A Family of Artists - West Coast Jewelry

Posted on April 09, 2016 by Nigel Hayes | 0 comments

My creative instincts have their roots in my family home in Port Townsend, Washington. My father is a writer, and our house was always filled with artists. I grew up surrounded by painters, musicians, writers, and ceramists. That early exposure to a wide variety of creative disciplines had a strong impact on my aesthetic sensibilities.

I first studied Art History at Western Washington University, and then moved to Victoria, BC to continue my education at the University of Victoria. Later, I made the decision to move to Toronto so that I could attend the Ontario College of Art and Design University. I completed four years of studies in art.

I didn’t find my passion for metal and fire until years later when I took my first silversmith course. The inherent dichotomy of metal work remains deeply satisfying. The sterling silver is rigid, but with the right tools and techniques it becomes very malleable. Creating handcrafted jewelry requires strength, sometimes brute force, and delicacy of hand. The masculine of fire and hammers becomes the feminine of the jewelry itself.

Although I am an emerging silversmith, I have participated in a number of art festivals and markets in British Columbia including the following:

Out of Hand (Victoria),
Steveston Farmers’ and Artisan Market,
Lonsdale Quay Farmers’ Market,
Burnaby Farmers’ Market,
White Rock Farmers’ Market.
Numerous small seasonal markets.

My work may be found at Side Street Studio in Oak Bay B.C.!

I live and work in Richmond, BC.

Posted in bracelets, earrings, gifts, hand made jewellery, jewellery, local crafts, necklaces, oak bay, pendants, shop local, side street studio

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About Side Street Studio

The story of Side Street Studio is more than the history
of a business. It is the physical expression of a belief
that real art should be accessible to everyone. It is
also the evolution of a business model supported by
principles of community-building economics.

Here’s how it happened.. read more