ELYSE DEMARAY
Voices from the Past: Petroglyph 1, Red jasper and sterling silver pendant, 2012

About the artist:

"My exposure to visual art began as a child when I traveled with my family to visit some of the great museums of the world.  Trips to the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, the British Museum in London, the rock art in Utah, and the African art collections at the University of Iowa and Indiana University have all contributed to my knowledge of ancient and African art.  Similarly, my appreciation of the beauty of gemstones and metalsmithing has also grown out of my travels, and many of my works center on stones indigenous to the places I visit.

After establishing a career in a different field, I finally began to create art of my own.  Over the last 8 years I have developed my skills in metals and stone setting in classes at the Revere Academy in San Francisco and the Des Moines Art Center, where I have had the privilege to study with Robert Sunderman and Larry Niday, both talented metalsmiths with MFA degrees from the University of Iowa."

Elyse writes this about her work: "As a jewelry artist, I am constantly exploring the potential and limits of sterling silver and semi-precious stones.  My current collection explores Cycladic sculpture from ancient Greece, petroglyphs from the American Southwest, and African masks and sculpture.  These art forms speak to me about the sacredness of life, art, and story telling, and I have tried to capture their power in my work to reveal what art from other times and cultures has taught me about my own humanity."

Voices from the Past: Petroglyph 1 was influenced by American Southwestern rock art.

Elyse Demaray's website