Page 28 - CA 2019 Final(3)

Nature-inspired wearable art

Jewelry artist Nisa Smiley creates imaginative pieces

feature by Susan Dewey

phot s by Nisa Smiley & Robert Diamante Kyanite and Sage Leaf Earrings; 18k and 24k
gold, sterling silver, and teal kyanite.
Nisa Smiley spends her summer months “beyond where the sidewalk ends” in Stonington, where she does business at J. McVeigh
Jewelry. The rest of the year she spends surrounded by buttons, mussel shells, fine gems, seed pods, and other bits of flotsam that she
turns into jewelry.

As she wanders the littoral zone of Maine’s coast, and the nearby woods and farms, Nisa has an eye for the sort of things that fade
into the background. Whirligig maple seeds, old shells, things other people might sweep up and toss out, are the inspiration to become
stylized herons, cicadas, flowers – beautiful versions of life – into her wearable art. The settings Nisa creates for the things she gathers
merge the clean crisp reflective qualities of silver with the warm glow of gold to tell a story of the natural world she inhabits.
Nisa builds personal relationships. While each bracelet,

necklace, or set of earrings is unique, she will consider a con-
cept if someone makes a special request. Often people will
bring her things like Grandma’s button jar and she will create
pieces that showcase the buttons as memories for each of the
grandchildren. As an artist Nisa feels these connections are
important. continued on the next page

Dendritic Opal cabochon pairs on the artist’s workbench, will Shown here is a finished pair of Snow Heron
soon be finished to look like the earrings in the photo to the right. Earrings; 18k gold, sterling silver, dendritic
Photo courtesy of Nisa Smiley. opals. Photo courtesy of Nisa Smiley.
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