For some, it takes a lifetime of dabbling in many different fine craft forms to find one’s calling; but for others like Molly Rose Oteri Hearn, the creator of Ellipsem Jewelry, the calling came early on; and it was true. In her small, organized studio located in the Art Dogs creative collective in downtown Gardiner, Maine, Molly creates simple stunning pieces of wearable art from hand hammered and textured sterling silver, copper, and brass, accented with the occasional hand-set precious and semi-precious gemstones.

In her junior year of high school, Molly left her home-school background to finish her secondary education at Dover High School where she was instantly enamored by art classes focused in jewelry and metal work. Upon graduation, knowing that she would lose access to the tools she was accustomed to working with in her high school metal shop, Molly purchased her own essentials to continue honing her craft.

Molly attended Hampshire College, a Liberal Arts institution located in Amherst, Massachusetts where she built her own concentration focused around the artform of jewelry-making she had grown to love. One of the high points of her college education was the opportunity to study metal craft abroad in Florence, Italy. For her senior thesis, she broadened her metal and jewelry expertise into creating ornamental sculpture.

Via fold forming, creating patterns and textures with a rolling mill, and unpredictable melting techniques, Molly has little to no control or certainty over the behavior of the metal, kept in line only by her stark abilities as a metalsmith. These methods keep the creative process more interesting, and create a variable, one of a kind finished product. Her style is suited to all tastes, from minimalist to extravagant.

In the future, Molly hopes to find ways to incorporate more aspects of sustainability into her jewelry craftsmanship, whether it is using leftover pieces to create her melted, free-formed stud earrings, or using pieces of antique silver-plated flatware to create stunning components in transfixing spear formations. Though every piece is unique and one of a kind, one thing is certain: the raw designs offered by Ellipsem Jewelry are as alluring as they are timeless.

View the pure, sophisticated designs offered by Maine Crafts Association member Molly Rose Oteri Hearn at http://www.ellipsemjewelry.com

Browse the  MCA Etsy shop for curated selections from Ellipsem Jewelry and other Maine Crafts Association members.

Ellipsem Jewelry is also available at the Center for Maine Craft and Maine Craft Portland.