Artist
Camille is a metalsmith and lifelong adventurer based in the western United States. For the majority of her life she has been on the move in different forms. She grew up dancing and found a love for climbing as a teenager. She is continuously drawn back to the sport due to her love of movement, specifically the notion of expression through movement. Her jewelry is a testament to that, as she attempts to encapsulate the whimsical feeling she observes while moving through nature. Her pieces are deeply inspired by her time spent outside.
She first began making jewelry on the back of her truck tailgate, park benches, and/or campsites. At the time, she was working as an outdoor educator and mountain guide across the Western United States. Making jewelry allowed her to channel the feelings her surroundings evoked into a tangible piece of art. It was also a way to rest and recover between outdoor objectives.
Currently, Camille works out of a studio at the foot of the North Cascades in Washington State. However, she spent the majority of her life in Colorado, a couple years in the United Kingdom, and traveling around the western United States. Beyond metalsmithing and her outdoor pursuits, she is passionate about connecting people to the outdoors to experience the mental health benefits found in nature, while also learning how to better care for our wild spaces. She holds degrees in environmental science/policy and a masters in ecosocial work. These interests deeply inform her jewelry business.
Process
Camille is a second-generation metalsmith and owes the love for the craft to her mother. She grew up watching her create jewelry in her studio, assisting her at art festivals, and making frequent post-office runs. It wasn’t until her early 20s that she found herself in the art form. After dabbling in painting, drawing, and other various forms, the love for jewelry came naturally and continuously feels like a return to home.
She has a deep appreciation for the natural environment which ethos has bled into her jewelry making. Camille sources her stones from local lapidary artists she meets while traveling across the United States, builds direct relationships with miners/mines, and sources stones from Fair Trade gem dealers. She uses reclaimed diamonds, lab-diamonds, moissanites, and Canadian diamonds in her work. If she doesn't recycle the metal herself, all of the metal she uses is sourced from companies and refiners who specialize in recycling metals. Camille frequently questions how she can make her jewelry practice as environmentally responsible as she can.
