Suzy Williamson
For over 25 years, Suzy has been hand fabricating jewelry from silver, gold, copper and brass. Her introduction to metals came from an early job as a dental technician where she was trained to make teeth out of gold and learned metal working fundamentals. Later, while living in Alaska in the mid-90s, she attended a silversmithing workshop at the local community college. Her earlier metals training kicked in and she began serious exploration into jewelry making. Originally from Central Oregon, she returned to her roots in 2000 and continued her metals education at Central Oregon Community College where she refined basic skills and explored alternative techniques.
In 2011 she devoted herself full-time to creating contemporary jewelry working out of her home studio in Bend, Oregon. She sells her work at juried art shows throughout the west, on her website and at Red Chair Gallery in Bend.
My Process…
Metal as a medium gives almost limitless possibilities for forming and manipulation. Called fabrication, I make every piece by hand from metal sheet, wire and tubing – sawing, shaping and soldering elements together. To include my love of texture I use several techniques including roll printing, etching, fusing, hammering and reticulation. Patinas are applied to highlight textures. I give dimension to many pieces by soldering forms that are hollow, with stones and pearls used typically as accents rather than the focus of each piece.
Design ideas come from many places – often repetitive shapes and textures that I see in both the natural and man-made world. Mid-century design forms have lately caught my attention. I also draw inspiration from 20 years of working in the field of architecture. My goal is to create jewelry that is interesting, lightweight and versatile.