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Writer's pictureJ. Morgyn White

Silversmith Spotlight : A Flash Interview with Maggie Katrena of Sticks and Stones

Maggie Katrena at Sticks and Stones is one of my favorite people, as well as an amazing silversmith who creates work I adore wearing. Her work has this element of magic which I can’t quite nail down but I think that's exactly why I love it—and her, so much. Her work is inspiring. She's inspiring.

Why silver? Has it always been silver?

It has not always been silver, it started with the rocks. Needing to wear things that couldn't be worn without help, which means that anything is fair game. I have done periods of Copper, Brass, and rusty metal from sidewalk. It's about what I'm giving birth to, not necessarily what I'm giving birth to it with.

My time working in the bead store, specifically with African trade beads, really filled in the blanks for me. By that time I had already had basic metalsmithing training, but what is considered valuable and beautiful in African art just opened up a whole new world for me. That was truly what FINALLY made everything fair game for jewelry, if it has that special something. The glimmer. Anything can be the precious..


Writing, Symbols, Sun, Moon, and Stars, where do you look for inspiration—Up, down? 

From my earliest memory I was drawn into the symbols no matter where they were—even the ones around the church though I never smoked the Christian. As I grew up, I learned to seek them knowing that where I found them there would be meaning. This grew out of a fascination with ancient things and my desire to be an archaeologist. Egyptian hieroglyphs were probably the beginning.

I feel very grateful to say that most of my inspiration is internal. I feel like I have pretty ready access to the collective unconscious. But I'm constantly looking, reading the symbols in the world like a tarot card. They are the ultimate major Arcana and I feel as though when they are present they call into play all of the magic that they have ever represented to anyone around the world.



Tell me one thing about you that I’ll remember forever because you told me it right now.

Something you will never forget about me but I don't think you would have forgotten no matter when I told you. I sprinkled pubic hair all over my vegetable garden last spring because I was told that it would keep the slugs from eating the baby shoots and it worked but I got like two foot zucchini and I'm sure that's not a coincidence.


Favorite time of day?

My favorite time of day is when the dark changes to light or the light changes to dark. I have gone through periods of being a night owl and periods of being Up Before dawn. Since I've been living with depression it is much easier to have my day expand into the morning hours than to have it extend into the wee. But I love to be present when the light is changing.


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