Jewelry Statement

Art is about perspective. It is very personal and sacred to me. It involves and pertains to time, location, emotion, attraction, growth, acceptance, and freedom. I strive for harmony and balance in my work. With metalsmithing there is much more of a defined process that must be learned and mastered before the completion of a wearable art piece. This process has forced me to take time with the engineering of the design, developing a step-by-step process with precision. This goal has become an essential practice that I was not accustomed to. This metamorphosis is both intriguing and challenging. I continue to gain insight and inspiration from those around me.

I have been fortunate to be exposed to the jewelry art world through an established Seattle metalsmith studio. The owner, along with a handful of amazing local and national jewelry artists, has been my mentors and guide through the early stages of this wondrous, ever evolving, journey.

My collection for 2013 consists of precious metal pieces created through the lost waxed carving process. Derived from the memories of my summers in Maine, my creativity was influenced from the many hours spent in and out of the water. The drip-castle ring I created, with the lost wax carving process, is a result from my wondrous years in Maine.

Chemistry is the driving force behind my 2014 collection of color on metal, where I have spent countless hours experimenting with recipes and the patination process. I enjoy influencing and enhancing the appearance of metal by any means possible. Embossing, hammering, forging, sinking and raising: whatever it takes. Coloring with various methods of hot and cold patina recipes I have experimented with, as well as enameling and incorporating glass reflector balls are both techniques that have put this collection together.

Jewelry by Erika Laureano • All Jewelry • All Artists