Colourful, bold, extraordinary, striking, original, one-of-a-kind - these are some of the adjectives we could use in an attempt to describe the jewellery made by Monica Suzette, or simply ‘Sue’ Savage, a Montana-based American artist.
Sue describes herself as a woman of many roles. “I'm a designer, creator, lover of whimsy and creating my space, biker, skier, gardener, companion to four dogs and blessed to live with the love of my life,” she says.
Feeling driven to express is a blessing that allows Sue to move beyond her self-censorship and find joy in creating. She speaks very fondly of her childhood spent with her parents and three siblings in Bozeman, Montana, and the love and adventurous lifestyle she experienced as a child undoubtedly laid a great foundation for her artistic endeavours.
Sue describes her creative process as a combination of both ancient and modern techniques and materials. A closer look reveals that she draws on Mokume-gane, the 17th-century Japanese technique originally used in metallurgy. She always starts with a layered collection of colours, reflective of her surroundings, which are marred and hand-sliced to create the base pallet. Further steps include embellishment via drawing, riveting, lacing or adding semi-precious and precious elements and then mounting each piece to rustic metals.
"My philosophy is to create elements of personal adornment emitting surprise and whimsy with attention to detail and craftsmanship," Sue explains, adding that she believes happiness is life's purest gift. “Sharing that emotion through my work is a fine honour," she concludes.
You can explore Sue’s amazing pieces on the social media of her brand, Studio Picea. The bright colours in daring combinations and playful shapes may be just what you need right now to feel a little bit happier.
