Sottile, Joy

My love affair with clay began over 20 years ago and while my relationship with it has changed and grown over the years, a love for intense color and sparkle has always been a part of my work.

Currently I make one-of-a-kind bracelets and necklaces using high-fire porcelain adorned with bright colors and dressed up with sparkling jewels. I use intensely colored commercial glazes, vintage beads, semi-precious stones, Austrian crystals of all colors and beautiful baubles of all sorts. Nothing gives me greater joy than to discover a glittering knot of discarded necklaces at a garage sale, resale shop or antique store that can be cut apart and salvaged for parts.

Five bracelets To make these bracelets, I roll a slab of porcelain nearly paper-thin and texture it with ancient hand-carved wooden blocks brought home from India in my hippie days. I cut ½ inch shapes from the slabs and painstakingly smooth all edges and round all points for safety and strength. The forms for the bracelets are custom made using the highest quality stainless steel, with strong, easy-to-use latches.

While it may look like the pieces are randomly placed, I work hard to determine the perfect location for each color and shape of procelain, each bead and every rhinestone crystal. The design for a bracelet can take weeks to perfect. Each bracelet in a color family is the same as all other bracelets in that family except that the porcelain pieces vary in texture and intensity of color.


	All of the clay pieces used in my jewelry are fired to cone 10 to bring out the beauty of the porcelain and to make strong, durable jewelry. The pieces are then colored using commercial glazes and fired to cone 5 to retain the brilliance I crave. Many of the pieces are then glazed a third time to add a luster finish.


	These bracelets look like pieces of sugar candy and toffee wired together, hence the name. These are made of vintage beads, semi-precious stones and faceted Austrian crystals. Except for the clasp, the wire connecting the pieces together is hand-twisted for perfect fit and proportion. I use only high quality sterling silver wire and clasps for these bracelets.

For these one-of-a-kind pendant necklaces, 2-inch pieces of clay are hand-shaped and sometimes stamped for texture. After firing, rhinestones are set in place and the pendants are hung from chains containing Austrian crystals and vintage beads. Matching earrings are available to complement the necklaces.

I'm wearing a necklace similar to this one in the photo at the top of this webpage.


	Here are samples of some of my earlier work. While I cherish many of the pieces created in the past, I grow weary of a line of items after a while and am compelled to create new varieties of clay art every few years.


				I have made hundreds of rhinestone hearts and crosses, all shapes and sizes and in many colors. This one I kept for myself. It sparkles beautifully.




	Jeweled pinch pots, large and small, are all over my house and studio. They hold everything from pencils to soap, from flowers to snacks. One can never have too many rhinestone pots around.


	Vases were one of the first forms I dressed up with rhinestones and Austrian crystals. They make whatever they hold more beautiful.

		My porcelain jewelry retails from $40 to $275. I can be reached at Sottile Design (512) 458-3333 or email me at JASOTTILE@AOL.com


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	last updated November 6, 2003