Hello!

 

I have always enjoyed creating art. As a child, my Mom and Grandma noticed my artistic inclinations and collected a treasure trove for my creative whims - lace, stamps, paints, fabric, bottles, boxes, ric-rac, glitter…you name it!  Life was good! My first foray into making jewelry was as a 13 year-old, when I painted and decoupaged crinkled paper to coordinate with my favorite outfit.

 

Fast-forward…I had the opportunity to live and teach English for a year as a Fulbright Exchange Teacher in Temuco, a beautiful city in southern Chile.  While walking down Bulnes street one day, I stopped and admired the woven silver earrings of a local artisan named Juan Gutierrez. He offered to give me silverworking lessons, and he and his wife became dear friends and mentors.  (Sr. Juan’s influence can be seen in the meandering silver inclusions of some of my pieces.)

 

I also found it impossible to walk past painted and melted glasswork - vidrio fundido - without stopping and relishing in its vibrant colors.  I started visualizing new combinations of colors, shapes, and metals…I couldn’t see and buy and design enough silver and glass jewelry – I realized that I had found “my thing.”   

 

Upon returning to the States, I took additional classes and experimented with combining silver and glass.  In the Fall of 2005, I became a member of Studiopolis, studio #423 in the Northrup King Building of Northeast Minneapolis, and began showing my work to the public.

 

As I create, I feel connected to my mentors and friends in Chile; along with both of my Grandmothers and my maternal Great-Grandmother, who each loved to paint. It brings me joy to share what I create with others, and I am deeply grateful for the support and encouragement I have received along this journey.

 

Cari Johnson