People are so inspiring. Call it the journalist in me, but I absolutely love hearing their stories. Especially those of creatives who turn an idea or their talent into a business. Enter Melissa Borrell, a jewelry designer and artist from Austin. I had the pleasure of meeting Melissa in her Austin studio to ask her some questions about her work and get some photos of it too. Read on to learn about this amazing Austin talent.
Melissa started out making jewelry as a hobby when she graduated college. She got her big break when galleries across the country began buying her handcrafted jewelry, then wisely decided to go back to school to get her MFA in jewelry design.
It was then that she became interested in alternative manufacturing processes, such etching and laser cutting, a process which is used on the amazing geometric necklaces above. Melissa sketches design then scans them into a computer which is sent to the manufacturer as a template to cut thin pieces of metal, and voila! These fantastic pieces are crafted.
I absolutely love Melissa’s Pop Out jewelry – a brilliant DIY concept where you can buy one or more “pop out” silhouettes to make earrings and necklaces and change their look. These Leaf Pop Out earrings are my personal favorite. What’s even better – they are extremely lightweight and lobe friendly. The Pop Out jewelry starts at just $39, so they make fantastic and unique gifts.
Melissa also does commercial and residential sculptural installations like these gorgeous floral wall decals, which create amazing depth and shadows on the walls. You can see more of her sculptural work here.
Above is another of Melissa’s amazing sculptural designs and a statement necklace. You can see how her sculptures can influence her jewelry designs and vice versa.
Melissa has also integrated 3D printing into her jewelry designs, which you can see in these bold, geometric pieces.
Melissa is certainly clever when it comes to sourcing materials. The above work in progress are actually dyed pieces of solar shades normally used in homes. You can see one of her finished installations using these materials here.
If you want a small piece of Melissa’s art to have in your home, she sells these amazing framed 3D drawings online.
Melissa was such a treat to talk to and is a true Austin treasure. Shop her jewelry online and keep posted to her blog to find out about her installations across Austin and the US.
