Andrew Thornton is a professional fine artist who left behind the hustle and bustle of New York City for rural Pennsylvania. His work can be seen in private collections around the globe. Andrew works part time with his family at Green Girl Studios. He is a regular contributor to Stringing Magazine (an Interweave Press publication) and Bead Trends. His designs can be found in Margot Potter's book titled, "Bead Chic", Jean Campbell's book, "Steampunk-Style Jewelry: A Maker's Collection of Victorian, Fantasy, and Mechanical Designs", Tammy Powley’s book, “The Complete Photo Guide to Making Jewelry” and Barb Switzer's book, "Four Seasons of Beading". Andrew was also the technical editor of his sister, Cynthia Thornton's book, "Enchanted Adornments: Creating Mixed-Media Jewelry with Metal Clay, Wire, Resin & More."
We sat down (in a virtual way) with Andrew and let our curiosity get the better of us. Andrew is an interestingly-faceted artist, as you will see below, and we were not disappointed.
Okay, first the obvious question --how did you get interested in making jewelry?
They say that necessity is the mother of invention. When we were growing up it was also the mother of our creativity for my siblings and me. We didn’t have a lot of extra money for store-bought amusements and instead fashioned our entertainment from found objects and discounted craft store specials. That’s where it all started, but didn’t really get serious until after my college years. My sister, Cynthia (who owns and operates
Green Girl Studios) needed help at a bead show and I thought it’d be fun and that I could help out. Little did I know that I’d be hooked!
What is your educational background in the arts?
I received my BFA at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and attended several residency programs there as well. My concentration was in painting and mixed media art. By far, my favorite art subject was collage. It still is.
Besides collage, are you creating art in media other than jewelry? 
I draw at least a line a day to remind myself that I’m an artist. I think that my jewelry work is better when all parts of my brain are active and when I’m engaged with non-jewelry applications of my creativity. So when I can squeeze in time, I love drawing, painting and creating collages.
How would you describe your design aesthetic?
“Narrative” is the best word that I could use to describe my work. Whether I am making a piece of jewelry or another form of artwork, I like to consider the meanings and symbolisms behind the elements that I am incorporating. So even if I’m working in a stark, abstract style… the colors, lines and shapes all have histories that tell a story.
What inspires your creative process?
The world around me is filled with inspiration. Everything has a story. I begin my process my absorbing as much information as possible. This takes many forms; the primary one being observation. The pattern of the grain of wood, the texture of concrete, the color of an old love letter… these are all grains of information stored away for when they’re ready to be used. Another thing that I like to do is read and look at the art of others. Both of these practices enrich my work and allow me to learn from others.
Who inspires you creatively?
I think one of the most important things we can do as artists, is surround ourselves with other creative individuals and to learn from those who came before us. We all have something to share. When it comes to fine art, I look to Lee Bontecou, Ross Bleckner, Yayoi Kusama, Lucas Samaras, Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keefe, the Pre-Raphaelites, Egon Schiele, Monica Cook, Kiki Smith, Cheryl Donegan, Tobi Kahn, Jess, Bruce Conner, Louise Bourgeois, and Agnes Martin to name a few. When it comes to jewelry and jewelry components, I am drawn to Anne Choi, Bob Burkett, Barb and Russell of Scattered Light, Candice Wakumoto, Kate McKinnon, my sister Cynthia Thornton, Heather Wynn-Millican, Kathy Van Kleeck and Nina Bagley to name a few.
Do you work best in chaos or an orderly workspace? Are you a morning person or a night owl?
I won’t lie. My workspace is chaotic. I’ve got postcards, prints, images and art all over my walls, I have piles of beads, papers, and supplies everywhere and I thrive in environments where I can make a mess. I am definitely a night owl. While I am forced to be operational during the day, I am most productive at night. It could be because it is most quiet then. My brain comes alive and I am able to throw myself completely into my work.
How do you arrive at the color palettes in your jewelry work?
I use a lot of color theory in my flat work and that has definitely influenced how I put together my palettes for jewelry. Also, mythology and folklore (two of my passions) are laden with color symbolism and much of that gets translated into my work as well. When I begin a body of work, I always create a new color wheel. I snap photographs of the things around me and use that as a source of inspiration and direction.
What are your current favorite materials to use for making jewelry?
I adore copper and fine silver. I also love gemstones, particularly garnets, rubies, kyanites, and sapphires. Rough stones and simple-cut stones are some of my favorites and I tend to gravitate towards them. I also use a lot of earthy ceramics. I like to contrast the organic of the porcelain and stoneware with crystals and a little bit of sparkle.
Is there a jewelry-making technique that you are currently fascinated with or using a lot?
