The jewelry artist seeks to transmit happiness through inventive use of materials in her work.
Material Girl Maru LopezThe artisan's timeless designs handcrafted in a bucolic San Diego setting are shaped by nature, tradition and values learned from his Dad, the revered mid-century jewelry designer and sculptor Jack Boyd.
You’re known for the organic modernist shapes in your signature designs. Can you tell us about those and other influences?
In my Brutalist and organic designs, I enjoy making the metal flow into unique formations twisting and curving like a mountain stream.
Does the countryside where your home and studio are located inform your work?
The peace and quiet around my studio, as well as the sounds of the native quail, give me tranquility as I create.
What’s your process?
For my modernist line of jewelry, I forge raw metal with a hammer and a torch on a blacksmith’s anvil. The process I use for my organic line is carving wax with a hot pen, then casting it in silver, bronze or gold. This process is called “lost wax.”
