Kris Patzlaff - Metalsmith & Jewelry
Founding Member in 2003
I was a self-taught metal artist before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from Humboldt State University (HSU) and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois Carbondale (1987). After graduating I started a studio practice, selling my work at major art and craft fairs and galleries across the country. My love of teaching led me to teach workshops and classes part-time at College of the Redwoods and HSU. In 2000, I accepted a full-time position at HSU heading the Jewelry and Small Metals program. I also served the University as chair of the Department of Art and interim associate dean of the College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences. Retiring in 2019, I was awarded with the opportunity to return to my studio practice.
My current practice allows me to create work with no expectations. I love getting in the studio and choosing materials that I have collected for years and playing with new techniques. Fabrication remains my basic process, with roller printing being my favorite surface treatment. The ability to draw and print on the metal surface continues to intrigue me. I often work in a series, exploring a design idea in a number of iterations before moving on to the next new idea. I work mostly in creating wearable pieces but find my found object work to be a welcome immediacy in construction by comparison.
