When Ilene Kay was a child, she would often stop to pick up or sketch natural items such as a stone or a piece of bark. Today, she might do the same with landscapes, trees, flowers, or water, but now she turns those sketches into jewelry that seeks to convey awe and beauty. Ilene has been crafting jewelry for more than two decades. She strives to remain open to the creative process as her designs develop. Ilene’s jewelry is created from argenteum, silver, gold, heat-colored titanium, and copper using traditional fabrication and metalsmithing techniques. She deliberately arranges elements to appeal to the senses and emotions.
Visitors to Art Jewelry by Ilene can see how she saws, textures, hammers, and forms metal with hand tools. The directness of forging metal in this manner makes each piece of her jewelry a unique work of art. Ilene produces her work in collections such as Blue Ridge, Falling Leaves, and Ablaze. Using the influence of the natural world inflected with an Asian aesthetic, Ilene’s jewelry becomes a story in the life of the one who will wear it.
Open by Appointment
