ABOUT THE ARTIST

Art critic Bruce Metcalf has called Cheryl Rydmark a “jeweler’s jeweler.” She is widely respected for her meticulous craftsmanship and the refinement of her designs. Her career as an artist began with drawing and painting, and the mark of the artist’s pencil remains evident in her pieces. Her attention to line, form and volume are extensions of her training in two-dimensional work.

After more than twenty-five years as a jeweler, Cheryl is very clear about her objectives. She wishes to design and fabricate jewelry that reaches beyond adornment. “If you keep it simple and comfortable and exquisitely crafted and ever so slightly special, it works.”
Cheryl maintains a studio where she works along side two assistants. She continues to create one-of-a-kind pieces while overseeing a small line of production jewelry. Expert in almost all metalsmith techniques, her “vocabulary” of methods is virtually unlimited. From setting stones to fabrication and casting, she is a highly regarded master.

ABOUT THE WORK

“I approach my artistic vision through the discipline and experimentation of goldsmithing. With a modern aesthetic and technical refinement I explore the poetic essence of ancient symbols, constellations and myth. The materials allow me to transcribe the temporal into timeless, intimate, art forms, to be contemplated and complimented by the wearer.”

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

1998/99 Metal Kitchen New York, NY Diamond setting instructor
1990/92 Minnesota Center for Arts Education, Educator
1982/83 VanCraeynest Inc., San Francisco, CA Journeyman goldsmith and diamond setter

PUBLICATIONS

1994 Metalsmith summer “Simplicity that Speaks”
1995 Ornament summer “Theorems of the Sublime”

EXHIBITS

2005, “Beautiful Presence,” Patina Gallery, Santa Fe, NM