The Lady of the Sea Materials: Sterling Silver
Dimensions: H 2 7/8" x D 4"
This piece is inspired by a short story by John Steinbeck. Doc, the marine biologist, was searching the tide pools for specimens. The tide was quite low, so he approached where the edge dropped off into deep water. when he looked down, to his surprise he saw a drowned girl caught in the weeds looking up at him with her long hair floating and swirling around her face. For years this image haunted my dreams. The girl’s face was peaceful and enchanting and dreadful all at the same time. Once I finished this piece, the dreams faded away.
Photo credit: Mary Kay Cargill
Kristin Anderson
Kristinworks
Apalachicola, FL. USA
Artist and goldsmith Kristin Anderson started bending and hammering silver wire in High School. After receiving the BA in painting, she learned enameling in Norway to combine her smithing and painting interests. In 1971 she established her workshop Kristinworks while in graduate school in Madison, Wisconsin.
In 1974 she received the Master of Fine Arts in Art Metal at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. She made her living showing her works at major art fairs all over the USA, in competitive exhibitions, and in several fine Galleries.
In 1985 Kristin found Apalachicola on her way to an art fair in Tampa. She sold her little house in Madison, and bought the Orman Building in downtown Apalachicola. She opened Long Dream Gallery showing the works of her many art fair friends, as well as her own works.
In 1999, Kristin sold the Orman building, moved 3.5 miles out of town to a log cabin in the woods, built a new workshop, and put up the website kristinworks.com. She continues making beautiful jewelry and small sculpture in silver, gold, enamel, and stones, and building custom pieces for many clients.
These containers and vessels definitely hold their place in the world of stunning art objects as well as in the world of metalsmithing.
Since the dawn of time humans have created containers to hold things that were important to them, from large vessels to hold food and harvests to intimate containers for small precious things. They might hold memories, ashes, medicine, beverage, fruit or food - but all spring from the imagination and skill of the maker. Some have specific religious functions, some are meant for everyday use. When one thinks of a vessel or container the inclination is to think of something with solid walls - yet many of these works involve the exploration of positive and negative space, and the use of negative space to help create the illusion of the wall of the vessel.
As the world’s largest jewelry related internet site, Ganoksin strives to develop exhibitions showcasing work from around the world. This exhibition was open to all metalsmiths, professional and amateur, advanced and beginner. Participants are from The Netherlands, the USA, Canada, Australia, Costa Rica, the United Kingdom, Israel, Hong Kong, Colombia, Romania, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia and Denmark. While most of the pieces are by an individual metalsmith, some are collaborations, one of three artists spanning 50 years.
In total 319 artists contributed 729 show pieces for the permanent online exhibition.
Objects in the exhibition include boxes, lockets, urns, ash containers, bowls, wine cups, reliquaries, match holders, vases, teapots, pitchers, sugar bowls, baskets, nests, pillboxes, clutches and a range of sculptural forms. A variety of techniques are showcased covering a wide range of metalsmithing techniques. Materials used include everything from gold and silver to less expensive metals. Ornamentation includes the addition of enamel, chasing and repousse’, gemstones and found objects.
The exhibition was curated by Beth Wicker, President of the North Carolina Society of Goldsmiths in the United States, and Adjunct Instructor at Northeastern Technical College in South Carolina. Director of the exhibition is Hanuman Aspler, founder of The Ganoksin Project, the world’s largest internet jewelry site.
