Janine Echabarne

Designs come from my imagination which is fueled by contemporary and past artists of the world, and nature, the greatest artist of all. I admire the early creative expressions of jewelers, for the directness with which they used materials. I like to think of myself as a continuation of the art and craft of many ancestors. I’m certain they would have appreciated modern tools however. I can cut a stone very quickly compared to the laborious effort that was required of early stone cutters. I have a torch instead of fire and bellows. Modern saw blades are so tiny and strong they can cut through sheets of metal like butter. Hammers and anvils have probably not changed much. My anvil was made for me, by a friend, from a big piece of jade he found in the ocean in Northern California.Ceramics is my first love. I hand build one of a kind pieces, sometimes functional, sometimes representational sculpture which are incorporated into assemblage pieces with found objects. Recently I have been making mobiles with repeating forms in high fire stoneware clay.