11/11/18: Arlington, Massachusetts-based artist Sharon Stafford had an early love for metalsmithing, but she left it behind to work in graphics, presumably for practical reasons with which we can all relate. Stafford worried that she’d never get to return to her first love, but the planets aligned, and she found her way back.

The artist got the idea to combine a few of her favorite forms – crochet, basketwork, and metalwork – and the mashup has resulted in some very graceful, organic-looking woven metal pieces. Her works incorporate hammering, weaving, basketry, micro-folding, and crocheting techniques, as well as standard metalwork. The combination of all of those methods gives her pieces the lovely soft look of textile art, while her use of metal lends an intriguing, playful edge to her work. In addition to her sculptural vessels, Stafford has also extended her multi-disciplinary methods into jewelry, with equally impressive results.

And it’s the process itself that inspires the artist:

“The inspiration comes from the work itself- the process, the techniques and the forms.”

You can see more of Sharon Stafford’s remarkable work on her website, you can follow her on Facebook and Instagram, and you can purchase her pieces in her Etsy shop.

All images property of Sharon Stafford Metals, used with permission.