Christy Howell

Artist's Statement
Born and raised on the emerald coast of northwest Florida, Christy Howell has always been fascinated with the beauty of natural landscapes. Following high school, she traveled extensively, further fueling her artistic inspiration. After her travels, Christy earned a degree in fine art from Gulf Coast College. Trublu Fusion was created by her to capture the colorful, ever-changing beauty of the natural world through Kiln-fired works of all shapes and sizes.

Hand Coating Sand Dollars in Fine Silver
Christy begins by dry brushing the sand dollars to remove any debris or sand. They are rinsed well and left to dry. She hand-drills extra holes for earwires or jumprings. When the shells are completely dry, she begins a process of applying the metal - 99.9% fine silver. After the meticulous coating process and multiple firings, the shells come out white. She hand polishes and buffs them with stainless steel to reveal the silver coating and remove the burn-off material. Each piece takes at least five weeks to complete. To ensure quality, it sits for three weeks before being turned into jewelry. Handmade lamp-worked glass beads are used in colors chosen to represent natural stones from the earth.