ARTIST STATEMENT

My current jewelry work is a combination of my backgrounds in sculpture and biology; It involves the detailed and obsessive process of creating surfaces that are inspired by the patterns and textures found in nature.

I grew up in a potter's studio, and clay is still the foundation of my sculptural work; Porcelain’s strength, fragility and translucency make it seductive, and I find in its willingness to transform there is optimism and potential. 

I live on the Big Island of Hawaii with my family, where my work continues to be influenced by the systems in the natural world, and the ocean is ever-present.

BlueCinderBiologica is the porcelain jewelry branch of the studio business I share with my husband, Shelby B. Smith. Please visit us at Blue Cinder Studio for our works in multi-media sculpture, wheel thrown clay, and whatever new we’re up to there.

THE PROCESS

These tiny sculptural pieces are hand carved and sculpted from the very finest porcelain clay that has wonderful translucent properties. Each piece goes through several firings with several stages of glazing. Some faces of the pieces are left unglazed because I love the contrast between the raw, velvety surface of the fired clay against the luminescent sheen of the metal luster glaze. Porcelain shares many of the same properties as glass; these are delicate, super light, and if you treat them kindly they will last generations.