Bio

Peggy Foy is a Seattle metalsmith and enamelist.  Her work features layered colors and textures of metal, usually forged and fabricated from raw sheet and wire.  She loves making objects that look like artifacts or talismans with some secret, hidden meaning, or that include working mechanisms.  Art Nouveau is also a strong influence and swirling, graceful lines play a notable part in her work.

Peggy holds a BFA in Jewelry and Metalwork from the University of Georgia.  She teaches jewelry classes at Pratt Fine Art Center and Tacoma Metal Art Center as well as private lessons from her jewelry studio in historic Pioneer Square in Seattle.  She sells her work in studio sales and through ArcanaMetalwork.Etsy.com.

Artist Statement

“I am interested in the preciousness of jewelry and small objects, and playing with the concept of items of value.  I enjoy working with materials that are themselves considered precious and luxurious; I also love finding beauty in ‘non-precious’ items and elevating them through skillful craftsmanship or clever placement alongside items of material worth.  However, to me the most interesting idea is the value derived from meaning. Commemorative objects, religious and personal symbolism, and personal history all come into play; pieces with a deeper meaning take on a kind of talismanic quality, and these objects often have more personal significance than any monetary value can match.  I draw on many sources for the vocabulary of my own symbolism, including ancient cultures, world religions, Art Nouveau, Science Fiction and Steampunk, and the forgotten, arcane mysteries of the occult. I love making physical objects that look like they are out of another time or another world.”