NewJewelry, 2022

by Denise Marts

Well friends! The first half of 2022, like every year before it, has provided its own unique stream of creative inspiration that never fails to surprise and delight me. 2021 focused upon a resumption of painting, the development of printed textiles and clothing (seen in the photo), furniture items, and the opening of the MARTS MODERN fine art gallery in La Conner. Amazingly, I’ve lived to tell the tale but not without some wear and tear, I must admit. After resting a bit and regrouping earlier this year, the creative juice of 2022 veered unexpectedly into jewelry making, something I could do at home while still resting. I first delved into jewelry making back in 2005 on the heels of my first ever visit to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Though I had always appreciated beautiful, more conventional types of jewelry, I never felt a strong personal affinity toward jewelry. Nothing prepared me for the onslaught of pure, unbounded creative imagination and genius I encountered through exposure to artisanal jewelry in New Mexico. It completely blew me away! I had to have some of it, but I could not afford most of what I really loved. A burning desire to create some sort of reasonable facsimile that I could wear and enjoy is what prompted me on the journey of jewelry making.

Like painting, the creation of jewelry ebbs and flows in its own unique, unpredictable way. I never know when the inspiration will strike or the direction it will take. This year I became re-engaged with jewelry following a visit with my friend, Musa Jawara, an African trade bead merchant. His visit prompted me to revisit a fantastic cache of beads laying in wait that I had purchased back in 2019 at the annual Tucson gem and jewelry show. The piece shown here is one in a new collection for 2022. It features wonderfully modern, funky sculptural beads from Indonesia in bone accented with ceramic and African cast bronze beads.

The new jewelry collection is in the final finishing stages and will be available to view on the website over the coming weeks so please check back to see more…