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about the artist |
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a little about myself and my art
I’ve been making art all my life. As a child, I took art classes at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, carved animals from bars of soap at summer camp, made awful jewelry for my mother and sewed clothing for myself by hand that I was too embarrassed to wear outside my bedroom. Over time, I mastered some of these skills and taught myself others. I sewed clothing that could be worn in public, I learned calligraphy and crewel embroidery from books, and made collages that incorporated many of these skills. In the mid-1980s I went to a juried craft show and saw original art jewelry. I knew that I had to learn about the process that produced this extraordinary work. In 1986, while working in hospital administration, I took my first jewelry class at Massachusetts College of Art and realized that I had to become a jewelry maker. I had discovered the perfect expressive outlet to create the art that had always been a part of my life—making jewelry in metal and stone that could be worn and enjoyed. For several years I continued to take jewelry classes in the evenings, spending longer hours in the studio as time went on. In 1989, my husband and I moved to California for 18 months. I used this opportunity to see if I could become a "real" jeweler. I took classes at California College of Arts and Crafts and set up a small studio in our rented home. When we returned to Massachusetts in June 1990, I became a full-time studio jeweler. I have continued my education by participating in workshops and classes and by connecting with other artists from whom I can learn and with whom I can share information. I have learned how to trust my own instincts as an artist. For me, this means creating hand-fabricated one-of-a-kind pieces. Even designs that I repeat are created individually and by hand. Thus, each piece develops its own particular characteristics. I hope that those who see and wear my work can appreciate my hand in the work and that this appreciation will enrich their experience of wearing the jewelry. My designs come from sketching, imagining or realizations—picking up a piece of metal and having it "speak" to me—suggesting how it wants to be cut, shaped, filed, textured, formed, joined to other metals or combined with stones. I draw influence from the shapes and textures that I see around me and by observing the constant interaction of positive and negative space in the world. I love to work with stones because I love color. Stones, including gems and all kinds of rocks, are amazing to me and I believe they deserve to be displayed on the body. I am also drawn to weathered pieces of wood and metal. Ancient scripts and drawings communicate with me across time and space and are expressed in each piece of jewelry as it takes shape at my bench. I make jewelry that is comfortable and versatile. I want it to be worn and not relegated to the jewelry box or saved only for special occasions. I am lucky to have such a satisfying and exciting calling and to be able to respond to it successfully.
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contact carolyn
bensinger
cb@cbjewelry.com
phone: 617.926.1761
All designs are original and are the property of
Carolyn Bensinger Jewelry,
protected under
U.S. Copyright Law