go robot!

My name is Stuart Breidenstein. I created this store as an outlet for one-of a kind and small runs of my newest jewelry. I make each piece by hand, (with the help of some robot pals) and I pay very close attention to detail. I like working with sterling silver and other metals, as well as wood and recycled/repurposed stuff, but what I really get excited about is exothermic polymerization!  I constantly try to innovate and invent processes so that my jewelry stays fresh and is always on the cutting edge. Here's a website where you can view archives of older pieces: http://www.breidensteindesign.com 

Thanks for looking! 

  BIO:
I had lived and worked in Southern California for the last 15 years until re-locating to Oregon in September of 2007. I've been involved in art as long as I can remember. As a child I was surrounded by art and music. I started making wood jewelry (earrings) in 1989, and have continued off and on, using different elements, until 2006, when jewelry became my full-time occupation.

I have taken many art and design classes including a couple in metalsmithing. I believe, however that the most valuable practice for a designer is the development of the aesthetic eye, the ability to recognise beauty wherever it is. This practice is what makes great photographers, as well as artists and designers. Nature and natural things have always been my greatest influence.

PROCESS:
Although I use traditional metalsmithing techniques in my metal work, my process with resin and mixed materials heavily involves the invention of techniques. I'll use a new technique as a sort of algorithm, throwing materials into it to see what comes out. I like the unpredictable, and I try to come up with processes that allow me to be blind to their outcome. Naturally, I have bins filled with failures.

Over the last several years I have been experimenting with different types of plastics, polyester and epoxy resins, acrylics, styrene, etc. and combining those with other, sometimes unlikely elements. One luxury of plastic is the almost unlimited possibilities for shape and color.

In my work, my mind is as much on fashion as on metalsmithing and the technical aspect of jewelry making. I watch the local designers and try to create some sort of harmony with what they are creating, while at the same time trying to push some creative boundaries.

I like to use humor and irony in my work. The metal pieces lean toward the sculptural, sometimes becoming deliberately awkward or outrageous. I have worked with sterling silver, fine silver, gold, bronze, copper, brass, aluminum, nickel, steel and stainless steel. I often use three or four of these metals in a single piece. The plastic and wood pieces are a little more production oriented and tend to be more fun and colorful.

Many of the tools I use are meant for other purposes. Just as I like to use unexpected combinations of materials in pieces I design, I like to use unconventional tools to create those pieces. I often make my own tools for specific purposes. I intend to keep developing processes and tools to push the limits of my creativity.