Mirage (#332)
2006
Brooch/Bracelet
Brooch: 1 1/2" h x 4 1/4" diameter
Bracelet: 4 3/4" w x 4" diameter
Blued steel bracelet resting on “it’s” shadow (made of steel and chrome plated, attached to clothing with encased magnets).
10,000. USD
Silent Dance (#208)
1990
Brooch. Silver, 18kt, slate, heat & chemical patina, hangs on photo for display when not worn
14" length
Photo: 40" h x 30" w x 3" deep
18,000. USD
This image was featured on the cover of the European edition of Susan Grant Lewin’s book, One of Kind: American Art Jewelry Today
Necklace (#284)
1997
Silver, 18kt, carved slate
30" in length on neck
16,000. USD
“For the slate I’ve used over the years in jewelry I actually traveled to a slate mine in Ffestiniog Wales. I was able to go in the mine area where workers cut the slate to the sheet thickness I wanted. Because I was an artist they agreed to let me work directly with slate cutters that day.” - Rachelle Thiewes
Echoes & Rhythms of Trane (#190)
Necklace shown on Colorcore form
1987-88
Silver, 18kt, slate, heat & chemical patina
16" h x 14" w x 6" deep
76,000. USD
Uptown Dance
1987-88
6 brooches all 8” in length, housed in a maple and Plexiglas frame for wall display as well as wearing. Brooches are made of silver, 18k and slate with heat and chemical patinas.
20,000. USD
Uptown Dance
1987-88
6 brooches all 8” in length, housed in a maple and Plexiglas frame for wall display as well as wearing. Brooches are made of silver, 18k and slate with heat and chemical patinas.
20,000. USD
Mirage (#332)
2006
Brooch/Bracelet
Brooch: 1 1/2" h x 4 1/4" diameter
Bracelet: 4 3/4" w x 4" diameter
Blued steel bracelet resting on “it’s” shadow (made of steel and chrome plated, attached to clothing with encased magnets).
10,000. USD
Silent Dance (#208)
1990
Brooch. Silver, 18kt, slate, heat & chemical patina, hangs on photo for display when not worn
14" length
Photo: 40" h x 30" w x 3" deep
18,000. USD
This image was featured on the cover of the European edition of Susan Grant Lewin’s book, One of Kind: American Art Jewelry Today
Necklace (#284)
1997
Silver, 18kt, carved slate
30" in length on neck
16,000. USD
“For the slate I’ve used over the years in jewelry I actually traveled to a slate mine in Ffestiniog Wales. I was able to go in the mine area where workers cut the slate to the sheet thickness I wanted. Because I was an artist they agreed to let me work directly with slate cutters that day.” - Rachelle Thiewes
Echoes & Rhythms of Trane (#190)
Necklace shown on Colorcore form
1987-88
Silver, 18kt, slate, heat & chemical patina
16" h x 14" w x 6" deep
76,000. USD
Uptown Dance
1987-88
6 brooches all 8” in length, housed in a maple and Plexiglas frame for wall display as well as wearing. Brooches are made of silver, 18k and slate with heat and chemical patinas.
20,000. USD
Uptown Dance
1987-88
6 brooches all 8” in length, housed in a maple and Plexiglas frame for wall display as well as wearing. Brooches are made of silver, 18k and slate with heat and chemical patinas.
20,000. USD
A Drive on the Wild Side: The Chromatic Jewels of Rachelle Thiewes
Rachelle Thiewes has been at the forefront of art jewelry since 1973. Continually exploring extraordinary ideas and unique materials, she has created a style distinctly her own.
Thiewes’ latest series in her ‘Paint Collection’, titled Arc, continues to draw inspiration from the artist’s surrounding landscape and her love of color.
Thiewes received a BA from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, and an MFA from Kent State University, Kent, Ohio. She is a Professor Emerita of Metal Arts at the University of Texas El Paso, where she taught for nearly 40 years.
