30 Apr Artist Spotlights: Cynthia Downs

When Cynthia Downs was 45, she had an epiphany that changed the course of her life. Just days before she was scheduled to take the GMAT and apply to MBA programs, a sensation electrified her body like she was a passenger in a speeding, out-of-control car. “I was desperately trying to avoid a deadly crash — the brakes literally came on in my mind, as clear as day — and suddenly I knew that creating jewelry was the only true passion that could satisfy my soul.”

If you’re formulating a picture of Downs as an “all or nothing” person, this next story should confirm it. A year before her epiphany, she awoke in pain, with frozen shoulders and elbows, undoubtedly caused by her determination to learn everything she could about metalsmithing, in particular, “raising” copper vessels, a process that required hammering metal with great force into desired forms.

It took years of intensive physical therapy to heal her body. She did not let that time go to waste; she used it to devise a plan that would allow her to dedicate her life to jewelry design. “I knew my decision was absolutely on point,” she recalls. “But how to make that happen was beyond me.”

Rejoining the vast metalsmithing community was key. “Doors started to open, and opportunities appeared,” she says. “I was accepted as a full-time student at Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt), and, at the same time, received an invitation to visit Tucson, Arizona.” Once again, her gut instinct was immediate and powerful. “I fell in love with the incredible landscapes of enchanting cacti, sweeping mountain vistas, and the huge blue skies,” she says. “And the heat seeped into my bones in such a healing way. I felt at home for the first time ever in my life.”

A native of Boston, Downs has found intriguing similarities in the Southwestern deserts and the beaches along the Eastern Seaboard. And those wave, seashell, and rock formation patterns, as well as mountain and canyon shapes, can be found in her jewelry.

Tidal Pool Cuff | Australian Boulder Opal, Peridot, Carnelian, Blue Topaz, Exotic Coin Pearl, Fossil Pyritized Ammonite, Sterling and Fine Silver, 22k gold

“I loved how waves captured shells and stones, creating a beautiful rhythm with each tide,” she says. “On desert hikes, I became aware that nature repeatedly makes the same patterns throughout the world — sand waves appear on trails, in dry creeks, on dirt roads — I was seeing them everywhere.” Some of her earliest and most-requested designs are the Tidal Pool cuffs, which incorporate natural rhythms upon which she embellishes with stones.

Downs developed a weaving technique that helps her achieve those natural patterns in her work that she sees on hikes in the desert where life and death commingle in amazing ways. “I love observing cacti,” she says. “They are vital and beautiful in life, and still so beautiful in death, as they slowly reveal the delicate beauty and grace of their souls. I became obsessed with finding a way to create texture in metal that would appear light and ethereal that would last forever. Weaving metal became my way of replicating the delicate beauty I was observing.”

For Downs, weaving also has a metaphorical meaning. “I compare the act of weaving to living life. Each intricate stitch collectively forms something beautiful. Just as we weave our intentions in everyday life, eventually the results manifest before us.”   

Ancient Voices Neckpiece | Sterling and Fine Silver with Fossil Pyritized Ammonite, Exotic Pearl, Natural Black Tourmaline and Crystal Quartz Cluster

In her designs, Downs frequently incorporates stones, fossils, and mineral specimens she finds while hiking and in rock shops. “Beauty is not in the value of the stone, but in the creation itself and the story it tells,” she says, referring to the story of the object, but also how this process of observing and gathering from nature sets her imagination free. “I feel like a child with no limits. And I feel a never-ending source in the evolution of my designs. The sublime beauty of nature has me gobsmacked.”

While the common thread running through her work is a reflection on nature, many pieces also have a playful, unexpected aspect. “All of my work is very spontaneous,” she says, noting that many famous sculptors have said they see the subject within the raw stone, but that she does not. “I touch a stone, and I see the design in the air, in my mind. Trying to sketch it is impossible; it doesn’t want to be pinned down.” And while the concept may not be perfectly clear, this vision gives her a starting point. “Creativity dances with my imagination,” she adds. “I only wish I could dance as well in reality, as I do when my imagination takes over.”

Waterfall Pendant | 22k gold, Australian Boulder Opal, Peach Citrine, Natural Quartz Crystal

While many objects that she weaves into her jewelry were found while hiking, Downs says most of the stones she now uses come from the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. “The world comes to Tucson in February, and it becomes a treasure hunt. My goal is to find unusual, beautiful specimens that can become wearable art. I never know what I will find, and I am never disappointed.”

After more than 20 years of flying coast-to-coast to display her work at major exhibitions, Downs and her husband, a furniture maker, are focusing on pursuing their creative lives. “The desert gifted me with a life I couldn’t see when I lived in Boston — the sunrises and sunsets, the vast blue skies, the scents of the desert that waft through the air after a wild monsoon, and the sense of peace,” she says. “I’m blessed that I have a loving husband who understands the artist in me, that we can share a beautiful world together, and create alongside each other in the everydayness of life.”

To see more of Downs’ work, visit cynthiadowns.com and follow her on Instagram at cynthiadownsdesigns.