Gina Johnston - Altered Ore

My journey into metalsmithing began as a happy accident. What started as a girls’ afternoon ring-making class, sparked an insatiable passion for shaping metal. In short order I gobbled up every foundational class I could access, took tentative steps to share my work publicly, then was blessed with a connection to join a vibrant local art cooperative. Working primarily with silver, copper, brass, and enamel to create jewelry and small decorative objects, my creative process is driven by a continuous desire to learn and experiment. Over the years, I have continued to expand my technical vocabulary, developing a toolkit that allows me to manipulate metal in ways that feel both organic and highly structured. My jewelry is deeply rooted in botanical forms, translating the delicate, ephemeral structures of the natural world into enduring wearable art. Beyond nature, my influences draw heavily from broader visual experiences; past global wandering has soaked up memories of color, texture, and geometry. These varied experiences, combined with an appreciation for architectural perspectives and abstract concepts, deeply inform the structural integrity of my designs. Recently, my focus has expanded into two-dimensional realms through etched and enameled copper plate wall art. This medium allows me to merge my love for intricate metal textures with vibrant, painterly expressions. Whether capturing the essence of a vivid landscape or exploring geometric abstraction, my goal is to highlight the dynamic interplay between raw metal and fired glass.