Lynn Maxwell Designs

With over forty years of experience, Lynn Maxwell is an award-winning, artistic omnivore. Her works and materials range from two-dimensional print media in acrylic, oil, and watercolor, to three-dimensional jewelry, hollowware, wood carvings, and ceramics. She holds three degrees: an MFA from the University of Houston, and a Master of Art Education and B.A. degree from the University of Massachussetts, North Dartmouth.
Lynn lives and works in Southern California, with production facilities in Orange and Santa Barbara Counties. She has been teaching art at public and private educational institutions since 1985.

Some thoughts on my art philosophy...

Metalworking

One of my cherished interests in metalworking is the delight of translating the more cheerful and bizarre facets of my personality from mental ruminations into "metal tangibility." The concept that lumps and sheets of metal can be made to leap into visual (and in my case, auditory) life presents me with endless challenges and makes for some rather interesting mixes of physics and aesthetics. In my case, the boundaries between art, jewelry and music can be stretched and overlapped to take advantage of the best visual and sensual qualities that these areas have to offer. I suppose - rather rashly - to hope to give myself the moniker of a metal "animator", by attempting to capture the essence and design of the living organism through the mediums of metal and sound - a sort of visual and aural pun on creatures from within the crevices of science.

Teaching

I have been teaching and mentoring friends, neighbors and students for numerous years in vastly diverse teaching arenas. As a professional gold/silversmith, I found out early that I enjoy teaching students every bit as much as designing and creating art commissions for patrons. Having taught high school art for many years, I have been forced to learn a variety of educational techniques that access all sorts of learners and materials. From my early training as a metalsmith, I branched out to learn many methods of materials through my teaching. I find satisfaction in watching people learn to design and create meaningful objects themselves. These students become empowered and experience the delight of knowing that there is a whole universe of new creations to be self-designed and made.

I especially enjoy teaching teens and adults because, at these ages, embarrassment at being unable to create art is deeply ingrained and therefore often harder to resolve than with younger, less self-conscious learners. I delight at helping these students break through mental and physical barriers.