SAN ANTONIO — Silver and gold pieces, some with a touch of color—Priscilla Martinez's designs are eye-catching.
"I've always had more passion with metals because that's where I can really put my stamp on it," she said. "I wanted to create my own shape, my own silhouette, my own vision."
But it's her signature negative space that sets her work apart.
"It's the stuff in between, " Martinez said. "So I look at wire and open space and negative space as the words you don't say."
Martinez was trained as a ballet dancer most of her life and still teaches to this day.
Her love for dance tends to pop up in her work.
"I love taking space, but leaving things in between (is just as vital). I'm a performer; when you go to fill a stage and you are only one person, the only way you can do that is with movement," Martinez said.
Her way of expressing herself through this form of art began in high school.
"In that art class they did offer metals as a curriculum, so we learned about direct metal where you would cut the metal, shape the metal," Martinez said.
The craft always stuck with her.
It wasn't until after trying her hand at dancing and acting in New York City that Martinez moved back to San Antonio to start a family.
In 2004 she picked up wax-casting again, creating her business Priscilla Martinez Design.
"It took me a while to get to where I am," Martinez said. "It's not easy, it takes a lot of focus. But you kind of just have to find a peace with yourself that this is what you were meant to do."
While dancing will always be a part of her life, Martinez has now found something to sustain her.
"With jewelry, that's something I can do until the day I die. My body can't do all the things I used to do," Martinez said.
So while we may not be timeless, Martinez's pieces can be.
"The possibilities are endless. There's always going to be things that speak to me... I always see movement in my head," she said. "Whether it's choreography or metal."
Priscilla Martinez Design is holding a trunk show on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Red Tree Jewelers, in Leon Springs. Or, you can always catch Priscilla Martinez on her website or social media pages.
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