“It has been said that art is often an expression of how we experience the world around us. I make art because it reconnects me with the natural world and simultaneously with the world inside myself. When I think of our inner worlds, how our spirits are held in our bodies and how the two interact, I see a similar image to a galaxy, how the universe is built, or similarly how a plant is rooted to the ground and how it collects its energy to grow and give life. What I make are reminders of these reflections that we have with the world around us, big and small.”
- Esther Sullivan
Esther Sullivan is an art school graduate and has been a participant in a variety of workshops and apprenticeships which have influenced the distinct style of metalsmithing that now characterizes her work and aesthetic. In her Bozeman Montana studio, Esther uses time-honored tools and reclaimed gold and sterling silver, each with their own personal history, to give new form to the old. She uses an advanced torchwork method called reticulation to create texture. Unique hammering and patina work are also utilized to unveil the contrasts and forms which communicate her story. Her work is a reflection of her passion to honestly express herself through art, inspired by the sacred natural world around all of us.
Materials and Studio Practices…
Esther Sullivan’s jewelry is individually hand fabricated, giving each piece a one of a kind feel. She takes much care with every file mark, touch of the torch and finishing touch in each piece that she makes. And this also is how she chooses her materials, which are carefully hand picked ensuring they are all sustainable and earth friendly products. She only uses reclaimed and recycled sterling silver and gold. This means that the metal has come from various sources (old jewelry, and jewelers scraps are some examples) and has been refined, purified, melted down and turned back into the raw materials that Sullivan can then use to make your jewelry.
photo: Blair Speed
Wearable art… from the heart, for the heart.
