If you are pretty serious about jewelry art, either as a hobbyist or as a professional designer, you may have heard of Lexi Erickson.  Lexi is a wonderfully talented metalsmith, and her work is so well respected that she can often be found gracing the pages of magazines such as the Lapidary Journal.  I am a huge admirer of both her technical ability and her style so I was thrilled when she agreed to be interviewed for The Jewelry Report...

 

How did you first get into jewelry art in general?

I was an archaeologist, studying neolithic iconography, and The Bronze Age (imagine that?) in Northern Europe, and I wanted to learn more about bronze, so I took 2 metallurgical courses. They went right over my head. A friend suggested I take a jewelry class, but I really resisted. I hated "jewelry store jewelry," diamonds and little pins shaped like birds and stuff like that. Finally I took a course at the university, only planning to take one semester, but I fell in love with the process.

What are your favorite materials to work with?

I love bronze, the amazing colors of the patinas and the way it can look like something dug up from an archaeological site, or shine up like 18k gold. However, bronze is so under-valued as a jewelry metal that I usually mix it with silver. The contrast warms up the silver considerably.

Do you get more excited about the design or technical aspects of jewelry art?

I struggle over designs, yet I have mountains of filled sketchbooks full of drawings. I seem to work best when I just shoot from the hip and start doing. But I love the challenge of a technical piece. Writing for Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist has certainly helped me hone technical abilities because they keep giving me assignments, so I try to vary these assignments and do things I'm not always familiar or comfortable with. I like that. It's like being a mechanical engineer, and figuring how to put it all together so that it's interesting, fits the body well, and creates a conversation. All this unwearable "competition jewelry" that you see in so many of the books now leaves me cold. Jewelry must be designed to be comfortable and worn. Otherwise it's sculpture.

Do you find the process of experimentation frustrating or inspiring?

If you don't experiment, you don't grow as an artist. Push yourself outside of your comfort zone and you will experience tremendous growth. So what if it melts? It's only metal. It would be a great texture! (I'm beginning to see a pattern here! LOL)

What is your favorite design, and is this your best seller?

My favorite designs right now are my "Conversations With Harold" series, based on inspiring talks I've had with one of my closest friends, Colorado/New Mexico jeweler, Harold O'Connor. It started one afternoon when I was "blocked", We sat on the banks of the Arkansas River, drank some wine, and just talked. He opened a new world for me. In these pieces the bronze looks like it has been torn and folded back. They are selling very well, though my Southwestern Dogtags, based on Native American pottery designs have sold extremely well in the past.

Find out more about Lexi at her website, http://www.lexiericksondesigns.com/

Come back tomorrow for part two!