Beginnings

Brenda Mattson is an artist living in the Skagit Valley of Washington state who has been doing found object art for many years. She now takes her enjoyment for taking things apart to see how they work and incorporates it into her current work of assémblage. The creation of stylish Steampunk jewelry is the latest artistic endeavor of Brenda’s. She holds a B.A. in Interdisciplinary art from Arizona State University and has shown at galleries throughout the United States. She enjoys working with vintage watch and clock parts to create fine repurposed art pieces for people to wear. Brenda sells her line of up-cycled jewelry to stores in Washington, Texas, Phoenix, and New York and to people from around the world. She has been teaching her Steampunk specialty in classes throughout the United States and has been a visiting artist teacher for high school students where she loves to show students the fun they can have is creating art with found objects. She thoroughly enjoys taking the most unusual things and making them new and fascinating.

Steampunk explores the recesses of the industrial revolution to reflect on the present. People are fascinated by the aesthetics of the Victorian era. Also, in the age of consumerism where manufactured products are made to be thrown away so soon after purchase, the sturdiness of the mechanisms designed to last indefinitely is a significant draw. The possibility of up-cycling old manufactured goods intended to last many lifetimes, the creativity to re-imagine those authentic products from an earlier time in a  way that is both artistically and functionally relevant today, serve as statements for those who wear and display and utilize Steampunk. Steampunk is not a design fad, but an art form that speaks to something more solid and inventive in our modern human experience. Come join me on my journey to invent, recreate and reassemble these amazing pieces of wearable art.

Teaching and Art Festivals

Glendale Community Collage Glendale, Arizona
La Joya High School Avondale, Arizona
Art and Soul Portland 2010
Art and Soul Vegas 2011
Art and Soul Portland 2011
Gallery By the Bay, Stanwood, Washington 2012
Art and Soul Vegas 2012
Artfulgathering 2013
Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts Victoria B.C. 2013
Elizabeth's Cottage by the Sea Bead Store  Anacortes, WA 2014 - 2015

Anacortes Arts Festival 2013 - Best new artist award

Mount Vernon Tulip Festival Street Fair - 2014 - Best new artist (jewelry) award

Anacortes Arts Festival 2014

Island Chicks - 2014

Mount Vernon Tulip Festival Street Fair - 2015

Tempe Arts Festival -2015

Litchfield Park arts and Culinary Festival - 2015

Anacortes Arts Festival - 2015

So Bizaar Market - Redmond - 2015

Tacoma Food and Gift Show - 2015

Island Chicks - 2015

Featured Links

http://labonnefemme1.blogspot.com
http://www.reworkedart.blogspot.com
http://www.melejewelrybox.com/blog/

Publications

Victorian Homes Magazine 2012
Jewelry Affaire - Oct 2012

Stores

Simms Art Taos - 102b Paseo del Pueblo Norte, Taos, NM 87571

Alley Cat Antiques - 309 Commercial Ave. | Anacortes, WA.
Nasty Jack's Antiques - 103 Morris Street | LaConnor, WA.

Mind Gift Shop - 75 Main Street | Cold Spring Harbor, NY
Dean-Kingston - 821 Foch Street | Fort Worth, TX

Hutch Studio - 617 Morris Street | LaConner, WA.
Urban Boutique - 436 W. Bakerview Rd. | Bellingham, WA.

High Cotton Antiques - 125 N. Range Ave. | Denham Springs, LA.
Boveda - 209 Cristo ST. | San Juan PR 00901

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