Established in 2013, Lithic Design is a solo-owned business that features natural gemstones and fossils in unique settings inspired by nature and historical design. Each piece is completely hand fabricated using traditional metalsmithing techniques, and many of the stones used are cut and polished in-studio.

Bio

Kaley: Owner, Designer, Fabricator, Metalsmith, Tinkerer

Lithic Design is created in my home studio in the greater Cleveland area. Growing up camping, hiking, and attending nature camps gave me a strong appreciation for the outdoors that inspires my work today. Many people are not aware of how forested and beautiful northeast Ohio is. I feel very privileged to have spent my life in this unique part of the country that has both urban amenities and wild, protected land.

Music was the main creative drive in my early life. From a very young age I started composing simple music on piano. This led to studying the concert flute, piccolo, and saxophone. I developed a love of world music and ethnomusicology that evolved into learning how to construct various bamboo flutes including the shakuhachi. That foray into learning how to use hand tools became more important in my current work than I could have imagined at the time.

Metalsmithing has been a part of my life since 2010. What started as an elective course became a long journey of learning and development of my craft that is constantly evolving. Most importantly, it is a source of fulfillment and self-preservation in navigating personal health struggles. I am happiest in my workshop creating, and any day my body lets me do that is a good day.

Artist’s Statement

My work stems from a curiosity in science and history. I have a large interest in natural history that includes fossils, minerals, and plants, but I am also inspired by human-made archaeological relics and artifacts from early civilization.

Many of my more historically recent influences come from the Art Nouveau era of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This style was a way of honoring and reimagining nature- both abstractly in the basic lines and curves of the art structure and more directly in the use of plant and animal motifs.

While my art is inspired by history, I usually strive for some level of innovation in my creative process. I love the novelty of combining old and new ideas in a meaningful way. My goal is to take unique pieces of history- both human and natural- and create artwork around them in ways that elevate them to a place of reverence.