Make Southwest Style Jewelry
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Turquoise dreams I love big saguaro cactus, the tall desert sentinels that look like they have arms at odd angles. They must be the most iconic cacti of all cacti. But I don’t want to use their image or shape, or coyotes or bucking broncos for that matter, cute as some may be, when I want to evoke a Southwest style in my jewelry. With Bead Fest Santa Fe coming up, I thought I’d share some inspiring examples that show other ways to design in a style of the Southwest, and leave the coyotes to howl at the moon. |
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Stone and silver Most of us associate a Southwest style with very specific materials. Turquoise and silver sure evoke Santa Fe to me. Natural indigenous elements including wood, leather, and feathers enhance the style, don't you agree? |
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Cascading Leaves by Cheron Gelber has a Southwest flair with just touches of turquoise. |
Turquoise Textures by Lisa Lampe uses wood, leather, and silver with turquoise. |
Linda Larsen’s Southwest Boho earrings show how turquoise brings a western feeling to modern silverwork. |
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| Native American tradition Peyote stitch is derived from—and is believed to be the same as—a traditional weaving technique called gourd stitch. When used with evocative colors, peyote stitch is a strong visual connection to the Southwest. Bead embroidery and loom weaving also have roots in Native American art traditions. |
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 In her Peyote-Stitched Tube necklace, Robin Renner stitches beads into a brilliant pattern. |
Carole Rodgers used fringes and bead embroidery on leather for her American Treasure pendant. |
Mary Thompson’s loom-woven Ojibwe pendant pays homage to one of the oldest of American Indian nations. |
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| Colors of the Southwest Choose two colors that make you think of Santa Fe. Did you say turquoise and red, or browns and blues? Reflecting the colors of nature from the region is a great way to apply Southwestern flavor to your work. |
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Painted Desert by Lisa Kan is aptly named, as she captures a desert in bloom in a multistrand necklace. |
Copper runs in veins through turquoise. In Copper Cowgirl, Michelle Mach makes good use of the two colors. |
David Dean's book, Beading in the Native American Tradition, provides inspiring traditions from nations throughout North America. |
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Bead Fest Santa Fe is around the bend, but there's still time to plan to join us. And even if you can’t bring yourself to Santa Fe, at least you can bring Santa Fe into your work.
Have you created Santa Fe style in your work? Tell us how you did it here on Beading Daily.
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