Sumner Silverman
The first objects that I can recall fashioning were a toy derringer and a toy knife - two childhood fascinations that certainly lend themselves to Freudian analysis. I also recall ornamenting anything that stayed still long enough. As I progressed to pre-adolescent folksinger, I made wooden accessories for my guitar that I inlaid with mother of pearl. In college, I presented my various lady friends with early works that I now like to think of as highly desirable collectibles.
One of the things that allowed me to finish my Ph.D. (University of Denver, 1976) with my sanity intact was the work I did on little sculptures, which I carried with me day and night. This handwork continues to be a compulsion and a meditation. I feel acute discomfort if I am away from my artwork for more than a few days.
I am now a licensed psychologist (State of Massachusetts). I have been in the practice of psychotherapy for over three decades. That coincides with the number of years that I have been seriously devoted to my jewelry art.
From the beginning of my psychotherapy career, I knew that I could relate comfortably to creative passion and the processes that thwart it. I set out to cultivate a population of artists, performers, academics, people in media, and people in hi-tech. The creative individual has some unique issues that require unique solutions. I have been gratified by the richness I have mined in this work.