We’re all familiar with recycling, putting empty water
bottles or junk mail into a special bin to be turned into another product.
While useful, the new products are often of
lesser quality than the original.
Upcycling,
on the other hand, transforms old or castoff materials into higher quality items,
such as what jeweler
Sandy Morgan achieves with her one-of-a-kind designs.
Her necklaces, bracelets and earrings are
made from sterling silver, silver plate and copper that have been
repurposed.
Come see these outstanding
items in June when Morgan will be the featured artist at Sutter Creek
Gallery.
Upon retiring from teaching elementary students, Morgan
started making wire wrapped jewelry as a hobby and eventually progressed to
metalsmithing and lapidary work. While
she was a teacher she learned to function with a limited or nonexistent budget. As a result, she had turned “making do” as a
jeweler into an art form. Her creativity
led her to use such objects as silver plated trays, serving utensils and
silverware from flea markets and thrift stores. Morgan’s inspiration comes not
from what these objects are but what they can become to adorn the wearer. This vision extends to rocks, shells, beads
and other found objects. Many of her
pieces have won awards at the Amador County Fair.
To further her expertise, the artist joined the local Gem
and Mineral Society and enrolled in metalsmithing courses at Folsom Lake
College. She has also participated in
workshops by known silversmiths Al Bolshazy and Aleris Hart. In addition to working with silver and silver
plate, Morgan enjoys creating with copper as its rich, warm color lends itself
to nature-inspire pieces. One
not-to-be-missed item is a copper purse etched with a sunflower motif. The remarkable 5.5 x 6-inch purse is lined
and is carried by a chain.
Sutter Creek Gallery invites you to meet Sandy Morgan at
her reception on Saturday, June 1, from 2 to 5 p.m., and to view her upcycled
jewelry and other pieces. She is one of the many local artists
exhibiting at the cooperative located in the heart of Sutter Creek at 35 Main
Street. Beyond artwork, the
gallery offers a diverse array of
frame styles and a large variety of mat colors for all your framing needs.
Layaway is also available.
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| Cuff |
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| Copper sunflower purse |
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| Silver tray hearts |
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| Upcycled broken pottery and tray necklace |
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| Forged necklace |
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