Charlotte - Ehinger-Schwarz 1876

Photos byC. Whitney-Ward

I think that a more appropriate name for the lovely jewelry store - CHARLOTTE - tucked onto Santa Fe's historic Plaza - would be  ABRACADABRA!   Why? Because each piece of their handsomely-designed jewelry is interchangeable. A pendant hanging from a beautiful pearl necklace can be detached

and worn as a broach...

The delicate leaf and pearl dangling at the end of the broach can be removed and slipped onto a single chain of gold. 

And one more transformation - a lovely amber necklace replaces the pearls and
creates a dazzling metamorphosis.  Abracadabra!

In addition to all of that loveliness, when you step inside Charlotte, you'll be greeted by owner Dorothee Maier (on rt.) and her lovely assistant Marlena.

And, if you play your cards right, you'll soon be sipping a freshly-made espresso.

Which is the perfect European touch for a store that was created by and showcases the work of  Wolf-Peter Schwarz, a fourth-generation German jewerly designer.

But, it is very much a family business. Wolf-Peter is the creator/designer, the store is named after his beautiful wife Charlotte, and his equally beautiful daughter Caroline (below rt.) is now very much a part of the family enterprise.  

The jewelry system is brillant and precisely designed to accommodate multiple variations. New jewels or disks are applied or layered and "locked" into place using a tiny tool and a miniscule spring pin.

Creating...endless variety.

Twice a year a diminutive catalog/ book is created for clients to view

the new designs, showing all the captivating possibilites. 

And each year a gorgeous calendar celebrates the visual choreography of the jewelry.

I am a devout silver and turquoise kind of gal. But after spending some time photographing and playing with this lovely jewelry, I could easily be converted.

And buy the amazing Bull Dog ring...

CHARLOTTE

Ehinger-Schwarz 1876

66 E. San Francisco Street

Santa Fe, NM

505.660.8614

www.charlotteshop.com

Owners: Dorothee & Gunther Maier

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Christina Chalmers - Elegant Whimsy

S P I R I T  O F  A  S T U D I O

Photos by C. Whitney-Ward

Christina & Louie

Christina Chalmers is an alchemist. She turns dried sea-things, beeswax, metal, found objects, mesh - whatever catches her visual fancy -  into magical semi-abstract, wildly- wonderful  mixed-media. On top of all that,  she is  a painter, sculptor, photographer, and makes layered, lyrical videos. And, she and her talented rock-star daughters - CocoRosie - have performed at Carnegie Hall (Christina is a songwriter and singer).  Really!  A  long-time New Mexico resident, Christina  has  a wonderful studio/loft space filled with her work and her  eclectic aesthetic. 

A seahorse & a paintbrush...wonderful...

"Migration from the Sea"

Hand-sewn mixed media "chandelier"

And her latest work - "The Birds and the Bees" - is off to Santa Fe's Selby Fleetwood Gallery where no doubt it will be snapped up by an eager collector.

I couldn't resist snapping the  details...

Christina's first studio was in Santa Barbara. "I was so determined," she remembers, I simply manifested it. I went to the old mission, looked up and saw what I thought was an empty space, and approached one of the monks with a proposal to turn it into a studio." It happened! She began collecting stuff that she hauled out of the sea and other organic materials and her art evolved. In addition to her studio/loft in Santa Fe, Christina has a studio in Provence and another in Mendocino, CA.

She collects French beeswax and honeycombs. 

Her technique of using wax and layering and embedding have evolved over the years and after you've taken in the whole, you can stand in front of one of her creations  and 'drink' in all the diminutive details and playful inclusions and nuances. Each time you return, your eye finds something new. 

"My work routine is constant," says Christina, who says that she doesn't go anywhere that doesn't inspire her.  "I've made my art my life. You have to be 200% committed to it. That's when you see your soul emerge into your art."

CHRISTINE CHALMERS

SELBY FLEETWOOD GALLERY

600 Canyon Road

Santa Fe, NM

505.992.8877

Chasing Santa Fe Post on Selby Fleetwood Gallery

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