damuse is back with klug’s new enamels

A few months after creating her first piece of jewelry Christy Klug was selected as an exhibitor at the American Craft Council show in Baltimore.  It was a bold move for the self-taught artist and she readily admits that her skills didn’t quite match up to the $8,000 worth of orders she wrote at that show.

Cerrar Pin/Pendant,
vitreous enamel, 22 K gold, fine silver, copper, oxidized silver

Her instant success could have turned into a disaster, but Klug realized that she needed to improve her metalsmithing skills before she could ship those orders – a decision that proved to be a pivotal point in her artistic career.

Garabatos Pin/Pendant,
vitreous enamel, 22K gold, fine silver, oxidized silver

She quickly got her skills up to a level that allowed her to fulfill the orders and then immersed herself in an intense course of study with a jeweler for the the next five years.  The investment paid off and today Klug’s jewelry is carried by more than 20 galleries across the country.  As further proof of her skills and talent, the Texas-based jewelry artist recently made her first appearance as an exhibitor at the prestigious Smithsonian Craft Show in Washington D.C.

Vrubel Ring and Earrings,
vitreous enamel, 22 K gold, Tahitian pearls, fine silver, oxidized silver

This month Klug debuts a new direction in enamel at the American Craft Council show in San Francisco. The images pictured here are from the collection and not yet on her website. Don’t you want to peer inside the windows of the brooches? Something tells me they will transport the viewer to a soul-stirring space. Nice.

Graphite 2 Pin/Pendant,
vitreous enamel, 22K gold, fine silver, oxidized silver

In this excerpt from her interview with The Abundant Artist – Klug talks about that first show five years ago:

“I had a friend photograph 5 pieces and applied to the show … and much to my surprise, I got in! I had 3 months to create a line, design a booth, devise a pricing strategy and go exhibit my new work. I didn’t know how to solder at that point, so I crazy glued all the backs on my earrings. They all came off on the plane ride. I hid in my booth amongst the top jewelers in the country and glued them back on.”

Gris Pin/Pendant
vitreous enamel, 22K gold, fine silver, oxidized silver

DaMuse is back!

I was sure that last week would be one of play and relaxation for me but in the end I worked more than I played. However, the effort will be well worth it when this project is complete and I’ll tell you more about it soon. For now, I hope you enjoy the artists I’ve found for you this week. Happy Monday!