Artist Statement

The fundamental inspiration for this collection was the flow and clean lines often found in architectural structures, combined with the texture and complexity of snake and bearded dragon skin. From this point, my idea took a non-representational and organic direction in order to join the man-made with the natural.

My process included designing and rendering thirty brooches with watercolor and gouache to gain a better understanding of how the materials worked to articulate the concept. I proceeded to select the ten strongest designs that complemented my personal artistic instincts.

I made each brooch by hand carving exotic and domestic wood elements, casting snake and bearded dragon skin sheds in fine silver, and fabricating elements using sterling and fine silver sheet and wire. Each individual brooch is one of a kind and captures a part of each animal’s being and essence. Each brooch expresses a sense of danger and delicacy. People tend to jump to conclusions, thinking reptiles are very dangerous, but I see them as very loving, compassionate, and intelligent creatures.

I chose to use the wearable form of the brooch for this collection, because I felt the form would have my undivided attention as I crafted each piece. I find that designing with the form of the brooch allows me to create the most wearable sculptural objects. This body of work combines non-representational motifs with complex textures and patterns that allowed me to design a collection that I am passionate about and enthusiastic to share.

Marley - The Bearded Dragon

Marley was adopted by Lisa Krulasik when she was a few months old, on November 23, 2011. At first glance Marley was just a normal bearded dragon, but as she got older Lisa discovered Marley was very unique. She is a German giant and is 50% larger than most bearded dragons. Marley's unique qualities and personality are what inspired Lisa to create this body of work as an homage to her beloved friend.

Photo by Matthew Leo Clark

Piper, Beverly, & Lola - The Ball Pythons

Within the year of adopting Onyx, Lisa acquired Piper, then Beverly, and finally Lola. The three ladies are different morphs of ball pythons. Piper is considered to be an average ball python, while Beverly is a lesser pos het clown ball python, and Lola is a het enchi pied ball python. Like Marley and Onyx, these three ladies continue to impact Lisa's life greatly and were also inspirational to this collection.

Photo by Matthew Leo Clark

Onyx - The Mexican Black King Snake

Onyx was Lisa's first pet snake. Before getting Onyx, Lisa was hesitant to interact with snakes, like many people are. After getting to know him, her love for snakes grew and became an obsession. Like Marley, Onyx continues to impact Lisa’s life greatly and was also inspirational to this collection.