Wire Artist of the Month August 2011: Meredith Lowry

Born in Wichita, Kansas, my mother said many times that I had a project going in every corner of the house. I think she was right! My mother taught me to sew when I was 6 years old. I don't know how many times she told me to rip out zippers and re-sew them until I got it right. I absolutely adore the feel of fabric, and I consider wire to be another form of fabric I can weave and join together with gemstones.

I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Clothing and Textiles with an emphasis on weaving in 1978 from Michigan State University. I then married, had my son Jacob, and found a profound interest in nursing as I watched the nurses work with my son. There was that small, quiet voice in the back of my mind that urged me to enter nursing school. My parents instilled in me the importance of being goal-oriented and the value of learning all I could during the course of my life. I finished nursing school, and in the process, became fascinated with the energy-focusing properties of many crystals used in contemporary medical procedures. For instance, quartz crystals are used to focus energy to break up kidney stones in a non-invasive manner. Another example is kryptonite which is used in lasers to correct disorders in the back of the eye. During the years I worked as a Special Procedures Nurse, I continued to weave, collect crystals, and perform research on their medical and metaphysical properties in the form of a data base that, frankly, will be an ever-growing project for as long as I find new information during the research process.

Nursing is a demanding and rigorous profession both mentally and physically. In my case, I became both physically and mentally disabled after 15 years in ICUs and working as a Special Procedures Nurse, then becoming the Nursing Supervisor for a Home Health agency for 2 years. My doctors gave me no choice in the matter since I had debilitating genetic disorders, autoimmune disorders, and cognitive disorders that made it impossible for me to continue. Being told I could no longer perform the duties I had loved for so long sent me into a deep depression that lasted a long time. I had lost my identity and didn't know who I was or what direction to turn my limited energy into a productive, contributory activity.

Then, one day, during a period of frustration, I saw a long piece of wire in my garage and started to feverishly bend and twist that wire. The end result turned out to be a comical head of a rabbit with long ears. When I felt finished, my entire mood had changed, a weight had lifted and I actually smiled to myself. In the days and weeks that followed, I took what I knew about crystals and combined the two mediums, using my own methods of wrapping, joining together, and creating woven pieces of art that I found pleasing to my sensibilities.

Then, a girl friend introduced me to a woman who made all kinds of jewelry, but was also disabled. She told me that making jewelry made her happy, even on the days she had to stay in bed and could only string beads into necklaces. The three of us began to meet every week, making jewelry each in our own fashion, trading ideas, magazines and lots of laughter. As our skills improved, so did our bravery, and we eventually opened our own website online and even braved the rigors of craft shows for a year. But, those were too hard on us physically and we eventually stopped the show circuit. My new friend bought Dale "Cougar" Armstrong's book and let me borrow it. I loved the chevron bracelet on the cover and set about to make one of my own. I was hooked on wire-wrapping from then on.

Meredith's Thunderbolt, a wire wrapped necklace with druzies, pietersite, and pearl.

I attended the Florida Wired Retreat in September of 2010 and worked with Dale "Cougar" Armstrong. What I learned in those two days changed my entire approach to making jewelry. I had a general idea of what I wanted to do: something asymmetrical and dramatic. The inspiration came from the stones Dale gave me on my white plate, and from two other stones I brought with me. Dale provided me with the perfect combination of earth-toned druzy cabochons and pretty much let me "do my thing" unless she saw I was making a fundamental mistake, or if I had a question about technique.

"Thunderbolt" was inspired by the torrential downpours during my flights to and from Amelia Island. The Pietersite at the top of the piece looked like a thunderstorm to me, and that's where my mind-set settled into comfortably. I'm not always prone to making "pretty" jewelry, and can appreciate the irregularities in the world and reflect them in my jewelry. The unique features of this piece can be recognized by following the stones from top to bottom. Pietersite was so magically violent that I used it at the top, along with the brilliance of a large, clear CZ that looked like the origin of lightning. From there, following the stones and the wire work, to me looks like lightening strikes and tornados. The further down one goes, the gentler the piece becomes, finally ending at the bottom with a single pearl representing the calm after a storm. Despite the rainstorms on the journey to the retreat, while the retreat was in session, the weather was perfect; thus the single drop-shaped pearl that swings from the very bottom of the piece.

A close-up of Thunderbolt by Meredith Lowry

Meredith Lowry and Dale "Cougar" Armstrong at the Wired Retreat in Amelia Island, Florida, 2010

My love for making jewelry is that every piece I make is unique and one-of-a-kind. Every piece is a learning experience and I find that my skills improve dramatically with each effort. Making jewelry also allows me to get lost in time, concentrating only on the here and now. Even though it is my "hobby," I find great satisfaction with each new "performance." I am lifted out of my doldrums to a place of peace and enlightenment. Though I have many artistic interests, and spend time on those as well, making jewelry or wire-wrapped artistic pieces has enabled me to find a new identity upon which I can build, develop and share with my family and friends.

I combine my knowledge of metaphysical and contemporary medical uses for crystals. People come to me, express their concerns, be they physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. I research their concerns, matching them with crystals or stones that are appropriate and specific for the healing process, then create a piece or set of jewelry made solely for that person. It is a very intimate exchange of energy.

Meredith's Rosetta and Carnelian Bracelet is made from Rosetta Picture Stone, Carnelian beads, and wrapped with gold-filled and sterling silver wire.

When I'm working on a wire-wrapped piece, it seems that all time and all troubles disappear. I love the feel of the metal and learning about new designs. What I didn't realize for a long time was that I could come up with a design of my own without having to follow someone else's pattern. I love making jewelry as gifts because of the look on someone's face when they open the finished product. What I have learned about myself is that I like "handsome" vs. "pretty" jewelry. I love the rich glow of silver and gold, and I love using the body as a template for shaping my work. That "something special" about me is that I am always looking forward to learning new things, knowing that I have no fear of failing because all the information I need to learn is available to me. As my father said, "When in doubt, do something!" There is no doubt, however, that wire-sculpting jewelry is a great love of mine. I will carry this love with me for all time.

Angel ornament by Meredith Lowry

Rosetta and Carnelian Bracelet: Another version of my Wirework cover bracelet; wraps ok; cab nicely done; ends finished well. Thunderbolt: excellent combination of involved components; asymmetrically balanced; would like to see the base collar remain a bit more together, maybe by using additional wrapped sections (which can still be added); good wraps and connections; exciting color combination; nice piece!

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