Forged Sterling Jewelry by Valerie Ostenak - Lanning Gallery [Sedona Arizona]

"As seen in British Vogue"

Valerie Ostenak, Designer Metalsmith creating Fine Sculptural Jewellery in steel, silver, and gold - presents her Garland Collection, inspired by the delicate branches of budding and flowering fruit trees.? Hand forged and lustrous pearls are the hallmarks of this collection, woven together to become garlands of blossoming Cherry and Pear trees.? Exquisite. Exclusive. Extraordinary.

Creative philosophy:

At my core, I am drawn to graceful, sensuous movement and flow ... vines and tendrils curling around a trellis, tree roots weaving over and under each other as they reach out for life, the rhythmic ripples of water pouring over stones in a stream or at the ocean waves' edge. Even the wind rustling the tops of tall grasses and moving the clouds. As those elements flow, they transform their surroundings ... making them more beautiful.

For me, steel is a very feminine material. When heated to a yellow orange heat, it becomes sensuous and graceful ... workable with ease, yet retaining its strength. Working with the hot steel allows me to express my core connection to the sensuous grace in Nature. I can create the flowing forms of vines, the movement of gently blowing breezes and smooth running streams. And when the steel cools, it is a lasting record of those graceful forms and flow. My intention to transform and connect the wearer of my jewelry with the gracefulness of Nature has been fulfilled, forever.

Garland: Cherry Blossoms XI Collar - Pearl and Steel Jewelry by Valerie Ostenak

Garland: Cherry Blossoms XI Collar
1/8" A36 Forged Steel,
White/Blush/Champagne Pearls

Sterling silver forging is accomplished with hammers and an anvil that have been polished to a mirror finish. Silver, unlike steel, is worked cold so curves are forged into place - each mark is a carefully set hammer blow that determines the curve and shape. By leaving the marks of the hammers, the creative force, the energy that it takes to achieve those flowing lines and soft curves is seen - juxtaposing strength with grace. With a final polish, the metal becomes a mirror, reflecting the energy of transformation and the beauty of the material. ~ Valerie Ostenak

About the Artist:

Valerie Ostenak, an award-winning jeweler, is a blacksmith and silversmith, creating sculptural designer jewelry using centuries-old techniques of forging with hammers, both with and without heat. Ostenak's latest collection showcases precious stones entwined within forged steel and 23k goldleaf.

Valerie Ostenak's contemporary jewelry has been published in various books: Art Jewelry Today by Dona Meilach, Art Jewelry Today 2 by Jeffrey Snyder, The Contemporary Blacksmith by Dona Meilach, each published by Schiffer, and Best of America: Jewelry Artists & Artisans, Kennedy Publishing.

Valerie Ostenak was twice invited by the National Jewelry Institute to exclusive shows: 2008 at Designer Showcase, in the Forbes Galleries New York City, and 2009 at Sparkle Week in Paris during Paris Fashion Week.

In 2009 Valerie Ostenak was the national winner of the Halstead Jewelry Design and Business Development Grant which, among other things, landed her visual placement front-and-center on Times Square and Las Vegas for three days.Her contemporary jewelry was featured on the fashion runway during Phoenix Fashion Week in October 2009, both as her own runway presentation and also worn by the models of Li Cari by Jazmin Whitley.

Jaguar Dreaming Collar - Metal Jewelry by Valerie Ostenak

Jaguar Dreaming Collar
3/16" A36 Forged Steel, 62" 14kgf Wire Wrap

Ostenak's summer of 2010 was dedicated to working with two other blacksmiths designing, building, and installing a hand-forged steel railing at the Grand Canyon Amphitheater. The railing was designed to enhance visually and conceptually the artist-designed amphitheater, a monolithic native limestone centerpiece of Mather Point. In November of 2010 Valerie Ostenak presented her contemporary sculptural designer jewelry on the runway at Scottsdale (AZ) Fashion Week. In 2011 Ostenak was one of only six jewelers internationally to win a prestigious Centurion Emerging Designer Award.

Grace V Collar - Custom Jewelry by Valerie Ostenak

Grace V Collar
1/8" A36 Forged Steel,
16' Sterling Wire, Freshwater Pearls

In December of 2014 Valerie Ostenak was invited to present her contemporary jewelry in the Artistar Jewels Exhibition in Milan, Italy.

Ostenak is featured on National Geographic's Education website in 'Real-World Geography: How people use geography and the geographic perspective in their everyday lives and real-world careers.'

Training:

Valerie Ostenak's training started with jewelry and metal-smithing courses at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff and continued at California State University Long Beach. She has worked with blacksmiths, creating gates, stair rails, sculpture and lighting, and has attended workshops nationally and internationally to learn new techniques.

Grace V Earrings - Unique Metal Jewelry by Valerie Ostenak

Grace V Earrings
1/8" A36 Forged Steel, Sterling
Wire Wrap, Freshwater Pearls 2�"

Vines and Tendrils Earrings - Pearl Earrings by Valerie Ostenak

Vines and Tendrils Earrings
1/8" A36 Forged Steel, Coin Pearl 2�"

Wrist Corsage - Chardonnay Two Cuff Bracelet - Custom Jewelry by Valerie Ostenak

Wrist Corsage
Chardonnay Two Cuff Bracelet
Forged Steel, 14Kgf Wire Wrap,
Freshwater Pearls SZ: X-Small

Click on an image to see a larger view.

Vines and Tendrils Cuff Bracelet - Custom Jewelry by Valerie Ostenak

Vines and Tendrils Cuff Bracelet
Forged Steel

Vines and Tendrils Cuff Bracelet - Handmade Jewelry by Valerie Ostenak

Vines and Tendrils Cuff Bracelet
Forged Steel

Vines and Tendrils Collar - Hand Forged Steel Jewelry by Valerie Ostenak

Vines and Tendrils Collar
1/8" and �" A36 Forged Steel

"As seen in Showcase 500 art necklaces by Chunghi Choo, 2013"

Passages Earrings - Metal Earrings by Valerie Ostenak

Passages Earrings
1/8" A35 Forged Steel, 14kgf Wire Wrap 2"

Artist's prices beginning
at $220 up to $2,000.

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Vines and Tendrils Earrings - Unique Forged Steel Earrings by Valerie Ostenak

Vines and Tendrils Earrings
1/8" A36 Forged Steel 2 1/8"

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