Laura Lusardi
Visual Artist: Jewelry
From a young age, I’ve been fascinated by nature. Camping, hiking, gardening, and rock hunting continue to be favorite hobbies of mine. My mom is a geologist, who taught me all about the local rocks and geology, inspiring me to keep my eyes on the ground in search for interesting rocks. I loved rocks so much as a kid that I would spend my entire recess on my hands and knees scouring the playground gravel for hidden gems. As an adult, my love of rock hunting has only grown; the only difference is that the world is now my playground.
Not only was I interested in rocks as a child, but also in jewelry making. At first it was just small beaded trinkets, but I’ve since transitioned to wire-wrapping, as I was inspired by a childhood necklace featuring a wire-wrapped marble. I, too, started with marbles in an attempt to recreate that favorite necklace, but I’ve applied the same idea to rocks.
Each creation features a locally found stone, sometimes an agate and sometimes another rock or fossil that caught my eye. The stone’s rugged contours create an interesting and dynamic surface that complements the wire wrapping. The stone is carefully wrapped in copper wire, following the shape and lines within the stone and mimicking the rivers and topography of the Midwest. Then I deliberate over what stones best accent the pendant and create a chain to match. I construct the chains out of individual twisted copper wires and glass beads, sometimes with more accent stones. Eventually I am left with an organic, yet elegant pendant or necklace that is both incredibly unique and personal.
