Behind the Scenes a marriage of pen and metal

I so often want to take you behind the scenes. Show you the studio. Have you sit with your coffee or tea and chat while I work. I try to do that to the best of my ability via Instagram stories. Little snippets. Tiny peeks. Behind the scenes looks. But it's hard! I often get so entrenched in the moment, I forget to share. Or worse, I feel mechanical and fake. I never want that. I want you to feel like a very welcome guest. Because truly, you are.

I call her whimsy. Art jewelry piece in sterling silver with hand illustrated metail.

This past weekend I was thoroughly abandoned by my family and it was wonderful. No one needed me. Except the dogs. No distractions. Nothing. I had a project to complete. Something that had been percolating in my brain for quite some time. And I finally had the time to really dig in.

Welcome to my studio friend. I am so glad you are here.

Pour coffee. Crank music. Tie on apron. Go. I never left my studio until later in the evening. I worked. I cursed. I rejoiced. I sang. I drank copious amounts of caffeine. I was so entirely immersed in the process I forgot to eat. The only thing that distracted me was when furry girls nosed me for the umpteenth time because they really needed to go outside! It was a wonderful day. What was this project? I'm so glad you asked. I have long wanted to do something with my endless piles of sketches. Beyond my note cards, or desktop screensavers (new one coming in February!). I wanted to marry my love for the pen, with my love for the metal. The idea? Etching.

I wanted to marry my love for the pen, with my love for the metal.

art illustration in doodle form by lisa lehmann

the inspiration

I took one of my illustrations and etched it into a piece of sterling silver. It turned out beautifully. I was completely awestruck. But the goal was a statement necklace piece. I decided to use the etched metal as a background for a gorgeous window jasper stone. Rich in color. Streaked with character. And see through in places. You can look at the world through the stone. Natures window. I won't bore you with the technical details, but I will walk you through, behind the scenes, in photos. Welcome to my studio friend. I am so glad you are here.