art jewelry
“I revel in details. Imagine the tiniest vermillion bead set against shimmering golden silk. Think of the texture of cloth and the reflection of glass. Picture a thin line of shell crossing a band of black.
All things that surround us - from wing tip to petal, from lichen to the jagged crack in a rock - have structure, pattern, composition, and color. To see these things invites curiosity - the wellspring of inspiration. This jewelry is sculpture - sculpture meant to interact with the body. Each stitch, bead, and mark is carefully chosen and meticulously crafted.”
This was a snapshot of the nature-inspired necklaces when they were jumbled in my case at the photographer’s studio, waiting to be photographed
SPHINX MOTH; 12” x 8”; Stitched, appliquéd, embroidered, quilted, beaded, constructed from silk (with felt interior); Shell, glass, and batik agate beads attached by needle lace stitch; metal hook closure
The sphinx moth necklace is one in a series of nature-inspired necklaces that I created after I embroidered the front of a backpack for a fundraiser sponsored by The Nature Conservancy and Patina Gallery to raise funds for accesible trials in the Santa Fe Canyone Preserve.
My goal was to show images, like the Sphinx moth, of wildlife normally seen in the Santa Fe area.
…my Nature Conservancy backpack embroidery that inspired the sphinx moth necklaces.
"He played with the idea, and grew willful; tossed it into the air and transformed it; let it escape and recaptured it; made it iridescent with fancy, and winged it with paradox."
Oscar Wilde
these necklaces and more exhibited and sold at Patina Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, USA
necklace photos: Penina M
…details… details… layers and layers…
SPHINX MOTH 2; 10” x 8”; Stitched, appliquéd, embroidered, quilted, beaded, constructed from silk (with felt interior); Turquoise, batik agate, and glass beads attached by needle lace stitch; metal hook closure
CAT’S EARS IN GOLD; 8” x 7 ½” circlet, 18” unfurled circlet length; onyx, bien stone, and jasper beads; foam triangles and metal hook and eye closure covered by silk and then embroidered; stitched paracord
Cowboy’s Delight; 12” x 7”; Stitched, appliquéd, embroidered, quilted, beaded, constructed from silk (felt interior); Wood & glass beads attached by needle lace stitch; metal hook closure
BLUE FANG; 9” x 7”, 18” unfurled; matte chrysocolla lapis, and African trade beads, one onyx, and one tubular jade bead (centerpiece); foam triangle and metal hook and eye closure covered by silk and then embroidered; stitched paracord
GARDEN ABSTRACTION; 9 ½” x 9”; Stitched, appliquéd, embroidered, quilted, beaded, constructed from silk (with felt interior); Apple coral, turquoise, amazonite, African trade, and glass beads attached by needle lace stitch; stone donut; metal hook closure
HAND necklace; 10 x 8”; Quilted, stitched, embroidered; Silk; Glass beads attached by needle lace; Knotted cord tie
exhibited in “American Jewelry of New Mexico” at the Albuquerque Museum, and now in the museum’s permanent collection
