Bernadette Szajna

“My canvas is a piece of metal – wire or sheet, copper, brass, silver or gold. My gallery is a person. My art does not adorn a wall or a shelf, but a wrist or an ankle, an ear, neck or finger…it is a gallery that moves giving the piece of jewelry a “life”.

I strive for art that is organic or natural but elegant. I want my potential patron to want
to touch, feel, and then smile about my art. Then, I get to tell the story behind that piece. Each significant piece I craft has a story. The story may come from what inspired the piece, how it was made, what or who it represents.

The inspiration story often comes from Mother Nature or merely the desire to combine shapes and materials for an artistic and compelling piece of jewelry. By bringing together various metals, I strive to enhance the features of one along with the unique features of another. I have a host of surface texturing techniques at my fingertips along with many ways to connect those individual pieces of metal into one cohesive work of art jewelry.

When a person chooses to be my art’s gallery, the artist in me wants them to smile, even be “wowed”, thrilled. This is where I derive both my satisfaction, a sense of achievement and my inspiration for what comes next.”