Artist statement

 

Color, I have often wondered what my life would be like without color. Strong, bold, clean colors that speak to me, vibrating a living excitement. No matter what the form of creativity, color is always at the center of my work. Big, bold, beautiful, living color that not only speaks to me but speaks to the people who see my work. 

 

My jewelry, in particular, follows that theme of big, bright and bold. That’s probably why I prefer to work in copper rather than silver.  Copper and I wrestle together until there is a meeting of the minds in terms of shape, form and texture. And then of course I add color, paint, gilding, glass and/or colorful beads and stones.  My work with copper is very much a metaphor for life, lots of wrestling, twisting, hammering, a few disasters, and ultimately, with a great deal of work, care and a little bit of luck, a happy result!

  

Bio

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Rosanne Cuttitta is a metalsmith, bead and wire weaver and dabbles in abstract art.  Her recent interest in art started when retirement loomed and she wondered – what next?  A friend encouraged her to take a bead stringing class and before the jewelry class was over, she knew “that’s not it”.  Then she started working with seed beads, and thought, that’s not it either”.  Surfing YouTube she found Kumihimo, a Japanese weaving technique.  And knew “this could be it - for the moment”!  She enjoys the mathematics of working up her own weaving pattens and designs to create Kumihimo necklaces and bracelets using seed beads.

 

As she continued her “jewelry journey” she took several classes in metal work and found copper. Working with hammers, torches’, plyers, and other “copper torture tools” was definitely “her thing”.  She has designed numerous very large, stylized copper necklaces, incorporating large glass cabochons, natural stones, beads, gilding and paint.  She has also done a number of copper woven wire necklaces, (Beautiful work, very hard on the fingers.) as well as a large, hammered 3D orchid necklace.  She really enjoys mixing beadwork, wire weaving and metal work, creating her own unique jewelry. 

 

Abstract painting came about quite by accident as she pondered how to entertain her 6-year-old granddaughter for the weekend, in the dead of winter.  They spent hours pouring paint and her abstract painting interest began.  She has sold several paintings and intends to continue pursuing and exploring this skill.  Color drives this interest.

As a child, and in her early teens Rosanne took art classes at the Corcoran, Sidwell Friends and the University of Maryland.  She has also taken stained glass and glass fusing classes at a “now closed” glass shop in Damascus, Maryland.  Recently Montgomery College has provided additional inspiration and training in both metal work and painting.  

 

Rosanne has been a member of The Art League of Germantown (ALOG) for the past 7 years.  During that time has served on the ALOG Board as the BlackRock Center for the Arts Liaison for 2 years and chaired 3 semi-annual ALOG shows, held at the BlackRock Center for the Arts, Germantown, Maryland. She received the shows “Peoples Choice” award twice for her jewelry.  Rosanne has also shown her work at the Delaplaine Art Center, in Frederick Maryland and the Kentland’s Mansion in Gaithersburg, Maryland.  

 

In looking back over the years, Rosanne realizes how the arts/creativity have always played a part in her life, from painting large murals on elementary school bulletin boards and high school hallways, to sketching and painting with her grandfather, crocheting and embroidering with her grandmother, designing clothes with her mother, playing Legos, paints and clay sculptures with her sons and granddaughters, to painting and upholstering furniture.  Creativity has always been a big part of her life.