Born to parents from the Black Street Wood People and Edgewater Clans, Ric Charlie is an accomplished, self-taught artist. “Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to be an artist,” says Charlie in his Flagstaff studio. “I always had a pencil in my hand.”
Renowned for his exquisite jewelry, eagerly sought after by collectors as well as the Heard Museum and the Museum of Northern Arizona, this artist utilizes the time-honored method of casting into locally mined tufa (compressed volcanic pumice rock) stone. Charlie has refined this technique by carving the stone mold in perfect right angles to create his signature bas-relief, linear designs. As a result, the mold breaks when the casting is removed, creating a one-of-a-kind object of art, which is inlaid with gems and finished with chemical patinas.
Charlie's relentless pursuit of unique forms of perfection has earned him numerous awards at Santa Fe's prestigious Indian Market over the years. He hit the jackpot in 2007; winning First Place in Jewelry, Best of Jewelry Classification, and Best of Division Jewelry. The artwork that so impressed the judges consisted of a bolo, belt buckle and bracelet created with yellow, white, rose and green gold; the latter two hues were created with an alloy system that produced a unique patina. The overwhelming positive response to Ric's new creative breakthrough has raised the bar on future jewelry design, stresses Bill Faust.
It took two years to take this new idea from vague thoughts to actual creation, points out Charlie. It was like constructing a building without plans. |
