Artist Profile: Sue Bartz
Jewelry, Lapidary
Sue Bartz is a local Phoenix artisan.
I have explored a variety of art forms over the years (quilting, paper art, bead work, tinning miniature collages using silver solder & a soldering iron), but it wasn’t until 2017 when I began studying the Art of Lapidary and Silversmithing with local artisan, Doug Duffy, that something really clicked.
I now cut, shape & polish my own cabochons, which are the domed elements found in jewelry settings. They’re formed out of “rough” (uncut raw forms) or “slabs” (slices of “rough”) from rocks, gemstones & minerals. I love using specimens found in Arizona, especially Burro Creek. I then create my own sterling silver settings for my hand-formed “cabs”. I also incorporate brass and copper into some of my work.
My work tends to have a natural, contemporary look, but I also create those “traditional” Southwest inspired pieces we’re all so familiar with.
Sue Bartz
