Welcome Tidings, 2024
Fine silver, recycled silver, enamel, precious stones, patina
8.5 cm x 8.2 cm x 0.9 cm

I created the enameled section of this piece while participating in EnamelArtJam 2023 hosted by Sandra McEwen. I received a randomly generated prompt, “Welcome Tidings”, and found in my research that “tidings” was an archaic word for a group of magpies. I used Japanese enamel and cloisonné to depict a magpie. I was inspired to fabricate a nest-like setting after participating in Radical Jewelry Makeover, which emphasized sustainable practices like recycling silver. I forged the nest out of recycled silver, and sought silver scraps and repurposed stones from my peers to add treasurelike elements which magpies would typically collect. Although mythology states that one magpie indicates sorrow, this piece indicates a sense of home through discarded, then rediscovered objects.