I hope that more people are reading my blog. The featured artists that I am writing about certainly deserve to have their work noticed and appreciated by as many people as possible.
The next artisan, Michael Johnson, is someone I met on Etsy.com through his online shop "Silver Drops". I have always had a love for handmade silver jewelry and a great admiration for the very talented people who make it. Now it's time for me to let Michael tell you about his craft in his own words.
"I have been making jewelry for 9 years, although I took 3 years off while I was living in China".
The techniques I use are sawing, soldering, grinding, filing, bezel setting, forming and texturing. As for training I took classes as adjuncts during college and took a a few full time classes then also. After college I moved to China for two and a half years and travelled extensively. When I moved back to the States I started to take metals class again in Chicago. Currently I live in Bloomington Indiana and am getting my Masters in Library Science. I have a small studio set up in my apartment.
My inspiration comes from many sources. The main drive is the idea of an asymmetrical piece that is designed in a way that the mind completes the symmetry. I always love playing with abstract designs that play with the mind. This can be seen in my cutouts that I do in some of my pendants or behind the stone settings. I am a big believer that all sides of a piece should be used, including the back side. The inspiration for my pieces and designs come from the natural world, fascination with different cultures and the general feeling I have at the time. "
Please check out the SilverDrops shop on etsy to see more of Michael's great work. The shop site is: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SilverDrops
Wow! Lovely stuff!
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