For more than 30 years I’ve considered myself a weaver. Weaving requires structure, order and balance interlaced with texture and color.

In the last few years I’ve expanded my artistry to include collage, mixed media and assemblage, incorporating weaving into the collage work. Collage and assemblage represent the unknown to me. That is to say, I don’t necessarily know what the piece will look like when I start. which is in contrast to weaving where I have to know what the end result will be before I start.

Creating collage and assemblage offers me the opportunity to explore the not so visible parts of life, the subtle messages woven into and between the unsaid and to express myself in new and creative ways.

Weaving and collage are very different and that is what’s fun about each of the processes.

My designs combine semi-precious stones, sea glass, glass beads, crystal beads with braided or crocheted silver, colored, or copper wire, or PMC (Precious metal Clay) and silver pieces. Integrating color, form and texture, I create pieces that are easily wearable, from jeans to formal ware, yet timeless. My woven or crocheted necklaces are entire handmade using a crochet needle, or a wooden wire knitting spool. My jewels reflects the many cultures of my travels, the warmth and vibrancy, inspired by Guadeloupe (French West Indies) and the South of France, the sophistication, straight from Paris. Nothing is mass product. Each item is unique.

I'm interested in combining different materials and elements to create or change an image, to elevate it or diminish its glow and power. In this work, I am exploring the myth of celebrity and beauty, of what is classic or sacred, I use photographs by Annie Leibovitz, classic paintings by Da Vinci or Lautrec, cut out pages of W or Vanity Fair magazines, old record covers, or poetry books as my essential elements of expression. I see their beauty and power, and I want to reinterpret, to enhance, or metamorphosize these powerful images.

I fell in love with Airstream trailers at the ripe old age of seven. It happened on a cross-country trip with my family on our journey from New York to California when I spotted a shiny silver Airstream from the back of our VW bus. I was instantly smitten.

Eventually I bought my own Airstream, and it has been one of my most powerful inspirations in designing my jewelry. I head into my silver nest and it both soothes me and stimulates my creativity.

Designer Colleen Mauer's creative venture began on a cluttered desk in her Hayes Valley apartment in San Francisco nearly 6 years ago. Little did she know, her passion for design and jewelry making would someday lead to a full-time career. Colleen moved to California in 2001 with high aspirations of finding a distinguished design job. After graduating with honors from Virginia Tech with a BS in Industrial Design, it seemed like a very feasible goal. Colleen worked at a small furniture design company in Oakland before deciding that spending her days in someone else's studio was not what she had in mind. Just two years later, Colleen Mauer Designs was born. First, though, Colleen lived her dream of traveling the globe and spent extensive time in Asia. With those experiences still vivid in her mind, Colleen has been even more inspired to take her designs to the next level. Jewelry has become a part of her daily routine; it serves as her source of constant inspiration. She designs using texture, color, sounds and tones as her tools for transforming a simple section of material into a unique piece of jewelry. Colleen's designs celebrate simple geometries to create a line of jewelry that can compliment any look...from casual and everyday to chic and classic. Colleen's studio is nestled in Secession Art and Design of Bernal Heights where you can experience the production process from start to finish. She will gladly work with you on a special order for a wedding party or an important event, or she will craft an everyday piece that transcends the routine. Your options for materials, styles and textures are virtually boundless. And if you find something you are attracted to, Colleen will gladly tweak the design to suit your needs. Just email her at [email protected] or call 415.637.7762 with any orders or questions, or to join the Colleen Mauer Designs mailing list.