10/19/2015 Santa Barbara News-Press : Daily newspaper since 1855

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Eye  CandyMonterey  designer's  baubles  part  of  CALMAuxiliary's  Wine,  Jewelry,  Chocolate  BRETT  LEIGH  DICKS,  NEWS-­PRESS  CORRESPONDENT

October  19,  2015  12:02  AM

Artists  draw  their  inspiration  from  all  over.For  Monterey-­based  jewelry  maker  BethFergon,  her  muse  encompasses  everythingfrom  California's  rugged  coastline  to  thelaced  finery  of  16th  century  England.

Mrs.  Fergon's  eclectic  range  of  one-­of-­a-­kind  jewelry  includes  earrings,  braceletsand  necklaces  that  have  been  crafted  usingeverything  from  shells,  coral  and  glass  shefinds  while  walking  the  pebbly  beaches  ofMonterey  Bay  to  plated  metals  she  forgesin  her  home  studio.  Her  designs  are  asvaried  as  the  materials  she  employs  andthe  inspiration  for  many  arises  from  lifeitself.

The  diversity  of  Mrs.  Fergon's  work  will  beon  display  at  CALM  Auxiliary's  fifth  annualWine,  Jewelry,  Chocolate  event,  which  willbe  held  2  to  6  p.m.  Thursday  at  theMontecito  Country  Club,  920  Summit  Road,Montecito.  Along  with  a  sampling  of  localwine  and  chocolates,  there  will  also  be  25jewelry  makers  displaying  a  variety  ofhandmade  work.

First  staged  in  2010  at  the  home  of  one  ofthe  auxiliary  members,  the  event  hasbecome  a  lavish  gathering  featuring  workfrom  a  variety  of  invited  artists.

"The  event  has  grown  mostly  through  wordof  mouth,"  said  event  co-­chair  MarthaRogers.  "It  started  out  as  a  small  socialgathering  with  about  10  artists  as  a  way  forauxiliary  members  to  raise  some  additionalmoney  for  CALM,  but  it  was  so  popular  wemoved  it  to  the  Montecito  Country  Club.  Wehave  it  in  October  because  we  thought  itwould  be  a  nice  way  for  the  ladies  to  enjoya  little  wine  and  chocolate  while  they'reshopping  for  Christmas."

The  Chocolate  Gallery,  Jessica  Foster

Confections  and  Robitaille's  Fine  Candies

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10/19/2015 Santa Barbara News-Press : Daily newspaper since 1855

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At  Top,  frolicking  Dolphins,  $155,  opalite,baroque  pearl,  freshwater  pearls,  24-­karatgold-­plated  brass  dolphins,  Swarovskicrystal.  Above,  Fall  Leaves,  $130,  Czech

glass,  bronze  artist  wire.

Confections  and  Robitaille's  Fine  Candies

will  be  offering  the  chocolates  while  the

wine  tasting  will  feature  selections  from

Andrew  Murray  Vineyards,  Kalyra  Winery,

Cielito  Cellars,  Sea  Ranch  and  Royal  Oaks

Winery.

The  organizing  committee  had  no  shortage

of  jewelers  wanting  to  participate.

"We  get  inquiries  from  jewelry  makers  all

throughout  the  year,"  Mrs.  Rogers  said.

"What  we  look  for  is  diversity.  We  want

different  styles  and  different  price  ranges."

Mrs.  Fergon  and  her  sister,  Vicki  Taylor,  a

Montecito  jeweler,  were  invited  to  be  part

of  the  event  after  one  of  the  organizing

committee  members  saw  their  work  at  a

jewelry  show  a  couple  of  years  ago.  The

sisters  have  a  long  history  of  jewelry

making.

"We  started  making  jewelry  while  we  were

in  high  school  back  in  the  1960s,"  Mrs.

Fergon,  64,  told  the  News-­Press  by

telephone  from  her  home  in  Monterey.  "We

made  different  shapes  out  of  cardboard  and

painted  them  psychedelic  colors,  turning

them  into  earrings  and  pendants  that  we

sold  at  art  fairs."

