Courtney SmithRecently, I have become involved with The Parkersburg Art Center. While taking a tour of the facility, I visited the gift shop and fell in love with all of the hidden treasures. There’s so many beautifully hand-crafted pieces showcased within their walls. There was one jewelry collection that I fell in love with the moment I laid eyes on it. The pieces were so thoughtfully designed and every part of the creations were so intricate; between her color selections and the materials used, I simply had to purchase a pair of her earrings (although I would love to own her entire jewelry line).
Judy Well is the name of the designer I speak of. She was born in Middleport, Ohio and was raised in a military family which meant moving across the country until 1966, where she settled back in Meigs County, Ohio. Currently she resides in a town called Darwin, Ohio. She has an extensive history in the world of design in more ways than one. She has been “designing hair” going on 52 years and had a gorgeous button collection in the 1980s that she designed into brooches. She started making scarves in 1992 (which can also be found in The Parkersburg Art Center and are equally as beautiful as her jewelry). It was in 2007 that she became fascinated with making jewelry. She noticed her scarves needed earrings to go along with them and decided to take matters into her own hands and started designing jewelry.
Judy is well-traveled and visits New York City on a regular basis and enjoys finding the beads and items to put them together. Judy also likes to follow the jewelry trends in fashion magazines and alters her creations to her liking while still being on trend; and even ahead of the trends. She finds pieces to work into her styles from England and Taos, New Mexico as well. A few years ago, during one of Judy’s buying trips, she ran into Joe Montana, her favorite football player, waiting on his wife at a jewelry supply house. She took this as an omen to “keep on beading.”
“Savana Skye Designs” is the name of Judy’s collections which was named after her seven year-old granddaughter, whom also loves beading. If you haven’t visited The Parkersburg Art Center’s gift shop, you should. They provide wonderful fashions such as Judy Well’s scarf and jewelry line. You can also contact and find Judy’s latest designs on her Facebook page.
