Featured Artist: Zing by Cecelia

I first met Cecelia Battle 15+ years ago in a watercolor class. I had just started painting in watercolor and Cecelia was clearly much further along in her development of watercolors using fantastic color combinations and inserting her own style and vision in her work. As we all do, Cecelia has ventured in new directions with her art since then and now focuses on fantastic jewelry. The wonderful use of color I saw in Cecelia’s watercolors is evident in her jewelry. I asked Cecelia to share some of her thoughts and inspirations in her new line Zing by Cecelia.

I am inspired by vibrant colors & nature, & I enjoy the design journey that merges a combination of the organic & geometric, with the scientific process. I love the strong, rugged look of copper, sterling & brass, along with some feminine sparkle & color. By blending gem stones, colored glass, crystals, & a variety of unique beads, I create a fanciful, sophisticated look, with a touch of whimsy. I find that making jewelry is a challenging & exciting form of creativity, & a way to use design in a 3 dimensional format, that translates to fashion & wearable art.

Spring Passion Earrings

You use a variety of materials and techniques in your jewelry.  Which are the most fun and the most challenging?

Peaceful Yorkshire Dales - pastel

For me, the most challenging aspect of my work is marketing & pricing my goods. The most fun is seeing a design come to fruition & making people happy when they wear my pieces, or find a special place in their home for a painting of mine. My watercolor & pastel paintings give me a chance to experiment with vivid color combinations & fluid lines that become inspiration for my jewelry designs.

I know you have a glass kiln; do you make many of the components included in your jewelry?

I use my kiln to create fused glass beauties, to add color & transparency to some of my pieces. When I fire up my torch or kiln, it is always exciting & a bit nerve wracking, knowing that I can melt a piece, or successfully complete it for a treasure. I also have a passion for collecting handmade glass beads & sparkling gem stones from around the world.

You recently completed a workshop in some additional jewelry making techniques. What pieces of your art were inspired by this course?

Mary's Garden Party

I recently took two weekend-long ring making workshops, even traveling to North Carolina to work with a well-known jewelry designer, an idol of mine. These courses motivated me to branch out & create more complex designs using my jeweler's saw & torch. I am especially excited to create unique rings & necklaces, with faceted gem stones in bezel settings. This latest class led to my most favorite piece - a necklace, commissioned by a friend for a special birthday. This necklace has organic elements, combined with colorful silk ribbon, sterling silver & brass, a ruby in fuchsite & a Herkimer diamond nestled in a sterling cage. It can be worn five different ways, which makes it fanciful, fun & sophisticated. I named it Mary’s Garden Party.

Where can people see your work, both online and in galleries?

Don't Worry, Spin Happy Ring

Currently, my work can be purchased at Horse Spirit Arts Gallery in Ellicott City, MD, The Muse in Frederick, MD, & Mixx Boutique in Cumberland MD. You can also visit my work on my website; www.zingbycecelia.com . Thank you for your interest in my creations.

Get your Zing on!

As you can see from the images of Cecelia’s work she definitely achieves her goal of fanciful, fun jewelry. If you’d like to meet Cecelia you have an opportunity to do so on Sunday, May 17, 2015 from 1 – 3PM during a reception at Horse Spirit Gallery where her work will be featured.  Here you can purchase Cecelia’s jewelry and cards featuring her paintings.