GAYLE DOWELL
Fashioning exquisite jewelry from prairie flora, her creations capture nature’s enduring elegance.
Description of Art
Artisan jewelry textured with the plants of the prairie in fine silver, sterling silver, and 22k gold.
Artist Biography
My passion for nature was influenced first by my Osage grandmother, Lily Peace Patterson. When I moved to the ancestral lands of the Osage in Kansas, I found a deeper connection with the plants of the tallgrass prairie. With only 4% of our tallgrass prairie remaining, I set out to save our prairies by highlighting in my art the biodiversity that the prairie provides. I create molds of these plants and create my unique pieces in fine silver, sterling silver, and 22k gold. It's my way of taking something that is vanishing and giving it a glimpse of eternity by creating its likeness in metal. I've become an advocate for planting native plants to help our pollinators thrive. We are all connected as creation and we need to be caretakers of our natural resources. This is my small way as an artist to help bring attention to our beloved lands.
