Aguila Designs
Innovative Silver Jewelry
I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, always knowing I wanted to be an artist. As a child I’d create endless amounts of necklaces with small glass beads from the craft store. I studied art and design in college with a focus on applied art, and found myself taking a jewelry class as a 3D elective. I strengthened my love for wearable art and have been making jewelry ever since.
Moving to Taos, NM over fifteen years ago, and traveling to Indonesia around that time, rekindled my interest for jewelry fabrication. Silver and gold hand fabricated jewelry has been my focus for the last ten years. I work with silver and gold alloys, occasionally using copper metal for a contrast in color. I am presently fascinated with surface textures, incorporating such techniques as reticulation, Kumboo, and folding metal in my work.
My inspirations are designs I see in nature and architecture, the beauty of simplicity and the joy of giving jewelry a life of it’s own. I allow it, in part, to create itself. Textures that play with light and shadow are also an integral part of my designing. Creating beauty through art is where I’m happiest and working with the Earth’s materials allows me to achieve this in what feels like a very connected way.
My jewelry has been shown in several galleries nationally, and is currently at Mesa’s Edge in Taos, NM, and Riverside Mill Craft Gallery in Weldon NC.
AWARDS:
2009 Best of Contemporary Jewelry – Taos Invites Taos Fall Arts Festival