Artist Highlight

Debbi Ordan lives and works in Sugar Grove, North Carolina. She is located in the west end of Watauga County about 17 miles from Boone in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, the highest mountains in the Appalachian Mountain Range. The beauty of nature and her surroundings are her biggest inspiration for her work. Being raised in New York City, she did not become aware of the beauty of nature and “the country” until later in her life. She graduated from Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY in 1978 and traveled around the country looking for a beautiful, quiet, hospitable place to live. Luckily she found Sugar Grove and decided to make it her home. Debbi studied jewelry and metal smithing during a 5 year apprenticeship which took her to Santa Fe, New Mexico. She returned to North Carolina in 1985 and built her studio and began her own business, Ariel Studios, named after her beloved dog. She has studied at many workshops and retreats, honing her skills in metal smithing and fabrication. Her work is entirely handcrafted through all stage of its creation, using traditional metal smithing techniques and the finest available materials. The metals she uses are sterling silver, jeweler’s bronze and copper. She creates earrings, bracelets, pins and pendants, and barrettes. She is always working on new innovative designs. She is a member of two cooperative galleries, one in Boone and one in Blowing Rock, NC. She has several wholesale accounts and does about 18 art shows a year. Debbi loves the work she does. “I enjoy my jewelry and take the utmost care in making it. I hope you enjoy wearing it.”