Scott MacDonald

Medium: Jewelry

CREATIVE BEGINNINGS. Raised in the Pacific Northwest, I grew up with a love of the outdoors. As a child, our family explored the old-growth forests and the ancient rock formations of the West, places I imagined as prehistoric lands. These experiences became a deep source of inspiration in my adult life.

My parents also fostered my development as an artist. My father taught my brother and me drawing, sculpture, painting, and photography. My mother, originally from Peru, filled our home with alpaca textiles, gold jewelry and shared the mysterious history of pre-Spanish South America. Both the European Renaissance and the cultural wonders of the Inca were woven into our family mythology.

My interest in designing jewelry began in 1997 through my then-wife/partner Rebecca Bashara. We traveled the country combing the coastlines for small semi-precious stones to set in silver. These cabochons were perfectly polished by the waves to a satin finish, a quality that I preserve in my work to this day.

About five years into jewelry-making, I returned to my first passion: sculpture. I saw the stones on a beach in the Columbia River and realized there was a lifetime of material. I picked up a slab of basalt and returned to my studio to begin carving.

INSPIRATION AND PROCESS. For the last 25 years, I’ve been creating wearable art that explores the connection of people to the natural world.

Foundwear originated as found art. Incorporating stone carving into the design process gave me greater freedom and expression to an array of raw materials. All of my materials are either ethically sourced from regional suppliers or gathered by hand from places where I have a deep personal connection. All of the gold and silver come from recycled sources. I reuse my scrap silver and gold in new castings.

LIFE IN THE GORGE. My creativity is fed by place and every design is infused with wild nature. I rely on my surroundings to inspire my art and, often, to provide the material for my designs. I regularly take my camera to wander the woods, rivers and mountains, finding endless inspiration from the creatures and landscapes.

HOW TO LEARN MORE:

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