Raised  in  Palos  Verdes,  Mrs.  Fergon  forged

a  career  in  banking  while  her  sister  went

into  human  resources.  In  1977,  Mrs.

Fergon  moved  to  Monterey.  It  was  while

working  for  a  local  bank  in  2002  that  her

creative  impulses  were  once  again

rekindled.

"One  of  my  customers  was  wearing  a

necklace  that  I  really  liked,"  Mrs.  Fergon

recalled.  "She  told  me  where  she  got  it  and

how  ridiculously  expensive  it  was  and  I

thought,  'Oh  heck,  I  could  do  that.'  So  I

went  to  a  jewelry  show  and  bought  some

pearls  and  silver  and  some  tassel  and

started  making  my  own  necklaces  with  my

own  tassel  idea  on  the  end  of  them."

Mrs.  Fergon  sold  her  pieces  to  the  local

Ansel  Adams  Gallery  after  which  she

expanded  her  range  and  started  selling

them  at  jewelry  shows  she  held  in  her

home.

"I  started  out  working  on  a  little  table  that

my  husband  built  for  me  and  have  now

grown  into  a  studio  that  I  am  quickly

running  out  of  room  in,"  she  said.

All  of  her  pieces  are  one-­of-­a-­kind  and

range  in  price  from  $30  to  about  $350.

With  an  eye  for  design,  balance  and  color,

she  often  incorporates  pearls,  shells  and

coral  into  her  work  as  well  as  semi-­precious

stones.

Mrs.  Fergon's  earrings  include  pearls,

stones  and  fashioned  metals  while  her

necklaces  range  from  elegant  pieces  like  a

Pacific  opal  and  Swarovski  crystal  mounted

on  a  string  of  freshwater  pearls  to  much

more  elaborate  creations  such  as  a  cluster

of  labradorite,  pearl  and  coral.

While  many  of  her  bracelets  are  fashioned

from  either  a  combination  of  bohemian

glass  and  gold  vermeil  or  Pacific  opal,

Swarovski  crystal  and  pearls,  she  recently

crafted  a  bronze-­plated  bracelet  that

featured  etched  lacework.

RACE  ACROSS  AMERICA:  Cycling  teams  reach

heartland

 Jun  17,  2007

10/19/2015 Santa Barbara News-Press : Daily newspaper since 1855

http://www.newspress.com/Top/Article/article.jsp?Section=LIFE&ID=567358579242303521 3/4

At  top,  dragonfly,  $150,  sterling  silver,  cubiczirconia,  freshwater  pearls  Above,  Montereyjeweler  Beth  Fergon  will  one  of  25  featuredjewelry  makers  at  CALM  Auxiliary's  Wine,

Jewelry,  Chocolate  event.

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featured  etched  lacework.

"I  went  to  England  and  saw  a  fabulouspainting  exhibition,"  she  recalled.  "Therewere  paintings  from  the  15th  and  16thcentury  and  there  was  so  much  beautifullypainted  lace  ...  I  got  all  hung  up  on  lace.  Assoon  as  I  got  back  into  my  studio,  I  startedworking  on  the  bracelet."

The  piece  exemplifies  the  eclectic  nature  ofnot  only  Mrs.  Fergon's  craft,  but  the  wayshe  approaches  her  art.

 "Everything  I  see  I  look  at  with  the  eye  ofa  jewelry  maker,"  she  said.  "I  have  themost  eclectic  jewelry.  People  seem  to  settleon  one  style  or  one  design,  but  I  alwayswant  to  make  something  new  and  can'tstand  to  repeat  designs.

"Pretty  much  all  of  my  jewelry  is  one-­of-­a-­kind  because  I'm  always  seeing  differentthings."

IF  YOU  GO

CALM  Auxiliary's  fifth  annual  Wine,  Jewelry,Chocolate  event  will  be  held  2  to  6  p.m.Thursday  at  the  Montecito  Country  Club,920  Summit  Road,  Montecito.  Entry  is  $15and  includes  chocolate  samples  and  a  winetasting.  For  more  information,  visitwww.calm4kids.org.

email:  life@newspress.com

 

10/19/2015 Santa Barbara News-Press : Daily newspaper since 1855

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