Other works by Shawn Halperin-Mixed Media and Carvings

I was fortunate to have had great art teachers and mentors throughout my childhood and teen years. I continued on at the college level, receiving a BFA in Fine Art at Syracuse University with a major in Sculpture. I also received a 2-year degree in Advertising Design from Cazenovia College.

Over the years, I have created collections in printmaking, mixed media, oil painting and wood carving. I am now mostly working on my mixed media jewelry pieces.

I have always been drawn to wood and the beauty of it. The printmaking that I did was carved wood block prints. The mixed media wall pieces usually incorporated birchbark as part of the piece. The oil paintings sometimes had my own handmade wood frames. The carvings of chickadees and owls were carved out of cedar or birch. Living in the Adirondacks for the last 32 years has enabled me to locally and sustainably source my wood. My preference is cedar and spalted birch, especially spalted yellow birch. Spalted wood is wood that has started the break down process after it has been cut. It is nature taking its course. Most of the wood that I use has taken about 4 or 5 years to get the beautiful patterns in it. I then wax it and store it in a shed and slice it on a bandsaw as needed.

Combining many different materials in the jewelry keeps my interest and ideas flowing. 

I love creating, it is like therapy for me. Positive energy goes into the work, and I like to think that a little bit of happiness and good karma gets passed along with it.

-Shawn L Halperin/Upper Jay, New York