Ash Tamber
Feral Blue is a one-woman show based mostly in Richmond, Virginia. Over the years you could find me working on the road at events, in community jewelry studios, or out of my ‘95 Econoline Camper Van in other parts of the country. Being a mobile artist was my dream since I was a small child. (See more of that journey here.)
Working with metal is in my blood. I’m from a blue collar background, having folks who worked as machinists, welders, and in steel mills. (I’ve been known to pick up part time gigs in a machine shop as well.) Currently, I’m giving my body a break and am on hiatus from making production work. I’m taking on limited custom pieces during this time.
Aside from my studio practice, I teach silversmithing classes to adults at The Visual Arts Center of Richmond. I’m available for private lessons virtually or in person through the Visual Arts Center or potentially in your home studio. Having worn all the hats for my business over the years, I decided to make myself available for one-on-one coaching for creatives of any type. You can learn more about that here.
I also offer Ring Melting Ceremonies for divorced people and fully custom Amulets for folks working with astrological or other archetypes to meet specific life goals. As a lifelong astrology buff, I love giving readings too!
Feral Blue Jewelry
Feral Blue is one-of-a-kind and limited production sterling silver jewelry and metal accessories. It often features semi-precious stones or enamel work. I enjoy working outside the parameters of jewelry and creating small metal functional objects. In using engraving techniques I add another layer of deliberate line work into my illustrative pieces to showcase my abilities as an artist and storyteller. Like many artists, drawing was my first love. My engraving is done by hand with primitive tools that allow for maximum portability.
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Feral differs from wild, which is a popular notion. Feral moves by intuition and nature, not by boredom, courage, or rebellion. Though curious, a feral creature is not always inherently brave; they’re pulled by a knowing from their ancestry. Feral creatures were bred to be domesticated, yet display how close they are to their roots.
Blue is a color that is omnipresent. For me, there is a love/hate with Blue, as it's sometimes the thoughtless go-to color of clothes and boring walls. The word itself has many meanings---from the ethers of life's beginnings to the deepest emotions and unknowns. It’s the duality of bland and mysteriousness that creates intrigue. "Blue is beauty, not truth. 'True blue' is a ruse, a rhyme; it's there, then it's not. Blue is a deeply sneaky color." -Christopher Moore