Art and accessory

Several area artisans specialize in making wearable creations

Friday, July 31, 2009

Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo of Balbina Meyer by JAY FRIESS, others, submitted photos A bracelet by Balbina Meyer of Leonardtown and just above, Meyer displays a double-layer necklace behind her, which took between 42 to 50 hours to make, as she holds a bangle made with Columbian emeralds. At left, Kimberly Nelson of Virginia Beach, formerly of St. Mary's, creates one-of-a-kind glass beads by manipulating them in front of a torch. Nelson created this necklace using some of her beads. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story Click here to enlarge this photo Mickey Kunkle, an artist with North End Gallery in Leonardtown, created this necklace that was recently sold. Click here to enlarge this photo

Some young girls string together plastic beads. Other people may buy prefabricated pieces at arts and crafts stores. Anyone can make that kind of jewelry, but making wearable art takes an artist.

Several local artists pride themselves in their specialization of creating artistic accessories that can be worn. To them, jewelry is art.

One of these artists, Balbina Meyer of Leonardtown, said "I like to call myself an artisan."

Her neighbor at one time used a technique known as wire wrapping to create her own jewelry. "I asked her, ‘Can I see it?' I started playing with [the materials] and ended up doing something totally different than her," Meyer said. From then on, Meyer has been committed to making one-of-a-kind pieces.

Meyer is unsure of what to call her technique. She only uses metal, gems, semi-precious stones, a magnifying lamp, a hammer and her hands. "You have to differentiate fine craft from craft. ... Mine is made from the ground up. No components. The only part is the stone," Meyer said.

Even though she believes her technique is "very basic," her pieces range from the simple to the ornate. Each piece requires intricate metalwork and several hours of labor.

Meyer grew up in Spain and Switzerland, and many of her pieces reflect those European roots. "I'm influenced by cultures more than places," she said.

Meyer does follow the trends in fashion, like this season's style of big earrings. "I do like fashion. Big earrings, I'll do it. In my style and twist, but I'll do it," she said.

Mickey Kunkle, a member of the North End Gallery in Leonardtown, is another artist who makes jewelry and who also works with metal. Unlike Meyer, Kunkle uses silver and bronze clay that turns into pure silver or bronze when fired in the kiln at 615 degrees. Silver clay is more economical, costing only $65 for a 2-inch cube as opposed to $200 for gold clay. Kunkle's greatest inspiration is color. "I'm constantly looking for new ways to add color," she said.

She was once told by a teacher that she could never become an artist, but Kunkle has been making handcrafted jewelry for more than 10 years. Kunkle describes her jewelry as "bold, funky, too … something. It takes a woman with a fair amount of confidence to wear my pieces."

Meyer encourages people not to be afraid of wearing different kinds of jewelry. She feels that in a small town people often shy away from more elaborate accessories. "Even when you are casual you can do it. Go grocery shopping wearing nice jewelry. It doesn't always have to be a ball," she said.

Both Kunkle and Meyer enjoy the challenge of creating new designs. This, Kunkle said, "suits my personality. The hardest part is finding enough time" to make it all.

Kimberly Nelson, a member of Heron's Way Gallery in Leonardtown, began making lampwork glass beads, or making glass beads in front of a torch, because of its physical aspect: "I'm pretty hands on. I want to see it and touch it … that's one reason why I really enjoy jewelry making and bead-making. I work on a computer all day [as a graphic designer]. I wanted something really tactile. I was missing that tactile satisfaction."

For any artist, one of the greatest rewards is seeing people enjoy the art he or she created, these artists said. When Nelson sees someone wearing her pieces it is "like seeing a piece of me come home. I might have forgotten that piece or have changed my style since then."

Although it is rewarding to see it on others, Meyer admits that selling some pieces can be difficult. "Everything I finish I like. If I don't like it, I won't make it," she said.

Meyer's favorite piece, a sterling silver necklace with garnets, is in Berlin, Germany.

Meyer, Kunkle and Nelson not only get to share their art with others, but also get to wear it themselves.

Before Nelson began creating her own jewelry, she barely wore any herself. "I have had to learn to wear my stuff to show it off, but also I wear it to figure out how things feel, look, fall and drape. In doing this I have been forced to start wearing jewelry, and I really enjoy it," she said. By testing her own designs, she is able to see how practical her pieces are in an active environment.

"When you buy a piece of mine, you wear art," Meyer said. "It really is wearable art."

To learn more

To see more of Balbina Meyer's work, visit www.artinwirejewerly.com. To see a video demonstration of Kimberly Nelson making a flower bead and more, visit www.kimberlyjae.com. For more on Mickey Kunkle's work, visit www.northendgallery.org.