2008 Craft Show Artists

An exploration of three-dimensional sculptural form is at the core of the jewelry objects Talya Baharal and Gene Gnida create. Hand forming and fabricating sterling silver, bronze, copper and steel, into hollow constructed pieces, are the main techniques we use. Achieving formidable visual scale yet very light and wearable pieces is of extreme importance. Abstracting bold contemporary forms while drawing inspiration from iconic themes is at the heart of their work.

This jewelry made of layered colored polymer clay and mountain laurel wood is informed by paying attention to the grass, leaves, sticks and stones under my feet as I walk in the New Hampshire woods.

We collaborate to make sculptural jewelry from polymer clay, sterling silver, gold and other materials using a wide range of techniques.

In my Magnification Series I sometimes exploit the transparency and translucency of glass so that the work appears to change color with the clothing on which it is worn, while at other times I take advantage of the optics of the glass to magnify the clothing so the weave of the fabric becomes the image in the jewelry. I think of this work as "site adaptive" jewelry. In this "site adaptive" work I am trying to bridge three craft media: jewelry, made of glass, with textile imagery. My Aqua Series is inspired by wave patterns in water and the patterns of raked sand in Japanese gardens.

I incorporate Pyrex glass, sterling silver, enameling, stainless steel, semi-precious stones into my one-of-a-kind pieces.

These hand painted miniatures are based on details from Renaissance paintings, illuminated manuscripts and botanical illustrations. Recently I have also been working directly from natural objects. The pieces are made from wood or resin and gilded with 22k gold leaf. The paintings are done in acrylics, using fine brushes and a magnifier.

I unite beads into 3-dimensional jewelry structures using beads of various materials and techniques originating in mainland China. Although my latest body of work contains pieces made entirely of sterling silver beads, I continue to use beads of glass, synthetic resin, and other materials, and to offer pieces made of these materials at every show.

Necklaces, bracelets, earrings and brooches. 18K gold + sterling silver. Forged and fabricated.

I make mixed media one of a kind and limited edition pieces. I use a variety of materials, primarily silver, but I also incorporate assorted materials such as found objects, steel, recycled tin, carved wood, paint, gold leaf, eggshells, and stones or pearls. I fabricate each piece myself. Most of my pieces are narrative while others simply express a gesture or form inspired from nature. My work tends to be about things that matter to me most in life as well as things that make me laugh.

I began making jewelry in 1963 with the hopes of bringing meaningfulness to wearable art objects. Materials: Sterling silver, brass, bronze, aluminum, iron, acrylics, micarta, paint and found objects. Techniques: pierced, forged, die formed, chased, cast. Techniques peculiar to my work: carving with high speed burrs, laminated acrylics, cold connections (rivets and screws), and hand finished surfaces employing steel wool, file finishes, painted distressed surfacing.

An intense interest in ancient history influences my seed bead work. While living in Naples, Italy, I was surrounded by ancient history. The fragments of Roman columns, mosaics and frescoes are my inspiration and I am grateful for those "ancient voices". I use Japanese seed beads, freshwater pearls, semi-precious and precious stones to translate motifs and jewelry from the past into personal designs for adornment. A needle, thread and beads allow me to play with color and "build" components to create jewelry and memories of my experiences.

Brooches created from antique ivory, architectural & photography materials, sterling silver, mixed metals, and found objects.

Jewelry with a conscience. Art as the perfect accessory. An expression of life. Recycling rough materials into miniature sculptures meant to be worn, Mio Studio crafts new life from exotic hardwoods and metals. Artists Mayra Orama Muniz and Erica Millner hand carve and sand each piece from to start to finish, using their years of experience to meld remnants and scraps together into clean, modern designs.

I make jewelry that relates to my memories. Using sterling and fine silver, copper, bronze, 22kt gold and handmade paper I explore inside outside space, textures and tactile senses. All jewelry is hand fabricated - forging and manipulating sheets and threads of wire I try to communicate my experiences. I continually try to challenge the ideas of jewelry while always considering its wearability.

Each piece is designed around the carving, which I hand carve using fossil ivory. I then soak the carvings in handmade dyes or teas to enhance the carvings details. I design the sterling silver or titanium around the carving. The metal is rolled through a rolling mill to give the metal texture and design. I then add details of 18 kt. gold, copper, enamel, and semi precious stones. The closures are unique to my own design.

Fell in love with industrial braided Stainless and brought it into the world of jewelry. As a designer, the process begins with wire drawn and tempered to my specifications. Then the excitement of dressing the machines to braid and/or knit with stainless, sterling, 14K begins. Concern for the customers comfort combined with exquisite craftsmanship is of paramount importance. Incorporating the BJS exclusive magnet closure into many of the collars and bracelets responds to that concern. The final result produces the timeless beauty of classic design. While the Stainless remains my favorite, a rather spectacular 18K green Gold delights the discriminating. It's more beautiful than imagined.

My contemporary jewelry aesthetic engages sculptural and painterly approaches towards shaping my jewelry form. Oriental Calligraphy, which I have practiced since a young girl, has always fascinated me in how the brush stroke touches and enlivens the surface of a paper or fabric. Black ink lines and patterns often reveal meaningful symbols, letters or poetic landscapes. After drawing black ink brush strokes on cotton or silk, I stretch and sew the fabric over various sterling silver wire forms. Appling lacquer on the fabric surfaces enhances the patterns and gives tension and durability to the jewelry forms.

My work is based on a theme "east meets west". Paper meets silver; throwaway meets precious. I explore all these encounters through provocative combination of material and form: using pearls and newspaper, adding gold, diamonds, to create new questions about the role of jewelry in the twenty first century. In every step of my jewelry creation, I test eastern traditional boundaries and western modern boundaries in the realm of objects that adorn the body through contrast, tension, absence and presence as well as finding a new harmony.

All pieces are designed and created by Roberta and David Williamson without the help of assistants. The one of a kind pieces are sawed, formed, fabricated, soldered, finished and patinated by the artists. We have worked together for the last 40 years beginning at the age of 18 as students. Our work is in numerous private and public collections and has been shown in over 50 books and publications. The actor Robin Williams once said "your work makes my heart tap dance."

Elements that are drawn from very different environments in which have I have lived come together in this work. The motif of sensual curls have always been with me, but the imagery has been shaped by diverse sources. These include exposure to the art of Nepal and Tibet as a Fulbright scholar, my neighborhood in brownstone Brooklyn filled with wrought iron, and my fascination with Asian textile design. My other passion, dance, has led me to create a collection of jewelry that creates a stage presence for the wearer, letting them feel transformed by wearing these pieces. The processes used in this work include forging, chasing and repousse, and the materials are a combination of 18K gold and blackened silver.