Elizabeth Reis Kane
Elizabeth Reis is an elementary school teacher living in Asheville, NC. She creates simple yet elegant jewelry exploring the subtle balance between shape and color, and the flow and movement of nature.
As a little girl in a world full of jewelry, Elizabeth found her passion pretty organically. Her grandmother owned a jewelry store and from the time she could walk, she was exploring the shapes, colors, and textures of the pieces she admired most. Her interest in her grandmother’s jewelry grew into a hobby of making and creating with friends. As she grew older, she found herself driven to create more pieces on her own in her free time, enjoying the meditative space and freedom of creating.
By the time she got to college, friends were offering to buy her pieces and asking for commissions. Excited by the interest she received, she set out to share her jewelry with broader circles of people, signing herself up to sell jewelry at local craft fairs and stores in downtown Asheville. As a full-time teacher, Elizabeth finds herself pulled to create as a therapeutic outlet when she gets home from a long day of work.
Making jewelry has been many things for her in her lifetime: a way to socialize with friends, a way to decompress after work, a way to explore the shapes and colors that fascinate her. But one thing that has remained constant is her belief that jewelry--as small and simple as it may be--is a way to show love to people.
“My connection to nature and desire to spend time outside lends itself to my creative process over and over. I learn from nature, then put what I see into action in my pieces. It’s a special way to bring the Earth and it’s many beauties into my art, and then share that connection with others.”
“My love for jewelry started at an early age. I saw the women around me - my mother, and both grandmothers wearing very glamorous pieces on their fingers, ears and necks and idolized them - wanting to recreate that for myself.”
“One of my grandmothers owned a jewelry store and wore rings on almost all of her fingers! My other grandmother wore big statement pieces that were hard to miss. When I leave the house I usually have - four rings on, two bracelets, a necklace (or two!) and a pair of earrings. “
“My husband has always supported my work as an artist, and even involves himself in some of the packaging. When I’m finished creating the earrings, he pokes holes in the jewelry cards, then places (what he calls) the ‘stoppers’ on the back. E. Reis Jewelry is a family affair — always has been!”