Radiochemist Captures Moments in Time Through Art

DAYTON – When radiochemist, Jane Holly Estrada, hangs up her lab jacket for the day, she enjoys relaxing by capturing moments in nature and transforming them into a state of permanence. The Richland, Wash. artist creates jewelry and shaped dishes inspired by freshly fallen leaves.

Estrada presses a real leaf into the clay, shapes it into a unique dish, and paints them with a watercolor style underglaze, before firing multiple times and adding her signature gold accents.

Estrada also paints mandala stones and one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry. All of her works imbue the familiar colors of forest, sky, and water with gold and silver sparkle, resulting in an alchemy of Mother Nature with human skill and ingenuity.

"The final product is a mirror image of the now long-gone leaf, but embellished with swirls of color, texture, and metallic gilding," Estrada said.

"My goal is to create small pieces of beautiful art that people can have in their daily lives. My jewelry is meant to be worn and the dishes to be used," she added.

Estrada is the featured Pacific Northwest Art Event artist at the Wenaha Gallery (219 E. Main) through Sat., Feb. 25.