Spiral Dancer – Figural Necklace – Red

Meet the Spiral Dancers – tiny figures with big personalities.

I have always been fascinated by the human figure, movement, gesture, and the things that can happen when a simple line of wire becomes a little person.

These approximately 3-inch-tall figures begin with steel wire bent into a simplified human form. Their hands and feet curl into spirals, giving each figure an expressive, almost dancing gesture. A large colored crystal becomes the head, while a sculptural steel spiral pendant bail suspends the figure from a colored wire neck ring.

I then build out the necklace with a selection of coordinating acrylic and silicone beads, including glow-in-the-dark elements that add another layer of playfulness to the piece.

The finished object sits somewhere between wearable art, art doll, sculpture, and jewelry. I like that ambiguity. It isn’t simply a necklace with a charm attached; the little figure is the focal point.

The Spiral Dancers are also part of my larger fascination with transforming simple materials into objects that seem to have personalities of their own. A piece of wire can become a gesture. A crystal can become a head. A collection of beads can become an environment.

And suddenly, there is a little dancer.

The necklace is finished with a screw clasp. Because the figure and embellishments are handmade individually, variations in wire shape, bead placement, color, and character are part of the nature of the work.

Approximately 3 inches tall. 18″ Neck Ring.