Catherina Bishopp | Hayley Gallery

Medium:

Jewelry

Brushed Gold Bracelet 18k Gold over Sterling $150	Aquamarine Necklace Radiated Aquamarine, Blue Swarovski Crystal & Sterling $265
Blue Quartz Earrings Blue Quartz & Sterling $99	Aquamarine Earrings Aquamarine & Sterling
Gemstone Bangles Sterling or 18k Gold Vermeil with Gemstones $100 each	Cyrophrase Necklace Cyrophrase + Sterling $299

Jewelry, as an art form, has the power to create moods, provoke opinions and produce reactions. At her studio in downtown Manhattan, this is the design philosophy that New York based jewelry designer Catherina Bishopp follows in creating and developing her own unique collection of jewelry. Although she uses precious stones and metals in her work, the design is of much greater importance to Catherina than the intrinsic value of the materials she works with. Her ultimate goal is evoking humor, whimsy and rare imagination through the use of striking color and inventive design in each of her pieces, which is what gives Catherina her signature look.

When the mood strikes to create, Catherina finds inspiration for her clever designs in familiar and recognizable items. "Often, it is the materials that can become inspiring and sometimes, it is something else, something that draws you back for a second look. My real passion is to take objects or colors that are not normally seen as traditional jewelry and transform them into clever reinterpretations that are wearable and fun. This is what I feel makes jewelry really, truly memorable and valuable. It's my way of inspiring other people to see that jewelry can be beautiful without having to always conform to what is expected," explains Catherina.

Born as the youngest of seven children to Dutch parents, Catherina was introduced to the arts at an early age. At 5 she visited Europe and was introduced to a variety of art from the Dutch masters to the Italian Renaissance artists. Her parents encouraged her to develop not only her artistic talents but also her musical talent which she did by playing piano. At a very young age she progressed from color pencils to pastels and at the age of nine she was painting with oil. At Indiana University, Catherina's interests were in sculpture and classical piano. Her sculptures won her awards while her piano instructor was surprised that music represented her hobby versus her major.

After graduation, Catherina went on to the Ferrandi Culinary School in Paris where she won Grand Mere competitions for her creative talents in presenting new French cuisine to the panel of judges. This invaluable artistic experience encouraged Catherina to begin making jewelry over the next few years, as she began displaying a flair for fantasy and whimsy in her design and exhibited a remarkable talent for incorporating precious stones into her work. These were the beginnings of the distinguishing style that can now be found throughout her collection.

In 1999, Catherina refined her pieces into a collection, cultivated her own contacts and started to sell her own work through prominent galleries and shops in the United States and France. Soon thereafter, the Jewelry by Catherina brand was launched in 2000. As her young business began to grow, Catherina's innovative designs quickly caught the attention of her peers and fashion designers alike. Subsequently, she has established high caliber private clients demanding customized pieces to match specific clothing designs.

Recently, she was featured in an international magazine since she created a piece for musician Machel Montano. Catherina has also designed pieces for Claudia Pegus' 2004/2005 clothing collection. In 2004, she designed exclusively for Henri Bendel/NYC. Currently, she continues to sell wholesale to boutiques in NYC, Orange County, Traverse City, Columbus, and Trinidad/Tobago. In addition to her innate sense of style and boundless creativity, Catherina brings a wide range of interests to her design abilities. Catherina has lived and worked in the United States (New York City, Los Angeles, Miami), The Netherlands, France, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, and now in Columbus, Ohio. This close view of other cultures and people gives Catherina a diverse perspective on her own designs and a greater appreciation of other artists' abilities. Today, Catherina continues to be inspired by this experience as she brings her special touch to the creation of memorable jewelry which compliments a women's beauty