BARBARA McFADYEN

For nearly five decades, my passion has been designing and creating jewelry with the time-honored traditions of handwrought metalwork and enameling.  Inspired by the customs and symbolic language of jewelry, I create heirloom quality work in gold, silver, precious stones, and enamel. The challenge of exploring and combining many techniques excites me; from the ancient art of Keum boo fusing 24k gold on fine silver, to the beauty of firing layered colors of glass with Basse-taille and Limoges enamel.

 My inspirations are nourished by the beauty, mystery, and sense of awe found in the natural world. I am reconnected to my inner self through daily walks, collecting and observing the cycles of living and dying throughout the seasons. My vision has furthermore been filtered and transformed by a lifelong  affinity to the art of Japan.  I find expressions of Shibusa, the ephemeral essence, subtle beauty, and flux of nature found in the floating world of Ukiyo-e particularly intriguing.

 My daily studio practice is on a 50-acre Farm in Chapel Hill, North Carolina where I am enveloped by nature and enjoy the practice of beekeeping and raising chickens. Through the tradition of making and my love of good craftsmanship, I transform reflections of nature's raw beauty into distilled moments of tranquility in one of a kind and limited-edition work.