BACKSTREET GALLERY

Duo Jewelers, Draper and Medeiros at Backstreet Gallery

Backstreet Gallery is proud to feature jewelry experts, Meredith Draper and Shelly Medeiros, for October’s show. Enjoy their reception October 12, 3-5 p.m. at the gallery. There will be fun, art, appetizers
and wine tasting supplied by Oregon wineries.  

Fascinated by vintage watch movements, Meredith Draper captures the cogs, wheels, cases and other parts of the beautiful watches dating from the late 1800s to mid the mid 1900s. She then transforms them into one-of-a-kind pieces by rearranging their parts and adding her own touches. She captures the exquisite  artistry of the old-time watchmakers and embellishes the work with her own fanciful elements or jewels.

 

Each piece of her intricate, fine art necklaces, pendants, pins, earrings and bracelets adds elegance or whimsy to any attire.  Meredith teamed with oil painter, John Leasure, who creates remarkable miniature oil paintings.
Meredith fits them into antique ladies watchcases and ultimately into exquisite pendants. The combination of both artists’ talents will take your breath away.  With her background as an AVP, it is no wonder that she has enhanced Backstreet Gallery with her leadership and creative spirit.

 

Self-taught jewelry artist, Shelly Medeiros, takes wire and leather wrapping to the nth degree. These skills are ancient arts, which she uses to create unique jewelry and sculptures. Because the coast has inspired
her work, her jewelry exemplifies her environment. Medeiros’ jewelry includes a variety of cabochons, semi-precious stones and crystals with some embossed and etched work. These are set in combination with copper, sterling silver and leather. The results are truly remarkable sculptural pieces. Each distinctive work involves wrapping and weaving and swirls to enfold the stones that create a design to enhance any apparel.

 

Watch for her Tree of Life likenesses in both her jewelry and sculptures.
Shelly’s résumé includes a career in a New York-based distribution company as a controller and general manager. The expertise that Shelly brings to Backstreet, as the treasurer, has sparked much innovation and growth.

After moving here from California, she and her husband of 38 years have established themselves in the community through their volunteer work and activities.  Be inspired by both artists’ unusual styles of jewelry along with 23 other artists’ work at Backstreet Gallery, 1421 Bay Street, open daily 10 a.m.—5 p.m.