Throughout Thiewes’ career she has received many awards and honors including: The National Endowment for the Arts Visual Artist Fellowship in 1988; Fiskars Artist Residency in Finland in 2009; Stanlee & Gerald Rubin Center for Visual Arts “Access & Excellence in the Arts Award” in 2014; Taiwan International Metal Crafts Competition Finalist Award in 2015; and has been named the 2023 Master Metalsmith by the Metal Museum in Memphis, TN.Her work is in the collections of many renowned institutions including: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA; The Museum of Art and Design, NY; The Art Institute of Chicago; Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI; The Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution; The National Museums of Scotland; The Victoria and Albert Museum and the Royal College of Art, London.
“The engineering of the necklaces was complex. Each steel layer needed to be painted separately. Once the painting was completed the layers could then be assembled using a system of soldered on threaded rods and nuts. This required zero tolerance for error in placement of the rods and drilled holes. The silver chain attachment was the most challenging aspect of building these necklaces, requiring much experimentation with models in steel. There were several considerations. It was important that the chain and
its connection links would not scratch the paint when attached. Due to the potential weight of large layered disks the wearer needed to be able to hold the form while securing the clasp, without being able to see the attachment. The connection needed to be very simple but effective.”
“Much thought goes into paint selection. It is actually the most difficult phase of producing my jewelry in general. Days are spent looking at paint chips in different light situations. The chips are placed next to each other, laid and wrapped around the metal forms. Importantly I need to decide what my color intention is for each piece. Due to the reflective nature of the paints it is possible to “throw” color from one form to another, create color reflections on surfaces and blend two colors on separate forms to make a third color that floats between them. It is incredibly demanding and taxing on the eyes.
I use specialty auto paints primarily found on low-rider and show cars. Few companies in the world produce these highly specialized and costly paints. The paints vary and can produce color shifts, pearl effects and deep luminosity all with exciting possibilities, particularly when on a moving body.”
Painted Series (2006-2021)
“My jewelry of recent years is inspired by the Chihuahuan Desert and explores the intense iridescent and color-shifting paints used for those eye-catching custom jobs on cars. A necklace or bracelet comes alive when it is on a body in motion. Tangible movement is implied by the deceptive appearance of collapsing forms, the swift color-shifts on the jewelry’s surfaces and the consequences of light apparent in the shadow drawings and color imprints on the wearer’s skin. The jewelry’s surfaces and angles create a perceived motion not unlike a sleek car that seems to be on the go even standing still. The shifting colors simply add to the illusion.”
Rachelle Thiewes – Previous Works
Thiewes’ early works reflects the artist’s fascination and love of light and sound.
“The element of sound contributes to the wearer’s awareness. Many of the various cone and disk elements are strung together like beads or chimes, creating sound as the body moves. The effect may be rhythmic and musical, or it may be irregular and elusive. Thiewes’s sensitivity to jewelry’s musical dimension is not surprising, given that she is married to a jazz musician and turns to music as a major source of inspiration. The titles of her work underline the importance of music and performance, for example, Uptown Dance, Silent Dance, and Grappelli Bracelet, after the musician Stephen Grapelli.” — Susan Grant Lewin, One of Kind: American Art Jewelry Today
SHIMMER
“When I moved to El Paso, I remember being immediately struck by how different the desert light was compared to the Midwest. I remember during the summer months from late morning to mid afternoon and seeing that the mountains had lost their definition due to the sunlight bleaching the rock. For my eyes it was like “hearing fingernails on a blackboard” – it hurt. But as the day went on, the sunlight would transform into a rich projection of color on the mountains unveiling their sculptural qualities and minimal vegetation. “Shimmer” became a series that explored this range of light.” – Rachelle Thiewes
s are placed next to each other, laid and wrapped around the metal forms. Importantly I need to decide what my color intention is for each piece. Due to the reflective nature of the paints it is possible to “throw” color from one form to another, create color reflections on surfaces and blend two colors on separate forms to make a third color that floats between them. It is incredibly demanding and taxing on the eyes.