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SHELLI MARKEE
Shelli Markee- Drawing with Wire
Growing up, there was a simple line drawing by my uncle in my parent’s house that I’ve always been fascinated by. It’s hanging in my living room now, and it still stirs a lot of emotion in me. From the first time I worked with wire—with a found spool of wire to make a birthday crown for a friend—I was reminded of that drawing, and how much the bent wire evoked the simple, clean lines of pen on paper.
The difference was that working with wire offered more freedom to manipulate, shape and reshape my work. Even better, “drawing with wire” in three dimensions opened up all kinds of interesting interplay between light, shadow and perspective.
Since that first attempt, my relationship with wire continues to be about about exploration. Each day as I pick up a pair of pliers and a spool of wire, I surrender control and let the wire inform the decisions I make. It makes me feel open, exploratory and in my zone. The medium keeps showing me more—nearly 25 year later I feel I’ve only scratched the surface of possibility. And it’s an honor to be able to share my work with you.
In addition to wire work, I am also a jewelry designer. My jewelry, made with varying degrees of sterling silver, oxidized silver, brass and copper, is handcrafted in my Seattle studio.