{tac}

Prisha Brown

Prisha Brown resides in Corvallis, OR.

Artist's Statement

"Art, crafts, color, play, create, hunt, find, treasure, recreate, refinish, reinvent, fashion, juxtapose, jewelry, freeform, textiles, patina, gems, pearls, wire, form, crochet, knit, weave…Entwine."

"The basis for the name of my jewelry line, Entwine, comes from the techniques traditionally found in woven, knit, or crocheted textiles and basketry. I primarily use very fine gauge wire of silver, gold, brass, or copper to hand fabricate each piece. Designs start from a sketch and a palette of beautiful pearls and faceted gemstones. With a vision in mind, I string each bead onto the wire spool and then 'entwine' them into each stitch. I love to work in an organic, freeform way, watching the shape and textures evolve naturally, rather than following a specific pattern."

"The colors and textures of the mountains, rivers, and vineyards, of the Pacific Northwest infuse my jewelry. My signature style is “freeform crochet”. Customers say Entwine jewelry looks delicate, but is very wearable, and the wire mesh and pearls warms to the temperature of their bodies. Crochet comes naturally for me, and makes the process of creating play."

Biography

"All my life I have enjoyed being creative. Growing up in rainy western Washington, my mom always had fun craft project kits on hand and enrolled me in arts and crafts classes with friends. Throughout school, art was always my favorite subject. In high school, my interests blossomed into retrofitting secondhand clothing, leading me to study fashion design and fine art throughout college at Wenatchee Valley and Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. It was during this time that I finally gained the sewing and pattern making skills to bring all my fashion sketches to life. I was amazed how tailoring could shape a garment perfectly to the body."

"My new passion for jewelry design was ignited while studying abroad at Lorenzo De’Medici Art School in Florence, Italy during the summer of 2000. During a jewelry design class in Florence, I entered and later won a jewelry design award from Mikimoto Pearls. After graduating with my BA in 2002, my husband and I packed up and moved to San Francisco. Undecided between fashion or jewelry as a career, I interned with Jessica McClintock and Koret of California to give fashion designing a chance. San Francisco was a diverse and vibrant city that inspired me as I walked through the city each day. My interests, and medium of choice, continued to refine from clothing to jewelry design."

"Graduate school was inevitable, as I felt the pull back to academia, and the longing to pursue jewelry design more intensely. Working as a Textiles Teaching Assistant throughout graduate school taught me the intricacies of fabric structures and textile science. I combined classes from the Spokane Art School, the American Jeweler’s Institute, and the Gemological Institute of America into my required graduate courses to create a rich course of study in jewelry design. In May 2006, I graduated from Washington State University with a Masters degree in Apparel, Merchandising, Design, and Textiles with a focus on Jewelry Design."

"Since graduation, I have been experimenting with new crochet wire working techniques and designs, selling my work online and through galleries and boutiques in Washington and Oregon, creating commissioned pieces, building my website, and teaching workshops and classes in crocheted wire jewelry. I am always looking for new opportunities to learn, network, teach, and exhibit my work."

Visit Prisha Brown's website.