Barbara Briggs

“Adornment…be it jewelry or clothing, has always intrigued and fascinated me. As a child I spent many hours creating wearable treasures made of buttons, shells, beads, and found objects that I had collected. As an adult I am still enamored with wearables. Having explored other forms of art, I always return to clothing and jewelry.  Exploring color, texture, and form, engineering and constructing pieces to make sure they fit properly, are balanced, and lie just right…all of these things make the process of creating adornments very exciting!

A word about my jewelry…as you peruse the photos on my blog and website, you’ll notice that the collective body of work is quite eclectic with many different genres. Many pieces are so unrelated to others that one may wonder how one person could work in so many styles and media. I assure you they were all made by me.  My personal sense of design and taste is rather multi-faceted. I’m inspired not only by my personal environment and the way I see things, but also by fashion history, current trends, and the materials I work with. Those elements dictate what I create. Just as I wear a myriad of different fragrances and enjoy a vast variety of cuisines, my “style” follows suit. Every day presents new ideas. Shall I work with metals, polymer clay, resin or felt and fiber, or do I want to stitch beads, etc.,? Does my mood reflect cutting edge modern, vintage, or something in between? My creative world can change on a whim. So enjoy the show.  And check back often to see what I come up with next!”

Please visit my website:
www.barbarabriggsdesigns.com where you will find photos and descriptions of my work.  
And please visit my Etsy shop:  
www.barbarabriggsdesigns.etsy.com where you will find a collection of original designs, components, and jewelry kits and patterns for sale.

ARTIST’S BIO
Studied jewelry making at DeCordova Museum of Art in Lincoln, MA and at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL. Self-taught in fiber arts, silk painting, and free-form basketry. Owned and operated Fibre Ltd., a knitting and weaving studio in Cedarburg, WI 1978-1986. Taught beginning jewelry classes at DeCordova Museum of Art in Lincoln, MA 1990-1992, Shibori silk dyeing and free-form basketry at the Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI 1999, and sculptural basketry at the Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Art, Racine, WI in 2001. Received PMC (Precious Metal Clay®) Certification in 2005. Presently working in precious metal, beaded jewelry, and loom knit wearables, Barbara Briggs specializes in one-of-a-kind and limited edition pieces.

EXHIBITIONS AND SHOWS
“New Directions: Powder Metallurgy (Metal Clay) in a Sheet Metal World” – 2011
BAAC Annual Art Fair – Barrington, IL 1998
Midwest Craft Exhibition – Skokie, IL 1994, 1988
Oakbrook Invitational Craft Exposition – Oakbrook, IL 1994, 1988
ACC Baltimore Craft Fair – Baltimore, MD 1992, 1990, 1989
ACC San Francisco Craft Fair – San Francisco, CA 1992
Lakefront Festival of Art – Milwaukee, WI 1992, 1988
ACC West Springfield Craft Fair – West Springfield, MA 1990, 1989
Crafts at Rhinebeck – Rhinebeck, NY 1992, 1991
Washington Craft Expo – Washington, DC 1991, 1990, 1989
State Street Art Fair – Ann Arbor, MI 1990
Crafts at the Castle – Boston, MA 1989
Ann Arbor Street Art Fair – Ann Arbor, MI 1988
57th Street Art Fair – Chicago, IL 1988

PUBLICATIONS
“Contemporary Geometric Beadwork II” by Kate McKinnon -2014 pgs. 55, 76, 77, 230”
Creative Beading – Volume 9″ by Bead&Button Magazine -2014  pages 237-239
“Polymer Clay – Global Perspectives” by Cynthia Tinapple – 2014 page 42
“Behind the Brooch” by Lorena Angulo – 2014  pages 42 – 43
Contemporary Geometric Beadwork Calendar – March 2014 – page December 2014
Bead & Button – April 2013 “Op Art” Cuff – pages 64 – 66
“Metal Clay in Color:  Inventive Techniques from 20 Jewelry Designers” – 2012
Metal Clay Artist Magazine – Volume 3 – issue #2
Metal Clay Artist Magazine – Volume 3 – issue #1
“New Directions: Powder Metallurgy (Metal Clay) in a Sheet Metal World” – 2011
PMC Guild Annual #4 – 2010
PMC Guild Annual #3 – 2009
“Making Pure Silver Beads with Metal Clay” by Linda Kaye-Moses – 2009
“Metal Clay Beads” by Barbara Becker Simon – 2009
PMC Guild Annual #2 – 2008
Bead & Button – December 2007 issue
PMC Guild Annual (Premier edition) – 2007
Bead & Button – April 2007 issue
Studio PMC – Summer 2006 issue