Hi, I’m Laura, a self-taught silversmith and beader from central Texas. Welcome to my very first blog post! I’m excited to have you follow along as I chronicle my adventures in silversmithing! Now, for a little backstory…
Currently I live and create in Austin, TX however I grew up about 30 minutes south from here in San Marcos. My love of the Texas Hill Country is more than just the beautiful greenbelts, rivers and hills. The culture of central Texas is part of who I am; friendly, progressive, and a little weird. I have a long history of creating, dreaming, crafting, and making art. As a young girl, I learned to sew, knit and crochet, along with many other crafts and was always encouraged to re-purpose found objects. Years later in college, I studied design, science and art education. While I’ve always loved making jewelry and crafts, it wasn’t until I received a jeweler’s bench and torch for my 30th birthday that my journey in silversmithing began.
In my limited spare time over the last 3 years, I’ve studied and worked to develop my metal skills. With a keen eye for detail, my mission is to create heirloom-quality jewelry that will last a lifetime of everyday wear. For now, I have a full-time day job and can’t spend much time in the studio, however I’m working to read and develop my business plan. I jump at every opportunity to learn and practice various techniques. I love the challenge of taking a new design into reality and learning as I go! Most days just feel like I’m playing with hammers, fire and beautiful gemstones. It’s exciting and challenging to learn the centuries-old art of metalsmithing. I love looking at ancient jewelry designs and techniques for inspiration. It’s humbling and fascinating to transform metal and stone from raw material to a finished piece.
My influences are shown in my own unique design style. There’s a definite southwest vibe to my work. I would describe my look as rustic yet polished, bohemian, bold, organic, tribal, playful, earthy, and eclectic. Seems kind of difficult to sum it up in just a few words. I love to work with sterling silver, mixed metals and natural gemstones. I also try to incorporate materials such as recycled guitar strings, guitar picks, wood, bone, and found objects. My goal is to create one of a kind works of art jewelry that are comfortable and durable enough for everyday wear.
Thanks for reading!
LemonHandmadeJewelry 