Thank you for taking a moment to get to know me. I am originally from New Orleans and now live on the Northshore of New Orleans in Robert, Louisiana. I am happily married to a native Louisiana artist and together we are raising our young daughter, creating art and enjoying life fully.
I work with forged iron and semiprecious and precious stones. The concept for the name of my website and business, Nancy Fe Designs, sparked from the chemical element iron with the periodic symbol Fe, as iron is the primary focus of my work. I like to think that each iron element that I create is a small sculpture that is exhibited by the wearer. Each is a work of functional art that is enhanced by the wearer as an ornament. There is a growing demand for art jewelry where design and creativity is in demand over material value.
Overall I take great pleasure working with iron as a woman and an artist. Iron is a medium that allows me to break a few boundaries and gives me a great sense of accomplishment when I use it in jewelry, as it is not a common material worked with by women. Normally it is viewed as an industrial material which is very masculine in nature. I enjoy pushing the envelope and using it in a way that is beautiful and feminine.
I have a degree in Fine Art, with a focus on painting although I have never come across a medium that I didn't fall in love with. I was introduced to the art of blacksmithing or metal art, when I met my husband, nationally known Louisiana metal artist John Perilloux. His expertise inspired me to pursue my own curiosity of the medium. He taught me the techniques and skills of blacksmithing originally so that I could spend time with him and help him in his growing business. I began collecting the scraps of metal that would normally go to a scrap yard and forging them into my own wearable art. Most of the iron that I use in my jewelry is recycled scraps from my husbands art. It is a way to reuse the material that he cannot. I guess you could say that we keep it in the family!
I have exhibited at the Covington Three Rivers Art Festival since 2004 which is always the 2nd weekend in November of every year. I have also exhibited at the Chauvin Folk Art Festival in Chauvin, LA since 2004 sponsored by Nicholls University Chauvin Folk Art Festival. I am currently represented by a wonderful gallery in Austin, TX, Art on 5th, The Art of Jewelry . If you are in the Austin area, you can view and purchase my work in person at Art on 5th, a fine art gallery. I welcome private viewings if you are local and custom work.
When I am not creating art I am creating memories with my beautiful 3 year old daughter who keeps me very busy. I am not able to work on my jewelry and post new work to my website as much as a workoholic would like but that is because it is more important to me to spend time with my daughter as she is growing so quickly. If you like what I am doing and don't see anything currently available, please don't let that stop you from contacting me. I can create something usually within your time frame if I know what you need. My customers are very important to me and I will take every step to work with you.
Thank you for taking the time to view my work.
Nancy Perilloux