Biologie in Art - Featured Creator - Biologie

We are often so busy in our lives, either working, blogging, surfing the net, watching TV, taking kids from point A to B to C, etc., that we forget the old piece of advice that we should stop and smell the flowers sometimes.

One of my first, and highly respected, customers on Etsy, Kelly from Biologie, reminded me of the beautiful things in nature through her blog, Biologie. There I found gorgeous pictures of bluebonnets (as a proud Texan, she loves this flower - the State Flower of Texas), advice for gardeners, including organic pesticide, and how to quench the thirst for those avid gardeners, and lots and lots on bugs (Buggin' out on Thursdays on her blog), even bug butts - see picture here.

Her profile says she comes from a long line of nature-lovers, art-lovers, and practical folk, and she has a Bachelor of Science degree in Clinical Laboratory Science.  Though not currently working in that field, she finds it stimulaing and challenging.  And she must love challenges because she mentioned that she is thinking of going to graduate school obtain a master's degrees in botany, ecology, or environmental sciences.


Not surprisingly, much of her inspiration stems from little things in the world that touch her in some way; a spiderweb in her rosemary, a raindrop on a leaf, a red blood cell under the microscope, the wag of a puppy tail, or a little blue flower in her backyard.

And you can see from her work that nature plays a large role in creating her one of a kind jewelry collections. With nature inspired items like Cherry Blossoms necklaces, and Iridescent Waters earrings, and even an item titled 'Prince the Toad' (see picture on right), it is evident that her interest in nature and science play a large role in her creations. Her shop is full of her creative interpretations of the wonders of nature.


Here is a little more about Kelly from Biologie:

What made you get into creating jewelry?
My mom started making beaded jewelry and other bead creations when I was in college. She taught me the basics of jewelry making and we both began to experiment with a lot of different techniques. The creative juices started flowing! The more jewelry I made, the more I wanted to share it with others so I opened a shop on Etsy: Biologie.

You have talked about bugs regularly on your blog - will you be incorporating bugs into your next line of jewelry?
Yes! My first line of jewelry incorporated my love of cherry blossoms in the form of pendants sculpted from polymer clay. Colors and shapes from nature are very significant to me and bugs are high on my list so I certainly see myself incorporating a “bug inspired” jewelry collection in the future. I recently started blogging about the creepy crawlies I find and photograph in my backyard. My hope is that by sharing my backyard bug adventures I might inspire someone to learn more about the little universe under our feet.

Can we expect to see polymer encased insects then?

I would love to make a polymer clay miniature sculpture of a Green Lynx spider and showcase him in a polymer clay pendant. Polymer clay is such a versatile medium to work with and the possibilities are endless! I get excited thinking up different ways to manipulate polymer clay into jewelry designs.

Do you plan on bringing things from your Clinical Laboratory Science Degree into your line of jewelry?
My husband bought me a soldering kit so I can make microscope slide pendants and bracelets. I've been working on a design idea for a whole year because, for me, it's one thing to visualize the project and a whole other ball of wax to create the finished product from scratch! I have to learn (and have discarded) several techniques in the process so it's taken me awhile to finalize the idea. It's going to be so exciting to see the design emerge into the light of day.

And What does Clinical Laboratory Science Degree mean?

A CLS degree is similar to a Pre-Med degree. A clinical lab scientist is trained to conduct and supervise complex medical tests and to manage labs in a clinic or hospital setting. When you visit the doctors office and they collect blood, tissue, or fluids from you to run lab tests, the CLS is the one responsible for testing, analyzing, and reporting your results. They are trained to recognize disease and infections much like a medical doctor. In a nutshell, CLS professionals juggle a lot of body fluids, bacteria, DNA, microscopes, paperwork, phone calls, data-entry, machines, hospital staff, and more!

What do you look at under a microscope everyday?
My favorite area in the lab is Microbiology. In the Micro lab you often test patient samples from someone with an infection caused by bacteria and it's your job to identify which type of bacteria, out of millions of possibilities, is causing the problem. You grow the bacteria on blood agar and other types of growth material in petri dishes so you can analyze it and tell the doctor which medications will effectively cure the problem. To help confirm the type of bacteria you also stain the colonies grown on the agar and look at the individual “bugs” under the microscope. It's a mystery to be solved and a challenge, plus there is a wonderful sense of accomplishment from helping a patient recover.

How does nature inspire your everyday life outside of your jewelry collections?

Living in South Texas provides year round outdoor activities. My husband and I love to go hiking, biking, canoeing, tubing down the river, and discovering new trails and green-ways with our two big dogs, Darcy and Banzai. I'm also addicted to wildflowers, flowering trees, photographing bugs, and learning to garden.

One of my goals is to create a native wildlife habitat in my own backyard. The Certified Wildlife Habitat™ from the National Wildlife Federation is a program to bring the “wild” back to urbanized areas that have been cleared of native plants and trees. Whether you live in an apartment or on a huge farm, you can create a garden that attracts beautiful wildlife and helps restore habitat in your area. Once you get the garden layout complete and establish the plants, grass, flowers, and shrubs it should be easy to maintain because they are native and will flourish. Just add water!

What is your all time favorite materials/mediums to work with?

Pencil drawing was my first love, then I moved on to jewelry and delving into polymer clay. I love glass beads, semi-precious gemstones, freshwater pearls, stones, carved bone and anything “earthy”. Mixed media is definitely the most fun because you can get really creative using a myriad of techniques.

Do you create other artworks besides jewelry?

I used to draw. Just today I bought a Manga artist drawing guide to inspire me to get back into drawing Sci-Fi and Fantasy art. I'd like to develop my own style and see where it leads.

If not, what is one medium you have always wanted to work with but have not as of yet had the opportunity to do so?
Textiles, fabrics, felting and crochet are calling my name! I'm already integrating satin cord and knotting into my jewelry designs but I'd like to add needle felting and fiber art into the mix. Also, I've seen some amazing work by other artists using metal smith techniques, as well as viking knit with wire which sounds exciting to learn.

Check out all of Biologie's fine works at her Etsy Store  and follow her blog, Biologie.

Thanks for inspiring me, Biologie! And keep up the gorgeous creating!