The K Robins Studio is located near Wintergreen Mountain Resort in Nellysford, Virginia. It is a homegrown business of family and friends located on four lovely acres with creek and spring, looking up at the awesome and beautiful Three Ridges Mountain.

K's work with symbolic art began about 22 years ago at a time of extreme personal upheaval. At 33, her work shifted from functional craft to art that was very personal and symbolic. Within a week, she went from making cooking utensils and furniture to carving female figurines evocative of archetypal imagery discovered in ancient civilizations.The first carvings were wooden, very sculptural and robust. These were followed by small, wearable female images with gemstones inlaid in their bellies. They are rare and delightful to come upon these days, as they were relatively few and all one of a kind. click on photo to sculpture gallery.

"In the beginning, I found that creating symbolic art was a way to deal with the confusion and pain I was experiencing. The art gave me comfort, strength and insight. As my life continued to challenge me, I began the practice of designing symbolic art as a neccessity, much as one goes to prayer, goes to meditation or goes to the mat. As the mother of three small children, carving goddesses in the basement for my livelihood was enough for some to question my sanity, but for me, there was no other way."

"While designing, I look for the simplest lines I can find to express my feelings. Sometimes fast (but most often slowly) the 'aha!' moment comes when the right lines appear and fully resonate with me. It is a magical moment. I then find I have a communication tool to share with the world that goes beyond words. The longing and the ability to communicate symbolically continues to be a mystery to me."

"Some pieces, such as Aphrodite, Shakti or Changer are visionary, that is I see them in my mind first. They work as affirmations or visualizations. Others, such as Raven, Cerridwen and Vrksasana are attempts to capture the qualities that amaze me in the people I know and love. Family, deep friendships and an array of teachers have been a source of inspiration. This out pouring of talent, courage, and wisdom have profoundly affected my work."

Many of the jewelry designs come from my fascination with the language of symbols and how the art of different cultures and times echoes around the world."

In the studio, all of us seek personal /spiritual growth and study the connections between world civilizations past and present. We pursue a variety of spiritual paths such as Japanese Tea Ceremony, Sufism, the Christian tradition, Yoga and others that feed our souls. We share on a daily basis our thoughts, inspirations and prayers. We have many lively exchanges about projects and organizations we want to interface and network with.

To learn more about K Robins and our close staff of family and friends, we invite you to Meet Our Staff.

The Process Behind K Robins Symbolic Jewelry

While working with the famous flute maker, Patrick Olwell , K learned how to carve her designs in wax and cast them in silver, just as Patrick made silver keys for his Renaissance flutes. This technique, the lost wax casting method, allowed K's designs to be put into production for the world to see. Thus, The K Robins Symbolic Jewelry Collection was born.

K often begins carving the wax with little preliminary drawing. She works for weeks, months or sometimes years before a piece completely manifests into being. K searches within the wax, 'finding the lines'. All of the research, contemplation and inspiration distills into a process of adding and removing wax until the qualities she is looking for emerge. K has a unique ability to infuse jewelry with the energy and impact usually reserved for large -scale sculpture. With precision tools and a magnifying visor, K will tease out of the wax the spirit of a warrior, the passion of a mother, and the wisdom of a healer.

Achieving her vision in wax, K will have a master cast in sterling silver. She then works with the silver master, grinding and polishing the finish details. Once the master is perfected, a mold is created and the piece is put into production. When she sits down to write a card about the piece, K uses the same simplification method used with the carving, taking away (not this, not this) until the essence appears (ah, this!).

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Apprentices 2007 and 2008

Ailey Greig worked with us during the summer of 2007 and left to attend Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan in the fall.

Eli Chanin is studying Reike along with other esoteric arts and is currently on retreat at the Meher Baba Center in South Carolina. We hope to have him back in the shop doing finishing this fall.

Our Past Staff

Deborah Justice (Justice) has moved on to pursue her own career in art. Her experience as a professional artist and a craftswoman is reflected on our website and in our designs from 2006 (Namaskara Mudra, Gratitude, Shou Butterfly and Trigram Turtle). These designs are collaborations between K and Justice. Her keen eye for art and enthusiasm for this business is already missed. Keep an eye out for progressive and visionary art from Justice Galactica. