Single Florette Stud Earring

Sterling silver & patina

0.437” (L) x 0.375” (W) x 0.875” (D)

My work is derived from, and relies heavily upon, such intangibles as the imagination and memory. These are thresholds through which personal experience is accessed. Within their borders exists the intimacy of contemplative space. In my work, I strive to (re-)connect with these borders. I cast ephemeral organics—seedpods, foliage, seaweed, etc.—in silver using the lost wax casting technique. This process of translating memory into medium is one of requisite transformation; something is both lost and gained in the exchange. No longer their original color, shape, or weight the organics have been made (a)new. They retain a sense of fragility and beauty but are now endowed with a preciousness beyond the subjective sentimental marker of memory. They hover between the intimacy of personal history and their potential as art objects and jewelry in the world at large.

Artist bio:
Lillian E. Webster is a South Coast metalsmith who discovered her passion for working in silver after completing a jewelry fabrication course at UCLA. She has been making fine jewelry in silver and cast bronze ever since. Lillian holds an MFA in Jewelry/Metals from UMass Dartmouth and an MA in Spanish Literature from the University of Virginia. Her work has been exhibited nationally.