Page 43 - Southern Oregon Magazine Winter 2015
P. 43
pendant necklaces and earrings in the Espiritu Fine Arts
collection are bold, sensual and full of feeling, which is no
surprise when you learn that the creative force behind them
is Cilette Swann, vocalist and lyricist for eclectic folk duo
Gypsy Soul.
The centerpieces of Swann’s jewelry are fine silver elements crafted
from precious metal clay, which she often pairs with richly patterned
semi-precious stones, such as agates. She complements the sculptural
pieces with other natural materials: bamboo, shell, and smaller pearls
and stones.
“I’ve always had a passion for finding the extraordinary in the mun-
dane,” says Swann.
Precious metal clay is a malleable substance composed of tiny parti-
cles of a precious metal—silver, gold or bronze—bound together with
organic compounds and water. Mitsubishi Corporation developed the
material in the 1990s, looking for a way to use valuable metals recov-
ered from computers and other electronics.
Swann discovered this little-known art form in the Southwest, and
after teaching herself the basics, took an intensive workshop with mas-
ter Patrik Kusek.
“After that, I was totally addicted,” she says.
Swann crafts the silver pieces in her cozy home studio in Jacksonville.
The process involves multiple steps. She shapes the malleable clay
using a variety of molds, inspired by everything from textured packag-
ing to leaves. Next, she dries the pieces in a food dehydrator. In this
“leather stage,” the delicate pieces can still be worked, but “it’s like
filing a potato chip,” says Swann. She often drills holes and refines the
edges at this point, before firing them in a small kiln for two hours at
1600 degrees. There, the binding molecules burn off, and what once
resembled a piece of white rubber transforms into near-pure silver.
“It’s pure alchemy,” says Swann. Several steps still remain: hardening in
a tumbler, followed by several rounds of sanding and polishing. Swann
also adds patinas, which increase contrast and lend subtle hues to the
silver.
winter 2015 • southernoregonmagazine.com 41
collection are bold, sensual and full of feeling, which is no
surprise when you learn that the creative force behind them
is Cilette Swann, vocalist and lyricist for eclectic folk duo
Gypsy Soul.
The centerpieces of Swann’s jewelry are fine silver elements crafted
from precious metal clay, which she often pairs with richly patterned
semi-precious stones, such as agates. She complements the sculptural
pieces with other natural materials: bamboo, shell, and smaller pearls
and stones.
“I’ve always had a passion for finding the extraordinary in the mun-
dane,” says Swann.
Precious metal clay is a malleable substance composed of tiny parti-
cles of a precious metal—silver, gold or bronze—bound together with
organic compounds and water. Mitsubishi Corporation developed the
material in the 1990s, looking for a way to use valuable metals recov-
ered from computers and other electronics.
Swann discovered this little-known art form in the Southwest, and
after teaching herself the basics, took an intensive workshop with mas-
ter Patrik Kusek.
“After that, I was totally addicted,” she says.
Swann crafts the silver pieces in her cozy home studio in Jacksonville.
The process involves multiple steps. She shapes the malleable clay
using a variety of molds, inspired by everything from textured packag-
ing to leaves. Next, she dries the pieces in a food dehydrator. In this
“leather stage,” the delicate pieces can still be worked, but “it’s like
filing a potato chip,” says Swann. She often drills holes and refines the
edges at this point, before firing them in a small kiln for two hours at
1600 degrees. There, the binding molecules burn off, and what once
resembled a piece of white rubber transforms into near-pure silver.
“It’s pure alchemy,” says Swann. Several steps still remain: hardening in
a tumbler, followed by several rounds of sanding and polishing. Swann
also adds patinas, which increase contrast and lend subtle hues to the
silver.
winter 2015 • southernoregonmagazine.com 41
