Meg Black-Smith – Artist Spotlight

Who are you and what do you do? 

Hi, I’m Meg Black-Smith and I have been designing and creating jewelry since 1975. I enjoy playing with metals and love color. In my jewelry, I use a wide variety of gemstones that come from all over the world. I do some lost wax casting, but I prefer to do fabrication or what is often called “direct metal method”, using silver wire, sheet, and solder and various tools and hammers to make my jewelry.

Why do you do what you do?

For years I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I tried many things, but they weren’t my passion. After I moved to Cape Cod, I purchased an MGB. Knowing how English cars can often need fixing, I decided to visit the Little Foreign Car Garage, and see if I liked what he did. While there, I started talking with Steve. I thought he was an employee. He was an owner of Elfstone Silver and Gold, which was right down the street. He offered to teach me how to make jewelry and I accepted. On the following Monday, Steve showed me how to use an acetylene torch, demonstrated how to make bezels and told me how to solder them. From that day, I knew this was what I wanted to do. I made thousands of bezels for over two years, as well as progressing to other more complicated things of course. Both Steve and Andy are the best teachers ever.

What themes do you pursue?

I love nature and many of my pieces have leaves, tendrils and flowers in the designs.

Describe a real life situation that inspired you.

I have been inspired by so many of my clients it is difficult to choose. However, there is one that stands out. We used to do Eastern States, a huge fair that went on for 12 days in West Springfield, Massachusetts. One year, a woman came up to our booth and showed me a necklace/choker with black onyx gemstones that I had made for her that needed fixing. It was in pretty bad shape. She told me that she had been driving in her pickup truck (with a bench seat) with her son next to her and got into a terrible accident. She leaned way over to grab and protect her son (this was before seat belts) and leaned way over herself. A large coil in the seat cushion came up in the impact and grabbed her necklace, saving her life. Without the necklace, the coil would have punctured her neck. This was the best repair I have even done.

What jobs have you done other than being an artist?

I have been a waitress, a hat and coat check girl, worked for an optometrist and a dentist, helped in the company library one summer, and worked as a secretary.

What are your hobbies?

I enjoy gardening, love practicing TaiChi and QiGong as well as Yoga, have fun cooking, love reading just about everything, enjoy walking and hiking, and wine tasting.