About: Bio & Artist Statement
BIO:
Laurie Jane Kern was born and raised in New York. She grew up in an area called Eatons Neck which is a peninsula that is connected via an isthmus named Asharoken to the main body of Long Island, New York, and the closest town to Eatons Neck is Northport. Out on Eatons Neck, there are: sandy beaches for swimming and bonfires at night; several small bays with boats; plenty of fish and clams to dig for dinner; a pond used for ice skating in the winter; lots of trees to play in; and a Coast Guard Lighthouse. It was a very special place to grow up.
Laurie Jane holds a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Case Institute of Technology, Case Western Reserve University, and a Masters of Science in Manufacturing Management from Kettering University (formerly GMI Engineering & Management Institute). During her engineering career she worked on Ultrasonic Medical Scanners, Inter-Cranial Pressure Monitors and Angioplasty Catheters. She now works as a Software Engineer, engineering "code" and solving all sorts of problems
Laurie currently lives in Hill Country Texas with her husband (a.ka. The Shop Elf) and their cat Cowboy Boots.
And here is some other info:
Laurie Jane Kern was born and raised in New York. She grew up in an area called Eatons Neck which is a peninsula that is connected via an isthmus named Asharoken to the main body of Long Island, New York, and the closest town to Eatons Neck is Northport. Out on Eatons Neck, there are: sandy beaches for swimming and bonfires at night; several small bays with boats; plenty of fish and clams to dig for dinner; a pond used for ice skating in the winter; lots of trees to play in; and a Coast Guard Lighthouse. It was a very special place to grow up.
Laurie Jane holds a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Case Institute of Technology, Case Western Reserve University, and a Masters of Science in Manufacturing Management from Kettering University (formerly GMI Engineering & Management Institute). During her engineering career she worked on Ultrasonic Medical Scanners, Inter-Cranial Pressure Monitors and Angioplasty Catheters. She now works as a Software Engineer, engineering "code" and solving all sorts of problems
Laurie currently lives in Hill Country Texas with her husband (a.ka. The Shop Elf) and their cat Cowboy Boots.
And here is some other info:
- I am left handed.
- I am dyslexic.
- I am engineer by training and education, and it is my current day job.
- I have a strange sense of humor and will make puns until you force me to stop.
- I like making things and have been very creative since I was a small child. Besides silversmithing - I also sew, knit, cook, weave, paint, and do website design for fun and profit.
- I even did fencing (swords, not stolen goods) and was pretty good!
- I hope to eventually exhibit at show but for now, you can purchase my work on line via the Shop menu item.
Artist Statement:
My motto : “The creativity of an artist, the insight of a woman, and the technical approach of an engineer” sums up how I approach my art.
Being a "smith" provides me with a way to explore the technical aspects of art and craftsmanship. In both metal art and fiber art I explore the materials and how they can be transformed in to an item to be admired or used. For inspiration I look at the world around me and draw from nature, architecture, and art movements from the past.
Why be a SMITH, specifically a SilverSMITH?
These days the definitions are blurred - Metalsmith, Coppersmith, Goldsmith, Silversmith, Jeweler and Blacksmith, and there are even terms for Whitesmith and Tinsmith. So a SMITH is a person who, according to definition worked with metal AND it can also mean a person who is a skilled worker. Since I have moved focus on metals and making functional items, I am a Silversmith!
My motto : “The creativity of an artist, the insight of a woman, and the technical approach of an engineer” sums up how I approach my art.
Being a "smith" provides me with a way to explore the technical aspects of art and craftsmanship. In both metal art and fiber art I explore the materials and how they can be transformed in to an item to be admired or used. For inspiration I look at the world around me and draw from nature, architecture, and art movements from the past.
Why be a SMITH, specifically a SilverSMITH?
These days the definitions are blurred - Metalsmith, Coppersmith, Goldsmith, Silversmith, Jeweler and Blacksmith, and there are even terms for Whitesmith and Tinsmith. So a SMITH is a person who, according to definition worked with metal AND it can also mean a person who is a skilled worker. Since I have moved focus on metals and making functional items, I am a Silversmith!
