August Nine
I've been making jewelry in one form or another for as long as I can remember, so it seemed natural to pursue a career in metal-smithing and jewelry making. In 1990 I enrolled in Virginia Commonwealth University and majored in Crafts, which continued to nurture my passion for jewelry design as well as foster my respect for the process and technique of making jewelry.
For the next eight years I lived on an island surrounded by the rhythm of the sea and the lush green of the Pacific Northwest. Inspired by the beauty around me, I spent long hours at the bench experimenting, making mistakes and yet ultimately refining my technique. In 2001 I gave birth to my son August (Gus). Necessity being the mother of invention and due to the various limitations imposed by having a child in the studio, I began to incorporate more beads into my work.
All my jewelry is crafted by myself in my home studio. I use an array of semi precious stones, selected for color, character and sometimes even imperfections. Everything I create starts with a sheet of metal, a coil of wire or a block of wax waiting to be carved.
I love what I do and feel very fortunate to be designing and creating jewelry for a living, as I've always had an innate need to work with my hands. I see my work as an ever- evolving process, one with its own natural progression. My work embodies all that inspires me – sweeping lines, rich colors and sensual textures – yet always tempered with the desire to strike balance and harmony between these elements.
