Leaf Form Earrings

STATEMENT
Nature stirs my imagination. I am both a collector of natural artifacts and an observer of the natural world; I seek to explore the beauty and delicacy of nature, translating the delicate patterns I see into the work I create.

I am drawn to both traditional and contemporary techniques in jewelry making. I love to experiment and push the boundaries of the material. In my most recent work, I am drawn to the nebulous, yet static qualities of plastic resin. I freeze pieces of silver, traces of paper, leaves of gold and other minuscule fragments, capturing their essence in time. In the resin viscous state I attempt to arrange these objects to create a balance of line and form. Once the resin is set, I often rework the surface to expose the embedded object while leaving the resin semi-translucent. No matter how much preparation and planning is given to the craft of resin jewelry, the maker is always subject to the whims and uncertainty of the chemistry and substance itself. Resin jewelry brings out the alchemist in me because it requires raw, unrelenting experimentation.

BIOGRAPHY
Born outside of Belfast, Northern Ireland, Carla Pennie grew up experiencing both the majestic beauty and social challenges of a country under strife. Pennie attended the University of Ulster receiving a BA with honors in Fine and Applied Art. After spending the majority of her life in Northern Ireland, Carla decided to work and travel, art tutoring in New York State, working on a barge on the Seine River in France, and as a museum technician at Pecos National Historical Park in New Mexico. She returned to the U.K. in 2001 completing an MA in Gallery Studies from the University of Essex, in England. Carla Pennie set up home and studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico. So drawn to her roots in Northern Ireland, she will always return, and now shares her time between both places.