Georgia metalsmith Theresa St. Romain goes beyond flat, two dimensional designs in her textured and visually rich jewelry.
Artist: Born in St. Louis, St. Romain grew up mostly in the Stone Mountain area of Georgia. She has a BS in science, technology, and culture from Georgia Tech and a BS in criminal justice from Georgia State University.
While St. Romain weighed a career in criminal justice, she signed up for classes in metalsmithing at Spruill Center for the Arts. She also studied at the Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle.
Studio: The metalsmith works out of her home studio in Tucker, GA.
In the beginning: In 1997, St. Romain and her mother wanted to sign up for a pottery class together at Spruill Center for the Arts. When they found out the pottery class was full, they chose a jewelry class. And that was it.
St. Romain took multiple weekly jewelry-making classes and workshops, and had the opportunity to assist instructors and teach classes to new students. She has been teaching at Spruill since about 2001.
Art & materials: Visually textured jewelry with silver, copper and copper alloys and some gold. Some pieces include found objects, stones and beads. Others feature Shibuichi, a copper silver alloy, that she makes herself.
- Earrings ($60 to $300)
- Necklaces $300 to $3,600)
- Pendants ($150 to $600-plus)
- Rings ($100 to $2,400)
- Brooches/pins ($350 to $3,000)
Process: Uses the traditional metalsmithing techniques of fabrication, forging, soldering, cold connections, surface texturing and added patinas, which she rubs away to highlight the metals and textures.
Favorite or must-have tools: Her torch is a favorite, but her saw and flex shaft are must-haves..
Inspirations:
- Mondrian’s paintings: the ones that look like mazes but are actually landscapes.
- Metal sculptures of Fausto Melotti and George Rickey.
Honor: Exhibiting member of the Piedmont Craftsmen Guild.
Recent exhibits:
- American Craft Council show, Baltimore, MD, Feb. 2025.
- Atlanta Contemporary Jewelry Show, Atlanta. March 2025.
What’s next:
- FUSE Makers Market, North Carolina Museum of Art, Winston-Salem, NC. May 3.
- Bluff Park Art Show, Hoover, AL. Oct. 4.
- Piedmont Craftsmen’s Fair, Winston-Salem, NC. 23-24.
Where to buy: At art shows and galleries, including: (will add links later)
- Topaz Gallery, Atlanta, GA.
- River Gallery, Chattanooga, TN,
- Piedmont Craftsmen Gallery , Winston-Salem, NC.
- FRANK Gallery ,Carrboro, NC.
- Freehand Gallery, Los Angeles, CA,
Connect:
- Facebook: Theresa Saint Romain
- Instagram: @theresasaintromain.
