SAM SHAW
ABOUT:
MY WORK currently explores the form, texture and color, and relationships of natural beachstones. I often associate them with fossils and familiar gemstones to heighten the awareness of their common ancestry.
COMING OF AGE on an island in Maine, I’ve always been attracted to the shapes and personalities of rocks along the shore. This fascination was enhanced by a degree in geology, and applied through a lifelong love of art. The combination of the visual appeal of these simple stones and an understanding of the natural forces that create them drives my curiosity and excitement when working with them.
CONSIDER that pure geometric forms and smooth shapes can be the result of a brutal and chaotic environment found on an ocean beach. A humble piece of basalt may have a perfectly formed “X” of intruded quartz. In my eye, this is fantastic and worthy of heightened consideration. Its value is affirmed by setting it in precious metal.
THE URGE to pick up beautiful, rounded pebbles is almost universal. Many people walk away from the beach with a hard, round memory in their pocket. It is my hope that my jewelry evokes such emotion.