Myriam Saavedra is one of seven artists featured in Pistachios Summer 2021 Exhibition 'Timeless Cure'
Q: Where did you study Jewelry/Metalsmithing and where?
A: University of Arkansas at Little Rock, BFA in Applied Design 2013 (2015 when I actually got my diploma, long story.) I have also attended workshops at Penland School of Craft and a PIVOTAL private workshop with Kat Cole in 2019.
Q: What inspires your work?
A: Fashion, drag queens, queer nightlife, minimalist interior design, pop culture, unusual material juxtapositions.
Q: Do you have a favorite piece you've made?
A: I fall in love with all of my pieces, but I'm always ready to make the next thing to fall in love with. I always end up keeping a few of my pieces, especially earrings or statement necklaces.
Q: What made you want to start making jewelry?
A: Originally, I was set on being a fashion designer (thanks, Project Runway) and eventually came across the metalsmithing program in undergrad. I've always loved making and jewelry provided a way for me to create something tangible, wearable, and "sellable." The wearability was always a major draw for me.
Q: What is your favorite process? Why that one over others?
A: Enameling is very satisfying, especially once I learned about liquid enamels vs sifting. The firing process itself is very quick and I get a little dopamine kick seeing each layer evolve. Also a reason why I love production work instead of spending a ton of time on one piece.
Q: Who is your favorite artist/who do you wear?
A: I love Kat Cole and Tara Locklear, both very talented and very gifted business people. I get a lot of inspiration from not only their work, but how they manage their studio practice.
Q: Is there an artist on your personal wishlist that you hope to own one day?
A: I'm always eyeing Teresa Frank Faris' work, so good. Arthur Hash. Aurelie Guillaume. There's so much talent out there, I'm always drooling over contemporary jewelry.
Q: What is something you would want someone to know about your work that they might not know?
A: That I still squeal with delight anytime someone loves and compliments my work, tags me online wearing my work...it's just amazing. There's a certain magic in taking raw materials and making them into wearable art, so when someone else connects with that and wears it? Talk about dopamine hit!
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Q: When you're not making jewelry, what are you doing?
A: BALLOONS. I was lucky enough to land a wildly different creative job during the pandemic. Never thought I'd see myself doing balloons but it's been very entertaining and keeps me gainfully employed.
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Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
A: I'm just so thankful to be part of this current iteration of Pistachios, it's truly a treat and a dream!
Q: What first drew you to enamel and it's process? Enamel has many different techniques, do you have a favorite?
A: Enameling at its core for its ability to add color to metal and for its short firing times between layers, very satisfying. My favorite technique is combining liquid enamel with sgraffito. I love being able to achieve a textured, painterly effect with illustrative mark-making qualities. They're like little paintings!
Q: Why do you think enamel is unique and stands out compared to either bare metal or another color process on metal?
A: I love describing enameling as adding molten glass to metal in an easy bake oven. The metal takes short trips to the kiln for each firing and you get to decide how simple or complicated you want it to be. It's such an interesting and historic surface treatment, really transforming metal and also holding up over time. It's pretty incredible.
Q: We haven't had as much enamel work in our gallery. Can you briefly describe your process to our clients?
A: I take more of an organic approach to my enamel work, preferring to work in large batches at a time. I lean towards geometric shapes as my base canvas and focus more on the surface treatment. Liquid enamel colors can be custom mixed, so I put together color palettes to use with each batch. I start with a base of black and white, scratching in various designs and add color through subsequent firings. I love adding in gold lustre at the very end for extra sparkle. Pieces with similar colors & markings are referred to as siblings.
Q: What would you like for everyone to know about enameled jewelry that possibly they don't know if they've never worked with or purchased any enamel work?
A: It's glass fused to metal! So cool. The basics of enameling are pretty simple, but can easily become very layered and complicated. It's such a fascinating process!
Q: Our show theme centers around the idea that enamel has stuck with us throughout the ages. Do you feel connected through this long-standing tradition when you create your pieces? If so, can you speak a little to that feeling?
A: Yes! I remember writing art history papers on Art Nouveau jewelry with their painfully intricate enameling processes and then learning the barebone basics of enameling in a prerequisite course in undergrad. Although simple, they're still connected by extreme heat. After learning about liquid enamel with Kat Cole, a whole new level of surface treatment was unlocked and there's still so much to learn! While enamel itself has a long history, it's exciting to be a part of its ever-evolving application in contemporary jewelry.
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Myriam Saavedra
She/Her
Little Rock, AK
To shop Myriam's whole collection, CLICK HERE
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