Barbera's Watercolor Jewelry Designs

In the artists’ world, inspiration can come from any facet of life.  Ross Barbera is an artist who studied painting as a graduate student at the Pratt Institute in the 1970’s.  He was introduced to jewelry design while taking a class during his graduate studies.  A new love for jewelry design then inspired a beautiful combination of jewelry and watercolor blended together.  Barbera now designs jewelry made of wood and other materials with watercolor designs painted on them.

Ross Barbera was born in Brooklyn in 1950 and spent many childhood summers in Smithtown and Peakville, New York.  It was during these summer trips that the natural landscapes captured Barbera and has since inspired his work. He now creates many works based on natural landscapes: which include watercolor jewelry, watercolor paintings, and acrylic paintings.  He captures “the peace and contemplativeness” that one experiences when visiting these landscapes.

“Although painting has defined my life, as a graduate student…I was also introduced to jewelry design. I instantly fell in love with working on small, three dimensional jewelry objects…my jewelry work had evolved from working in metal to working in paper and wood, and was becoming more closely aligned with my paintings. Watercolor on paper replaced enamels on silver, and whenever I wasn't painting, I was making jewelry.”  Ross Barbera: http://www.watercolorjewelry.com

 —Jessica Raff

Jessica Raff is an Art Educator raised and residing in Lockport, New York.