Margaret Berrier

Margaret Berrier received a BA in Art from Indiana University where she studied jewelry design and silversmithing under Alma Eikerman and Helen Shirk from 1969 thru 1972.  While living in Houston, Texas she took classes at Glassell Art School with Sandy Zilker and Jan Harrell.  Her creations are made by using the techniques of piercing, construction, forming, enameling, and etching.   

           She has been fascinated by archaeology and nature and have studied the ancient cultures of Central America and the Southwest for over thirty-five years.  Native American rock art caught her interest when she participated in a field trip in 1986 to sites in Utah.  Since then, she have continued to research, record, and photograph other rock art sites in Utah as well as Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming.  I have also visited sites in Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Baja in Mexico. My interest has grown to include rock art of the world and she visited rock art sites in the Kimberley and Arnhemland in Northern Australia, the Paleolithic caves in Spain and the Sahara Desert as well as much farther north in Scandinavia 

            Her inspirations have many “layers” that incorporate images. Some, like her landscape series and stone dreamers include stones, hidden images, and multiple techniques.  They are almost mini sculptures. She also makes simpler silver and copper pieces using some of these same techniques, so she is able to make earrings, bracelets, necklaces, etc. The stones in her jewelry remind her of the natural connections she values, and many times remind her of the varied forms she sees while outdooon her adventures.  When Margaret purchase stones, she doesn’t usually have a piece in mind but allows the colors and shapes of the stones to join with the ideas for jewelry.  Sometimes the ideas come easily and sometimes she has a stone for years until inspiration happens. 

Recently her passion has grown to writing and illustrating articles about the ancient imagery and she has helped other archaeologists with their illustrations also. The adventure continues.