Eugene Nelson

Being a self-taught jeweler/artist, and not having any of the major outside influences that usually occur through formal training or family trade involvement, has allowed me not to feel any obligations or boundaries in designing my work. However, living in the Southwest, I cannot help but be influenced by the creativity of others, especially in Southwest architecture and contemporary three-dimensional art, and in the use of traditional materials of Southwest jewelry (primarily silver, turquoise, and coral). In addition, my background through high school in mechanical and architectural drawing and design has been the strongest influence in my work. This training emphasized the importance of precision, straight lines, and geometric shapes and angles.