When I first started out, I used to get so frustrated by wire-wrapping. Now it is second nature and almost all of the pieces I create have some form of wire-wrapping. Sometimes it’s pretty straightforward and other times it’s more complex, like tiny woven baskets and miniature reliquaries all made of wire. I have also started using enamels again. It hasn’t been since college when I last used them, but I recently took a fantastic class from Barbara Lewis and am looking forward to incorporating enamels back into my repertoire. It’ll be interesting to fuse my love of working with wire with my new found passion for all things enameled.
Is there a jewelry-making technique that you haven’t tried yet but want to?
If it was up to me, I’d split myself in two and one of me would just learn everything there is possible, absorbing as many traditions and ways of doing things as I could. Sadly, since I haven’t mastered cloning or harnessing a doppelganger, I will have to make do with more realistic goals. Eventually I’d like to try my hand at stone-carving and lapidary work. I’ve done a couple things, but it would be nice to learn the right way. I’d also like to try and incorporate electroforming. I’ve had some miserable failures and would like to successfully tuck it under my belt.
What is the favorite piece of jewelry or art that you own?
I’m a magpie by nature, so I have a lot of pieces that I love. Some of my prized possessions include sterling silver beads from Anne Choi, a tiny fine silver and beach glass box from Kathy Van Kleeck, ceramic sculptures by Esther Shimazu, a reliquary necklace from Daniel Essig, hand-painted ceramics from Gina Marie Chalfant, and fragile embroidered textile pieces by Iviva Olenick. Of course, I have many other things that are my favorites!
Who is your favorite jewelry designer/artist?
That’s a really hard question to answer, because I love so many different artists and jewelry designers. Depending on what I’m working on and where my brain is going a particular day changes my top ten. Those who inspire me and move me as an artist definitely are my favorites.
Are there other areas of your life that you feel are enriched by your creation of jewelry?
Being an artist, a maker of jewelry and of things, doesn’t just end at the studio door. When you train your eye to identify distinctions in color and shape and line, that ability is carried with you in your day-to-day activities. When you stop to hear the stories of things, you listen more closely to everything around you. Everything you do becomes an act of art. When you make dinner, you’re creating a story and expressing yourself. My life is richer, deeper and better for having embraced my artistic Muses and following after them.
Where can people can see or purchase your work?
Due to time constraints, I don’t have much work available on hand. It’s hard to keep up with a production schedule. However, my work can be commissioned by special request. Occasionally I have pieces available in my online shop:
http://andrewthornton.bigcartel.com/products
I will also be debuting some Calder-inspired pieces, that will be available for purchase, at the
Glitterganza event at the Mingei Museum in San Diego. The event, spearheaded by
Kate McKinnon for the
Bead Society of San Diego, takes place on April 16th, 2011 from 10AM to 3PM. Expect to see all manner of otherworldly crowns, bracelets and necklaces forged by hammer and flame.
I’m also going to be holding workshops with Kate McKinnon in Asheville,
New York City, and Paris. They are called, “Capturing the Moment” and
focus on blogging, writing, photography and shopping. We’ll be teaching
in Asheville October 19th – 22nd, 2011. In 2012, we’ll be teaching in
New York May 7th- 13th and in Paris (and the French Countryside)
September 17th – 24th.
For more information and sign-ups:
http://katemckinnon.wordpress.com/kate-and-andrew-capturing-the-moment/
My beau and I moved into our current home one year ago in April. We
instantly fell in love with the balcony overlooking our new overgrown
yard--we had just moved from a small apartment where the concrete
balcony looked out on another apartment building. One day, while taking
in the view from our new second-story porch, we noticed a striking blue
bird hopping around our yard with an entire peanut (in the shell) in
his beak. We watched while this funny fellow found just the right spot
and, using the peanut as a shovel, dug a tiny hole for his treat. He
then carefully placed the peanut in the hole, tamped it down with his
beak, and covered it up with some dead leaves.
We were terribly amused by this unusual bird, and began to pay close attention to his antics every time we were outside. We soon noticed that he was not alone: he had a mate. And they both had a penchant for peanuts in the shell. After doing some research, I found out that our beautiful cerulean friends were called Western Scrub Jays. Unlike many other types of birds, the female and the male have more or less the same brilliant coloring. I also discovered that they are extremely intelligent as far as non-human animals go, and that they can be trained to eat (peanuts, of course) from one's hand.
Inspired by the amazing coloring of my honorary pets, I created these "Scrub Jay Way" earrings. I used Swarovski crystals for maximum color saturation and bling, and I loosely followed a pattern made famous by fantastic jewelry artist, Laura McCabe. Enjoy!
