KELLY RAND
KJ Rand is a self-taught jewelry artist and metalsmith born in Massachusetts and currently resides in Monticello, GA. She combines using new tools along with many vintage ("older tools were just made better") when working in her Monticello (in-home) jewelry studio. Her jewelry business The Metal Crow, is clearly inspired by all the time she spends out in nature hiking, camping, gardening, beachcombing and taking pictures.
KJ is an Aquarius and a true "water baby" with much of her inspiration coming from "beachcombing" the shores of Maine, New Hampshire, and especially meandering the local beaches of Lake Jackson. Her work includes pieces with sea glass and even lake glass from right here in Georgia. She is inspired by the flow and movement of water especially the waves of the ocean and it is evident in the curves and movement in her precious metals jewelry. Some of her most coveted pieces are her spinner rings that are made up of inner and outer rings allowing the outer ring to "spin" freely over the inner. This makes for a relaxation piece and something to fidget with while wearing.
Typically liking to work with copper in the autumn season, she is inspired by the changing colors of leaves and everything that represents fall from pumpkins to Halloween. And although it's her favorite metal to work with, copper isn't just a beautiful metal (that gets more so through age and patina) but has medicinal purposes as well. Many people swear by wearing copper jewelry to help their sore joints and arthritis.
Silver is KJ's next love and metal of choice. Working in fine 925 sterling silver she crafts everything from starfish on pendants to intricate granulation out of tiny silver balls on rings.
KJ's other influences are growing up in a family who immersed her in art. Her grandfather would make copper bracelets from scrap copper in his spare time (which she still keeps on her jewelers bench for inspiration). She has an aunt that is a retired art/school teacher and painter. Her mother who also dabbles in jewelry making was always doing craft projects like stained glass making and even basket weaving. Spending most of her childhood in Northern Virginia her mother brought her to many craft and art fairs.
She spent most summers up North in the White Mountains of New Hampshire visiting the local art shops and family friend who was a world-famous Native American basket weaver. This all played a part in her love of not just jewelry making but all things art. She enjoys spending her spare time volunteering and teaching jewelry and art classes for low-income and disabled children.
KJ is represented by WildArt in Covington, GA and offers jewelry classes of all skill levels. Come and watch her work in the gallery and check out her jewelry displays. Her work can also be found on Facebook at "The Metal Crow Jewelry" and at her Etsy shop "The Metal Crow".