Arts and Crafts

In Her Element

Posted at May 28, 2008 11:54

By Stefani Kronk

THE buIldIng blocks of st. louis artist
Ellen klamon’s art—pattern, shape, and color—
are simple but exciting. borrowing these
elements from nature, the artist creates jewelry
that is a symbolic interpretation of the natural
world. Her jewelry line, Ellements, is a play on
her name, but also signifies earth, air, fire, and
water, which are used in her creative process.

Ellen sees her art as a perfect synthesis of
color, nature, and the dynamic mediums of
drawing and metalworking. Trained as an illustrator,
she draws directly onto pieces of cut,
shaped, and soldered metal that is coated with
gesso, a paint-like substance used as a surface
primer. Her favorite step in the creative process
is coloring her pieces.

“Color comes first,” Ellen says. “It is what
soothes me and excites me.” she achieves
vibrant color and seasonal tones with
Prismacolor pencils, which add definition,
and dyed epoxy resin, which confers color
and a glass-like surface to bracelets, necklaces,
earrings, and pins. The epoxy resin is tinted
with various pigments and materials, even
herbs and spices, to achieve the rich hues and
textures that stimulate this artist and give her
jewelry an organic feel.

If color is her love, her inspiration is
nature. “Missouri has four seasons, rolling
hills, green fields, and rivers,” Ellen says. “I
love rivers.” colors and lines evoke Missouri
landscapes in her jewelry, creating energyinfused
artwork.

After receiving her undergraduate degree
from Maryville university at st. louis in
printmaking and drawing, Ellen apprenticed
for a decade with a professional jewelry maker
at clayton.

As someone who enjoys change, Ellen’s education
has never ended. she continues to take
classes in order to learn different techniques.

“I would get bored if I did the same
thing over and over,” she says. Recently, she
completed a weeklong intensive study course
where she mastered the art of cold connecting
metal, which is using alternative methods to
combine metals without the use of heat. she
intends to use this technique in the creation
of future pieces.

After thirty years of developing her style
and perfecting her craft, Ellen remains as
committed as ever. “I love what I do,” she
says. “As long as I stay in the art world, I
have a voice!”

Visit www.ellenklamon.com or call 314-
821-5060 for more information.

December 2007

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