Michael Barnard
Collecting stones and rocks has been a part of my life since I can remember. In 1984, I took a jewelry making class from Ed Sanders, a designer/artist and jack of all trades for the Smithsonian, and I was addicted. I have been hand fabricating jewelry since, I am essentially self taught. I enjoy the process of discovery in terms of techniques and style. I started off with filigree work and have progressed to more natural/organic subjects with a great deal of detail. In the early 1990’s I spent a week at Revere Academy in San Francisco learning stone setting.
All of my work is hand fabricated and each piece is one-of-a-kind, typically 18k gold and occasionally shakudo or fine silver as well. I am absolutely fascinated by opals, so many of my pieces include opals I cut from rough from Mintibe, Coober Pedy, Olympic and Lightning Ridge, Austrailia. Having lived overseas growing up, I find inspiration and cultural perspective everywhere - through travel, museums, nature, books, National Geographic - wherever an image or scene strikes me.
