About Silver Beehive Studio

Formally created in April of 2019, the Silver Beehive Studio has been decades in the making.

Located in the middle of a maple syrup sugarbush in rural Western Maine, the 'barn' was framed in the summer of 2014 from local rough-sawn lumber by my teenage daughter and me before she went off to college.  The following year I began construction on a small studio space in part of the barn.  

Over the past few years, the space has transformed from a barn with a small studio space, to a large studio with a few barn things in the corner!

 

We have built, rebuilt and increased the production capacity of the casting and finishing operation while continuing to develop and deepen creative collections.

 

The studio is constantly undergoing changes and modifications as our goals evolve.  At the core, the steady creation of new silver ring and earring designs is the top priority.  Creative exploration, experimentation, failure, elaboration, and finishing of designs is our process. 

 

The Silver Beehive Studio continues to undergo an exciting transformation, encompassing shifts in its focus, purpose, and physical arrangement. Approximately a year ago, I boldly bid farewell to my longstanding career as a public school art teacher, having dedicated 33 years to inspiring K-12 students. This pivotal moment marked the beginning of my journey as a full-time studio artist.

Since then, I have deliberately opened multiple income streams to see what best fits my interests, skills, and financial needs.  I am currently: custom-casting for a few jewelry clients, casting inventory of my collections for the summer show season, have taken on my first wholesale account, joined an artist-owned gallery co-op, doing custom jewelry design for a few clients, have taught 2 semesters of “Intro to Lost Wax Casting’ classes here in the studio, and am beginning a youtube channel to share my process.  I LOVE the variety of my days since I went full-time in my rural Maine studio.

 

My mycelium jewelry project has been on hold mostly for the past 9 months as I have been exploring studio income options.  I hope to ramp that back up soon as I begin preparations for the Common Ground Fair in September or 2023. 

 

Watch the blog for more current updates on studio projects.

What’s next?  Ask me in a year!  I do want to carve out some more time for open creative exploration with no expectation of monetization.  I need to remember that creative play is at the core of my process and my success and to keep returning to it.