Moose Spotlight: Creating Nature-Inspired Wearable Art

"...But most of all have fun with it; you do this because you love it, never lose sight of that."

- Lindy of @twintrails_co

MEET THE ARTIST

@twintrails_co on Instagram

THE JOURNEY TO CREATING JEWELRY

Meet jewelry artist Lindy Cox from Newberg, Oregon. She started silversmithing in June of 2022 when along with her husband and they took a two-day silversmithing class. Since then, Lindy has been teaching herself through watching tutorials, and trial and error. 💚

Lindy has always been a creatively inclined person for most of her life but she had never really found a medium that authentically clicked with her. She continued, "But a simple beautiful silver & turquoise ring that my husband bought me inspired me to learn silver working and the rest is history." Now, she feels like she's stepping into her true medium as an artist.

When Lindy tried silverworking a couple years ago, she felt overwhelmed. It wasn’t until she took an in-person class that she had a solid base to jump off from and gave her the knowledge she needed to find her own style. She added, "Now I love the creative process I find myself in with every piece I make, because I never know where it’s going to take me."

Lindy's very first piece/s sold's very special. She was contacted by a very dear friend to create a set of earrings and necklace for his wife for their 20 year anniversary. Lindy shared she was so honored to be trusted with creating such a special gift for someone who means the world to her, and to witness her joy in receiving it. 🥰

Curious what's the story behind her brand name, Lindy shared she's actually a mom of twin boys, currently 13 years old, and she loves hiking. She expounded, "Plus honing my creative process has been quite the journey, with many twists and turns I never could’ve anticipated. I simply sat down and wrote out words that had meaning to me and tried putting them together. This is the one that stuck out the most. Thus, Twin Trails was born." What a meaningful brand name 💚

Lindy Cox of Twin Trails Co

Here are a few of Lindy's beautiful creations!

Handmade Turquoise Jewelry by Lindy Cox of @twintrails_co on Instagram

ARTIST'S DESIGN STYLE

While Lindy had many designs she has been happy with, she said her biggest AHA moment would be when she brainstormed the solution to keeping a turquoise and silver hat pin in the hat band of her cowboy hat… She said, "I was so afraid that it would fall out! But the design I came up with has worked perfectly and I can’t wait to make more!" 🥰

THE DESIGN PROCESS

"It all starts with the stone." Lindy explained as long as she loves the stone, the rest seems to build itself… like she can actually feel what it wants to become. Sometimes, she does it by arranging elements or embellishments around the stone on masking tape, adding or subtracting, making revisions until it feels right… but that’s all part of the fun, as Lindy said :)

Asked to describe her design style, Lindy said, " Sometimes it has a Southwest bent, a lot of times it draws in natural elements like mountains, trees, flowers, etc. because that’s what speaks to my soul." She also mentioned working on developing her truly unique style. Adding, "I know I’m not quite there yet, but I’m sure enjoying the journey along the way."

JEWELRY DESIGN TIPS, TRICKS, AND HANDY TECHNIQUES

What's one design tip you one to share with your fellow artists?

"Enjoy the journey, the process of discovery along the way. Find new ways to push yourself and your skills…take risks. But most of all have fun with it; you do this because you love it, never lose sight of that."

One piece of technical advice on creating.

"There’s often more than one way to do pretty much everything you do in silversmithing…figure out which one works best for your overall technique or the step you’re currently on. Ex: using spray flux for larger soldering component vs paste solder for smaller components like bezel joints."

Any words of encouragement or tips to those who are starting out in the world of jewelry-making?

"I’ve found that the silversmithing community as a whole is incredibly supportive . Don’t hesitate to reach out to those you admire…while they may not share every secret with you (sometimes those are the basis of their unique designs), most are more than happy to help you along your way with tips and tricks. There’s always room for new gifts."

Lastly, Lindy's message to the universe:

Jewelry Artist Lindy Cox Blog Feature by Turquoise Moose