Melissa Schmidt

Clever is a word that is used for people and animals who can think of alternative ways to wriggle out of a tough situation or alternative unusual ways to solve problems. I am extremely attracted to animals, situations and objects that seemingly have no way of sustainment.
My jewelry is an expression of that way of thinking both in its essence, forming and performance. At first glance it may
appear too fragile and simplistic. Upon inspection, it is anything but. Every piece of glass is blown from a single tube of
borosilicate glass (pyrex). I use a torch to melt the tubes. Color is applied with frit, powdered glass or stringers (little strings
of glass pulled from a rod}. Every bubble is annealed (fired) in a kiln. It allows the glass to cool down in a controlled way thus
eliminating stress and making the glass more durable. All paper , foil and film are inserted after the glass leaves the kiln when it is cool. I roll, fold, stuff and gently manipulate the materials into the desired position.