Deborah Bushinski, TSJ

Deborah Bushinski

Minnetonka, Minnesota

Deborah's designs for Tessoro feature the natural beauty of birch bark. Working with a small family owned wood products company in Minnesota, Deborah is able to access standing dead trees that are marked for cutting. She harvests the bark, carefully selecting for interesting surface features, such as the lichens that provide color and texture to many of her designs. In her studio, Deborah carefully cleans the bark and stacks it under weight to cure for four to six months before using it in the creation of her jewelry. She reclaims copper from scrapped car radiators. The copper is torn from the casing, sanded and cleaned prior to ending up on the bench for inclusion in her jewelry designs. The bark is cut or torn and then coated with an acrylic polymer to give it durability. The tearing process allows for different layers to be exposed, and thus a variety of intriguing color and texture. Semi-precious stones, sterling, and freshwater pearls are added to some designs. Each piece is unique.