(Jewelry by Sara Krempel)
Looking at a sterling silver pendant made by Sara Krempel is like gazing at an aerial photograph of the Deschutes River. The river forms a squiggly line of negative space through a landscape textured to look like rocky banks fringed with reeds. Krempel loves to combine “organic shapes and man-made shapes for a sense of opposites,” she explains. She borrows sand patterns, water currents, and rock striations for her organic style. Her work is showcased in July at Red Chair Gallery.
The Central Oregon landscape has contributed hugely to Krempel’s style. She takes copious photos while hiking around the area, capturing trees, branches, shadows, cracked wood and rock shapes. Returning to her studio, she uses them to sketch designs for her pieces. Then she starts the metalsmithing work, which can encompass many different techniques. “One thing that fascinates me is how many techniques I can use working with nonferrous metal,” she says. “Combining techniques gives me the ability to get the variations I want.”
Krempel is a master of metalsmithing techniques, having taught them for more than 30 years. She received a master of fine arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (and prior to that a bachelors in fine arts), specializing in jewelry making. After finishing her master’s, she began applying for teaching positions, which were extremely competitive at the time. She accepted a teaching position at Central Oregon Community College (for which there about 90 applicants) and moved from Wisconsin to Central Oregon. She taught at COCC for 22 years, and her classes included hot and cold fabrication, texturing methods, casting, chasing and repousse, fusing, stone setting, twisted wire lamination and creating three-dimensional small metal objects. Besides working with sterling silver, she taught students to create in copper and pewter.
In addition to teaching at COCC, Krempel served as Chairman of its Fine Arts Department for five years, and one of the of Gallery Directors for eight years. She was also a member of the City of Bend’s Arts, Culture and Beautification Commission from 2004-2006. During her teaching career, she was invited to display her work at many exhibitions all over the country and participated in a number of national and regional competitions. Images of her work are included in five metal art books. Krempel has the title of Professor Emerita at COCC and still teaches non-credit courses there occasionally.
Now she focuses on selling her jewelry locally. Her dramatic pendants are sometimes studded with gemstones. She fashions cuff bracelets of sterling silver with an overlaid copper pattern resembling a wave of water receding over sand. To add color to metals, she applies enamel in rich jewel tones, usually with a bit of texture. There is always a bit of nature in her work.