Michel McNabb

Jewelry has always been an obsession for me.  As a little girl, I could sit for hours on my mother's bed going through jewelry box.  I began making jewelry at about eight years old from colored telephone wires and gum wrappers.  As a college student at Denison University, I majored in fine art, specializing in intaglio etching printmaking, where metal is etched using a fine stylus.  My jewelry is made in a similar fashion by carving wax with a very fine tools in order to create detail within the design. The process begins with an idea, inspired by the beauty around me.  I could be pattern from the gorgeous architecture in Spain, where I lived for 18 years, or simple forms found in nature and everyday objects. Read more Theses ideas keep me awake at night until I can see the finished piece in my mind. Then I sit down at my workbench and begin creating. My newest work includes enamel.  I am combing my cast pieces with glass fused onto metal to add a little color to my work.  It is a fascinating technique.  Once again, I am using etching techniques to work in Champleve.  The metal is etched and enamel is placed over the etching. When I work with my hands, I am reminded that i can create objects that will last forever.  Jewelry can be passed down from one generation to the next.  These pieces can be sentimental and hold precious memories.  It can be a talisman or bring luck.  As my Aunt Bernadette once said, "Jewelry, and our ability to accessorize, is what separates us from lower forms of life."