Is there anything outstanding about either of these, and which of these 2 should be entered, if at all?

#11 — This looks like a 4-hole mother-of-pearl that’s been carved. The back looks more like mother of pearl than the front. Am I wrong on all of this

#12 — This also looks like mother of pearl, but the carving is diamond shaped. Is it worth using in the competition just on looks, or is there something else about it that I’m missing? (Barbara Fox says — look at my post, the same button, but painted! I’m asking if we take THIS button and paint it ourselves, where does it belong 🙂

#13 — Another mother of pearl, but the carving is different. Is it worth using?#14 — This piece is carved, 4-hole and I think it’s carved rainbow iridescent. Is this one special enough?

#15 — This button is simple, but so beautiful — very much a rainbow iridescent brass shank button. But is it too redundant compared with the other buttons?

#16 — /this is the largest button selected. It’s got a little carving, and it looks slightly iridescent, but more of a dull finish. The interesting part is that it’s very concave/convex. Is there a special name for that type of button?

HERE IS THE ZOOM LINK FOR FEBRUARY 21 AT 4 PM est

Here’s a novice question. Above is a shell button with a very large metal disk on the back. How does that get classified? Is it an escutcheon on the front and does the circle of the metal escutcheon count for anything?

Is is possible that the shell above meets all these classifications?

11-1 Iridescent shell.

11-4.2 Gilded applied metallic gold

11-5.4 Overlay (versus it being one piece and different colors)

11-7.2 OME metal

11-8.1 carved

sewthrough

pictorial: flowers

Can the shell above be

11-1 Iridescent

11-4.3 Painted (are the black circles painted)

Are the circles and the indentations carved (11-8.1 or

/this shell tray offers possibilities for analysis. How many carved specimens are there? Do any have another category

Thanks to Danielle Nicole who posted it on Button Byhtes.

The Division 1 button above is painted (11-4.3 paint/paint encrusted.) QUESTION: Can we take a Div III button, ordinary and made recently, and add our own painted design so that the button can qualify as painted? Or does that make it a studio button?

First, can you say this is a Division 1 button, i.e. made before 1919. It does not seem well made. The real question is, can you use this button to explain frames? Definition of “frame:” the body of the button forms a frame for a center of any material other than shell. So this ISN”T a frame. Is it shell mounted in metal? Where is that in the blue book? Or is it an OME as in 11-7.2 Metal assorted…including “ornate mountings, cut steel border, rim, elaborate border etc. ”

This post comes from our Facebook page. NJSBS member Jade Papa worked with a collection at the University of North Carolina and asked about his button, yellow metal with a rooster and the words “I Crow Over All.” It’s on a men’s duster

First Answer: Pam Hudock VasilowIt’s a work clothes or “overalls” button. Even though it was found on a duster, it may have originally been from other work clothes. A “duster” was something worn to keep the dust off your good clothes, depending on your job. They were also very popular as extra long overcoats for people driving early automobiles. Very early autos were open air vehicles. The long duster covered up the clothing of both men and women, keeping their regular clothing clean. Such an outfit was usually worn with goggles, for keeping the dust out of one’s eyes. (When you find huge celluloid buttons, they are often from stylish overcoats worn while traveling in those early autos.) This button, however, is definitely from work clothes.

Chris Parham“I crow for all” quote from sailor powder monkey verse.

Lou YeargainWobble shank overall button. NBS has the book for sale about these special buttons.

Vicky MayhallRobert C. Wilkins Limited of Montreal, Canada made Rooster brand. The company was established in 1890. They made all kinds of work clothing so the buttons very well could be original on that linen duster. Very nice!