Laura Bracken

I derive great pleasure from watching things transform into other things. To watch a sheet of metal as it’s work with a hammer, or watch glass melt to be shaped into a bead, or to work clay into a structure and have a piece of fine silver artwork emerge from the kiln the next morning. To be able to take a few raw elements and alter them into a design that makes others happy is my supreme pleasure. I’m preoccupied by the idea that nothing enters our planet and nothing leaves our planet, yet the things at our disposal are constantly being altered from one shape, design, function, and aesthetic to another. It’s like no one OWNS anything… we’re all just borrowing things from the planet, they pass through our hands after a certain length of time and move on to another person and eventually another concept.

My designs cycle through the exploration of a variety of techniques, from enamel to etching, metal clay, forging, wire work, fusing, polymer clay, and many others. I am constantly challenging myself to learn more and grow as an artist. Although one of my core beliefs is that change is inevitable and good, there are still a few design motifs that are personal favorites of mine including my line influenced by ancient artifact jewelry and my line influenced by Japanese themes.

Although I consider myself an experimentalist when it comes to techniques and designs, there are some fundamentals I’m rather strict about. I work with sterling silver, fine silver, bronze, brass, and copper. I occasionally use 14k gold-fill. I prefer not to use plated metals. With gemstones, my preference is for non-dyed and non-man made. For crystals, it’s almost always Swarovski crystals from Austria (their sparkle is unmatchable). When I purchase Lampwork (glass art beads), I usually know the artist personally and I only buy Lampwork that has been properly annealed (baked in a kiln after creating to relieve internal stress after shaping the bead). When creating, I take into consideration balance, wearability, comfort and durability.

I'm passionate about the industry and founded a grass roots international organization to bring jewelry makers together. We have grown to over 3000 members. You can find out about that at www.SRAJD.com (Self-Representing Artists in Jewelry Design).
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“Be not fearful of happiness.” --Lao-Tse

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