Melanie Erickson - Jewelry Artist

Art and music have been part of my life since I was born. My  grandmother was a musician and music teacher. My mother and sister are  painters. I was interested in drawing and music as a child. Eventually I  was drawn to three dimensional art.

Once I visited a friend of mine whose roommate was a  ceramicist. That really stirred something in me. When I got back home, I  enrolled at NAU in the Ceramics department. While there, the Jewelry  department put on something called the Great West Metal Show. I was  hooked! Metal became my medium.

Most of my pieces have a sculptural quality to them. I love  the ability of the metal to polish to a smooth, deep surface. I think it  complements the sculptural quality of the pieces. I also love the  ability of the metal to take on organic textures and shapes through  heating, as in reticulation or casting.

At NAU we were given many opportunities to learn new  techniques through workshops given by visiting artists. There was  another Great West Metal Show which I helped to coordinate. There were juried student art shows in which I participated. I have had pieces in juried shows at the Coconino Center for the Arts and the Sedona Arts  Center as well as the show that accompanied the Great West Metal Show.

I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with honors at NAU. I  went on to earn a Master of Arts degree there too. Since then, I have  worked at other jobs in order to make a living. But something was always  missing. I am now coming back home to a career doing what I love. I am  looking forward to discovering new things about my work.