Adding another dimension

Two Rivers artist creates unique jewelry designs

By Suzanee Wiess, Herald Times Reporter

Jewelry has added another dimension to artist Michael Thee's world.

For the past three years, the former graphic artist has been devoting himself full time to exploring the three-dimensional world of jewelry making, with its layers of colored stones and precious metal.

"I was stuck in a two-dimensional world as a graphic artist, so now I'm taking full advantage of the fact that I don't have to work in two dimensions any more," said the award-winning Two Rivers jewelry artist.

Thee creates rings, pendants, earrings, bracelets and brooches using sterling silver with gold and copper accents and stones that he cuts himself, including jasper, petrified wood and the bright green-colored chrysoprase.

The ability to cut his own stones allows him to create his designs first — taking inspiration from architecture, industrial designs and organic forms — and then cut and polish the stones to fit his designs, he said.

Thee also buys faceted stones that he incorporates into his jewelry, including topaz, garnet, amethyst, citrine, tourmaline, pearl, zircon, safire, turquoise and lapis.

He primarily fabricates the metal for his pieces, but does some casting as well.

Fabrication involves soldering together pieces of metal — some of his pendants have upwards of 40 different pieces — while casting, used for those pieces too difficult to fabricate, involves pouring molten metal into a mold.

"Metal is very pliable, but it's not exactly easy to move metal. It's not difficult to do what you want if you know how to do it. It's just physically demanding and mentally demanding at the same time," he said.

"Part of what I like about the whole process is that every piece is a lot of problem-solving. Each design presents challenges and problems that have to be resolved. If everything works out OK, you end up with something that is beautiful to look at."

Thee estimates he has made about 800 limited-edition unnumbered pieces in the past three years. Each piece take anywhere from 30 minutes to 12 hours to make. Prices run from about $15 to more than $400.

"His cultivated eye and high skill level combines to produce a unique product not easily found. You would have to go to Chicago or Milwaukee to find such beautiful handmade jewelry, and it's made right here in Manitowoc County," said Tony Rajer, University of Wisconsin-Madison art instructor who became familiar with Thee's work during a recent visit to the area.

Thee, 44, became fascinated with stone when he was about 7, as he would scour the gravel driveway of his grandparents' farm and later comb the shores of Point Beach State Forest, where the waters of Lake Michigan wash up pieces of granite and occasional fossils.

He studied fine arts at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, graphic design at Milwaukee Area Technical College and jewelry design and fabrication at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.

Thee started to make jewelry as a hobby about eight years ago thanks to the help of local goldsmith Roger Johnson, who took him under his wing. He also credits his parents for nurturing his interest in exploring new things, and his wife, Arlie, for supporting him when his career path took him from graphic arts to jewelry-making three years ago.

Thee has garnered numerous awards for his jewelry. He was awarded first place for Three Dimensional Art at the 2008 Sturgeon Bay Fine Art Fair. In 2007 he received honorable mention at the Sturgeon Bay Fine Art Fair; Best in Jewelry at the Joliet Fine Art Festival of the Masters, in Joliet, Ill., an invitational fine art show featuring 200 national artists; Best in Show second place at the Summer Art Classic in Baraboo; and second place at ArtFest in Elkhart Lake.

His jewelry is carried by Dalebroux Jewelry and Carreaux du Nord in Two Rivers and The Flying Pig Gallery and Greenspace in Algoma. Thee also shows his jewelry at the Manitowoc Farmers Market and will exhibit his works at numerous art shows in Wisconsin and Illinois throughout the summer and fall.

Thee's studio is open by appointment. For more information, call (920) 242-8203 or visit www.michaeltheestudio.com.

top of page