Cass Salzwedel

My jewelry designs take inspiration from framed images of compatible components found in our natural world. Camera in hand, I walk until a sight, sound or scent gives me pause, responding to a moment of emotional or spiritual levity. A spring rain showers me with pink tree petals that carpet a sidewalk. Wind chimes dance amidst verdant maple leaves. Playful windows punctuate a mid-century modern door. I’m mesmerized by the flirtation of water and reflection. Why not wear the images that give me joy?

The intention of my work is to digitally translate photographs into beaded designs that represents my subjects in two ways. At first glance, my jewelry is textural and abstract, like nature itself. Placed beside the photograph, the jewelry literally blooms into definition. After a lifelong dedication to needle and thread I have chosen beaded jewelry because it feels the most alive of all of my artistic endeavors. My intricate weaves of glass and precious metal seed beads, drape, shimmer, and move like the moment I photographed them. Wear one’s emotion on their sleeve? Why not!