Jewelry Design and Inspiration

My beautiful home state of Colorado, how could I not be inspired?

As a native of Colorado, I still love the raw beauty of all rocks, the rough edges of the Rocky Mountains and their strength and timelessness.

Often, as a child, then a young adult, struggling with issues, not sure if I could handle whatever trial I was going through at the time, I would go walking around in those mountains, seeing the small pine trees growing out of seemingly, solid rock and I spent a lot of time staring at those tough, little trees.  When problems seemed insurmountable, those misshapen, little trees growing out of cracks of granite reminded me that, often, it is the challenges and difficulties that truly shape us and give us the strength we need.

And so, some of my jewelry reflects those rougher edges, that beautiful strength that I found in those tough, little trees so long ago.

A couple of people have asked me how I get ideas for my designs.  For me, it is about creating beautiful, wearable art that reflects how I see the world.  So, certainly my Colorado roots are a tremendous influence as is the beautiful jewelry of some of my favorite jewelry artists like, Lexi Erickson and Helen Driggs.  Both women create jewelry that is distinctive in how they allow the stones to guide their designs, forging the metals in ways that best frame the beautiful, unique stones they use.  Their jewelry pieces just have a natural, beautiful flow about them.

And, I see jewelry everywhere.  In recent months, I’ve been fortunate to have this strange affliction to see jewelry in architecture, tile patterns, sculptures and most everywhere I look.  So, I carry pencil and paper everywhere, never knowing when I will find my next inspiration.  A recent trip to Helsinki with my son’s school provided new ideas and sources of inspiration.

Of course, I see two jeweled rings in this sculpture. My six year old son sees bunny ears. What do you see?

And I love checking out the jewelry people are wearing, how it fits or doesn’t fit them and how I can make jewelry that fits people’s personalities, styles and physical attributes.  My personal bias about jewelry is that it should reflect a personal sense of style, who we are and enhance and complement our physical attributes.

Spectrolite, the national stone of Finland, reminds me of the spectacular display of northern lights I witnessed during my years living in Iceland.
(Photo: VanLeeDesigns)

My designs are rooted in my personal connections to the places I have traveled and loved, inspired by designers who are guided by the natural beauty of the materials they use and how I can help people have jewelry that speaks to them and reflects who they are.