ABOUT ISLAND BANGLES
Coronado jewelry designer Kate Purdy began designing jewelry as a jewelry and art major at the University of Illinois and went on to have a sucessful career as an award-winning graphic designer. After moving to Coronado Island in southern California, she came back to her "roots" and began designing jewelry again.
Kate is a published jewelry designer, with multiple projects featured in Beadstyle Magazine and books published by BeadStyle Magazine. She is a featured artist in the 2011 issue of Bead Star Magazine, placing first in two of the eight design categories. Her jewelry has also been featured in San Diego Home & Garden Magazine, Coronado Eagle/Journal newspaper and Coronado Lifestyle Magazine.
Kate sells her unique handmade jewelry at select arts and crafts shows in southern California, Mary Buckman Studio in the Ray Street gallery district of San Diego, the Coronado Museum Store, and Art & Soul Gallery in Encinitas, California.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Inspired by elements from nature, images from myth and legend and jewelry of bygone eras, my jewelry features a large cast of characters - dragonflies, goddesses, mermaids, lizards and things that grow.
Trained in fine arts, jewelry and graphic design, I strive to combine classic design principles with new ways of approaching and creating body adornments - kind of a unbalanced balance of color, shape and texture.
My jewelry incorporates handmade mosaics and custom textures to add a graphic element, hand sculpted faces to give a mythic look and hand applied patinas to give an ancient look.
I like to see my jewelry as “modern antiques” - different from what you’ve seen before, but with a timeless quality, as if it might have been discovered again from some ancient time.

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