Color!

I often wonder what it is about bright colors that attract me. I've been drawn to primary colors since childhood. I can remember a long sleeve t-shirt that my mother bought me when I was maybe 15 years old that was bright purple. I wore the shirt until it fell apart. The color was deep, bright and full of richness. My mother giving me that shirt was the beginning of my love affair with purple - I could never get enough - I wore purple shoes, clothes - even put purple in my hair for a short time. Something few know about me is that for a while in my late teens I used a pseudonym - Violet Rush! When I was Violet I was a colorful character, not afraid of anything. I was a teenager in the 60's and Terry was just not colorful enough for me. I used to fantasize about changing my name, but I outgrew the desire to leave myself behind.

My preferences and choices of color have shifted over time. I've branched out one can say. Jewelry making has been a great catalyst for exploring color. In particular, shades of blue and green, from turquoise to kyanite to Larimar, Peruvian Opal and freshwater pearls are some of my favorites. Other colors come into play certainly, but seem more secondary than primary in my jewelry designs.

When I was younger I made jewelry with the gay rainbow colors - partly to show my alliance and commitment to supporting the lesbian/gay community by being visible. But I also used the colors because I loved how they looked together - vibrant and rich. The world has changed so dramatically, especially here in Massachusetts, that wearing my "colors" on my sleeve doesn't seem so necessary. I've gotten older too. As I've aged I tend to wear more silver and less color in my jewelry. I wonder about that sometimes and have decided that it suits my current life. I live in a small town and rarely go out for the evening. Jewelry with sweat pants just doesn't seem to make it.

When I am feeling loose and creative, I mix colors that aren't typically used together. When it works it's fabulous. Here are a couple of pieces that I think really express themselves well through color: