Hello! My name is Amy Tavern and I am a studio jeweler.  I live and make my work at the Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina where I have been a resident artist since January 2009. Over the past three years I have done lots and lots of exploration of my medium, other materials, and process.

Bow Cluster Brooch with Tassel. Sterling, spray paint, cotton string.

The work I make primarily involves spray paint on sterling silver. I layer different colors and then once the paint is completely dry, I scratch the surface with files, a scribe, and heavy- grit emery paper. My use of spray paint comes from my love of graffiti, the scratching comes from my love of distressed surfaces and signs of age.

Leaf Crystal Brooch from Fabricated Memory: Jewelry Box, 1980. Sterling, spray paint.

Most recently I completed a large body of work for my first solo exhibition. The work was based on my personal history with jewelry. You can read my artist statement here and view the two collections here and here.

The front cover of my enameled book. Enamel, steel, book cloth.

Although not an enamelist per se, I have done some enameling and have wanted to focus more attention on it. During the summer I made an enameled book while Elizabeth was teaching a class here at Penland. Something went “wrong” during a firing of one of my steel pages, but Elizabeth suggested I look at it in another way. This “mistake” will be my starting point as I begin work for this exhibition.

My studio.

Thanks so much for reading.