Jeweler Michelle Tapia turns scrimshaw into antique ivory art.
Santa Fe jeweler carves out a playful niche in art
SANTA FE — Whimsical images have always danced around in Michelle Tapia’s head.
Dogs and cats race across her mind. There are also relicarios (small and large devotional pieces) and Day of the Dead imagery. Each piece has Tapia’s unique style.
The jewelry-maker takes pride in using those images as the inspiration for her art.
“I don’t have to push myself,” she says of her work. “Honestly, everything just comes out of me. All of the designs have been in my head. That’s the one thing I’ve never had to worry about is the inspiration.”
Tapia will be one of the dozens of artists showing their work at the 32nd annual Contemporary Hispanic Market in Santa Fe. The events take place from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, July 28, and Sunday, July 29, in downtown Santa Fe.
Tapia is also celebrating a milestone this year with the market — this will be her 20th year juried into the event.
“This is the only market that I do all year,” she says. “Preparing for market takes a lot of work and then you have to be able to sell your pieces. I used to do a lot more of the markets. I’ve put my focus on this one for many years.”
Tapia’s forte is the painstaking scrimshaw technique.
She learned it after working with famed Native American jewelry artist Denise Wallace (Chugach Aleut).
She is quick to say that no walruses died to make her jewelry — the ivory is dug off St. Lawrence Island west of Alaska and can be up to 20,000 years old.
She etches her pieces with ink, often adding turquoise, coral and moonstones to her pendants, earrings and pins.
She has created a line of relicarios, including Catholic saints and Tibetan Buddhist deities, “When Cats Dream” (cats as mermaids, fairies and butterflies) and “Los Muertas Bonitas” (skulls).
Tapia began her own line when Wallace relocated from Santa Fe to Hawaii.
She works from home in Santa Fe, carving each of her pieces by hand from fossilized walrus tusk.
The designs are hand-inked and set in fine metals. Animals and nature, her Spanish upbringing and her Tibetan Buddhist philosophies inspire her pieces.
She’s also been named Best in Show at Contemporary Spanish Market.
“I make a huge variety,” she says. “I love animals and when I first started making jewelry, the pieces went to different auctions for various animal places.”
Tapia was influenced by the many artists in her family.
Growing up in Santa Fe, she realized at a very young age that her life was going to be in art.
“I like creating and writing things,” she says. “My favorite thing to do as a child was to find rocks and paint them. Then fashion became a big interest of mine. I got lucky with knowing the Wallaces. They taught me everything and were very generous with studio time. I got very lucky.”