Hand Fabricated Art Jewelry
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Handspun and Hand Dyed Yarn
Education...Rachel graduated from California State University of Northridge with a Bachelors degree in Photography and a Masters degree in Art Education. She has a fully rounded art background in Art History, Fiber, Pottery, Painting, Drawing, and Jewelry fabrication.
Materials...Rachel found creating jewelry as a beautiful process to express her inner soul. She loves to create unique, one of a kind jewelry; mixing different forms of textures and colors. She incorporates Sterling Silver, Fine Silver, Gold, natural gemstones, hand made lampworking glass beads, and found objects in her jewelry designs. Process...Rachel uses traditional metalsmithing techniques to create her jewelry: soldering, sawing, cold connections, and forging. All of her chains, ear wires and posts, head pins, bezels, and clasps are hand made. Each link, ear post and wire are soldered and shaped from solid wire. Attention to detail and quality is very important to Rachel. Her freeform gemstone pendants are exquisite front and back. Each pendant is hand cut on the backside so you can also view the stone. She uses nature as the subject matter for her pendants. "Nature is always evolving. Constantly changing and becoming reborn." Metal Clay...She has also incorporates Precious Metal Clay in her jewelry. The ingredients of PMC are micro-particles of pure silver suspended in a form of clay consisting of water and an organic plant-based binder. The binder or clay is non-toxic in both its raw and fired form and it completely evaporates in the firing process leaving a pure silver content of .999. She applies her education and love of stoneware pottery to this new art form to create wonderful organic creations in pure silver. Rachel became a certified PMC artist as of May 2004; Instructed by J. Fred Woell.
Rachel M Dow...Born and raised in Southern California, Rachel began her love of art when she was a young girl. She has been designing and creating for over 30 years. She currently resides in Riverside County, California.
Instill...Her inspirations come from the Modernist period and Navajo and Pueblo jewelry from the Southwest. She is also inspired by the simplistic and organic elements of nature. She surrounds herself with natural principles to create a balance between the busy lives we are all a part of and the world she dreams about.
Handspun...When Rachel's fingers become sore from bending and sawing metal, she dyes soft, Merino, Tencel, and Blue Face Leicester fiber and spins fabulous yarn. Rachel strives to create truly one of a kind yarn that can be knitted, crocheted, felted, or woven into beautiful wearable's. A special thank you...J. Fred Woell- a wonderful artist and instructor who shared his life experiences with found objects, PMC, cold connections, and of course his political view points. Thank you to all the wonderful editors and assistants that I have worked with from Lark Books.
Published Jewelry
2011-Bounty of Bead and Wire Earrings. Lark Crafts Publication 2007-Beading with Crystals, Lark Books Publication
2011-Simply Bead and Wire: 20 Jewelry Projects. Lark Crafts Publication
2007-Bead Love, Lark Books Publication
2006- Contemporary Bead and Wire Jewelry, Lark Books Publication 2006- Chain Mail Jewelry, Lark Books Publication
2005- Fabulous Jewelry from Found Objects, Lark Books Publication
2004-2005 Winter Studio PMC Magazine
Exhibitions
2005 Nov.-Jan. 2006 La Petite XIII-Alder Gallery, Corburg, OR
www.alderart.com/pet13/html/dow.htm
2005 Feb. O.Reeves Gallery-Solo Exhibition
2004 Nov.-Jan. 2005 La Petite XII -Alder Gallery, Corburg, OR
www.alderart.com/la%20petite%20xii/html/dow.htm
2004 Nov. Woman Made Gallery - Juried Holiday Bazaar, Chicago, IL
Current Galleries that represent my work: The Gift Itself 125 N Broadway Green Bay, WI 54303 Phone: 800-433-9171
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Happenings
11/12/11
I have two bracelet projects that are now in the production phase of a new book out in April 2012 through Lark Jewelry for 30 minute bracelets.
In the last two months I have had brief moments of biking and relaxation...Joshua Tree Music festival and Death Valley. Love the desert.
More publications that I have my jewelry projects in...just out...Bounty of Beads: Earrings. Bounty of Beads: Bracelets will be out in the beginning of 2012
More pictures of happenings on my blog...
RMD Designs Blog
Contact Information:
Rachel M Dow
email: rmddesigns@yahoo.com
Riverside, California
