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. Not because they are outdated or unhealthy but because they are so precious, beautiful, lovely , delicate and otherworldly that seeing them in this world, in this day and age they look out of place. As if they are only existing by a thread or some type of mistake of the universe. These items objects animals exist for a reason, they have found other ways to survive. Aside from their obvious delicacies they offer hidden strength beyond the obvious and the usual, perhaps in ways that cannot even be seen without extensive examination. Only after close inspection it is found that these creatures things are extraordinary in some way. They will thrive and not only exist, if left to their own devices and not shaped by other’s views and constructs. What attracts me to these things is what I see in myself in many situations throughout my life. I have been out of place, slow to start, late to bloom or find my voice. It’s about finding the angle, it’s about shifting the prism just enough that you are able to see clearly and exist, thrive and be strong. 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.