Artist: Lee Epperson
http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/epperson.htm
http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/epperson-1.htm
Lee Epperson is one of the major contemporary silversmiths in North
America working in the Southwestern style. His sterling silver
jewelry and pottery are unique in design and fabrication,
demonstrating a deep three-dimensional look with great detail,
sharpness, and clarity. As a native Cherokee American from Arizona,
Epperson draws his inspiration from the cultural and artistic
heritage of the Southwest, a heritage which is celebrated and
honored in his silver jewelry and other silver objects.
Originally trained and educated as a mechanical engineer, Epperson’s
artistic career began with painting and watercolor before
experimenting with sculpture, and the captivating effect of
sculpting in metal was the motivating factor in his taking the next
step to making jewelry in 1973 and later other silver products such
as his sterling miniature art pottery
His exquisite art pottery, boxes, and containers will always
surprise collectors and connoisseurs by revealing inlaid designs of
semiprecious stones adorning the inside, the bottom, or underneath
the lid, in formations of signs and symbols which not only
communicate with you, but also put you in touch and in communication
with the distant past and the creative ancestors of the culture he
celebrates.
Epperson’s jewelry reflects his skills as a silversmith and a
lapidarist in innovative designs and artistic interpretations which
skillfully and creatively integrate the metal with semiprecious
stones and materials such as turquoise, coral, lapis, and sugalite.
He produces a broad range of jewelry and accessories, including
earrings, bracelets, necklaces, pins and pendants, belts and belt
buckles, tie tacks and bolos.
His work is collected internationally, and he has been a recipient
of numerous awards and featured in several publications such as the
Lapidary Journal and the book “Collectible Sterling Jewelry
Identification and Value Guide” by Fred Rezazadeh. He was also
featured in several articles in Rock & Gem Magazine, which credited
him with discovering the “revolutionary technique of completely
eliminating” fire scale, a reddish or black scale formed on the
surface when sterling silver is heated and cooled.
http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/epperson.htm
http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/epperson-1.htm
Enjoy
Hanuman