Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
– Rumi
STATEMENT One defining feature, of my person and my work, is that I grew up as an “army brat,” ricocheting around the world. Almost every year we would move and leave behind our house, our neighborhood, my school, friends and schoolmates — never to be seen again and forever out of my reach (as this was long before social media). These places became a part of my personal mythology.
And in order to stay connected with the past, I collected talismans — a leaf, a pebble, a letter, a ticket. I’m still a collector, still trying to link to the past — with ancient, antique, and vintage beads; paper ephemera; mineral specimens and gemstones, and more. These bits and bobs end up in new relationships with contemporary materials in my jewelry and collage works.
I like to think that these objects, gems, and images have a soul of their own, and an energy that reflects the places they come from, the people they belonged to, and the intentions and intelligence that contributed to their creation. I hope my small works honor them.
BIO
— BFA Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa. Major in Drawing and Painting, Minor in Literature
— Glassell School of Art, Houston Texas. 1983 to present, classes in metalsmithing, collage, paper making, enameling.
— Worked as a Graphic Designer, Illustrator, and Art Director in Houston and Dallas for 30 years.
— Studio Jewelry - as Carolyn Rose Design 1985 - 1990,
as Karmabird 2010 to present
— Textile Art - 2017 to present
— Collage Art - 1980 - present