Muddy Creek Artist: Q&A with Michele Tango

As part of a monthly series on local artists, Edgewater-Davidsonville Patch has teamed up with the Muddy Creek Artists Guild to focus on the arts scene in the area. The guild currently consists of about 100 local artists in mediums including photography, painting, textiles, jewelry, woodwork, metalwork and more. For information on upcoming shows, visit the Muddy Creek Artists Guild website. The guild has two"musts" for their artists: they must live south of the South River, and their art must be original.

This month we interviewed Deale jewelry designer Michele Tango. Her signature pieces include works with metal, gemstones and freshwater pearls.

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How long have you been an artist working in the medium: Five years

What was your earliest recognition of your talent/skill: While taking Dendrology (tree identification) in college, I discovered that I compartmentalized things better by shape and texture. I have always worked well with my hands and am fortunate to have found an art that incorporates both of these.

How did you get started: Prior to owning I was a landscape designer and horticulturist for 15 years. Making jewelry uses many of the same elements as designing a landscape—color and texture combinations, shapes, form and scale. I took a basic beading class and found my new artistic avenue.

Who inspires you: I am inspired by the miracle of nature, flowers blooming, the color of leaves in autumn, a snowflake, topographical contours and patterns in and caused by water. 

How do you approach a new piece: Interesting question. I physically see the components to make jewelry all day as it is sold at my store, but when I get to design a piece the components take on a new life.  I look for interesting combinations, challenging shapes to work with, new ways of putting things together.  It is as if I have never seen the pieces before. Or, on the other hand, a certain bead, chain or stone may stick in my head until an inspiration comes along that suits it. 

What is the range in price for your work: That is one of the benefits of designing jewelry. Pieces can start as low as $20 for a pair of earrings and can run into the hundreds for a set.  My pieces have sold from $20 to about $300. The cost fluctuates depending on what is used for materials. As with any other artistic medium, custom pieces will run more as the design time is greater for original artwork. 

Why do you do what you do: Having my studio at The Twisted Bead allows me the opportunity to teach.  People want to know how items are put together, the mechanical and also the artistic part. I do believe that everyone is creative to a certain degree.  You just need to find the medium that enhances and releases your creativity.  There are so many different techniques for making jewelry with new ones challenging us each year. There is always something new to learn and to share.

Is there anything about this area that you regularly incorporate into your work? I incorporate components that remind me of water.  Freshwater pearls are fluid in appearance and crystals sparkle like light on the water.  Sunrise on the Chesapeake Bay inspires fabulous color combinations. 

If you could be another artist for a day, who would it be and why? For one day I would like to be Frank Lloyd Wright.  I tend to have a preference for curvi-linear lines and like to be challenged with the use of recti-linear lines. Wright had an amazing way of incorporating straight lines into the softness of nature.  I would like to see this through his eyes.

What is most rewarding about being an artist? What is most rewarding about being a jewelry artist is to be able to create something that is appreciated and adorned for all to see.  The opportunity to enhance the beauty of your subject.

What is most frustrating about being an artist? The most frustrating part about being an artist is that I currently do not have enough studio time to complete all of my ideas in a timely manner.  I am slowly gaining more studio time.