Faculty Guest Blogger: Abigail Oxford ATR-BC, LPC
Abby Oxford: Following a recent gallery talk as part of the 2025 Faculty Biennial in the Mahady Gallery at Marywood University, I’d like to revisit some of the questions asked to further understand the process behind this collection.
Q: Can you speak about the three pieces on display in the Mahady Gallery?
A: The three pieces on display are pendants 1, 2 and 7 from the Grand Canyon Dream Collection. The Grand Canyon Dream Collection is comprised of 25 electroformed jewelry and keepsakes made of rhodochrosite, rough opals and copper. The collection channels the natural landscape, colors, shapes and textures I encountered during my visit to the Grand Canyon National Park, December 2024.
Q: What does the title of the collection mean to you?
A: Like many people, I have always dreamed of visiting the Grand Canyon National Park. To be able to fulfill this dream and immerse myself for days among the colors, shapes and textures of the landscape felt surreal and inspired the collection. To stand upon the Rim of the canyon felt as if I was floating above the clouds.
Q: What are the stones?
A: Abiding by the leave no trace principles of the National Park I referenced my photographs and notes taken during my trip in guiding my selection of stones. I sought out rhodochrosite and natural opals for their variations of pinks which echoed the natural landscape of the Grand Canyon South Rim.
Q: Can you describe electroforming?
A: Electroforming is the process by which an object is hand designed, copper foiled and or painted with conductive paint and placed in an electrolytic bath. While in the bath copper transfers onto the treated piece by means of an electric current which builds a layer of copper onto the piece.
Q: Can you explain what was done to the stones to prepare them for the electroform bath?
A: Each stone was hand shaped with a bezel that was either made from epoxy or hand wrapped in foil. Depending on the piece, bezels were then attached to a copper wire base or a single wire bail attached to the top. Next the pieces dried and were painted with conductive paint. Finally, stones were painted with a latex covering to protect the surface from the acidic bath.
Q: How long did the Grand Canyon Dream collection take you to create?
A: The collection from start to finish spanned over 8 months as I worked on one piece at a time. Once the pendants were complete copper chain was added.
Q: How long have you been making jewelry and electroforming?
A: I’ve been creating jewelry since 2014 and began creating art through the electroform process in 2020. To learn more about my work and process visit me online at www.abbyoxford.com and www.instagram.com/abbyoxford_
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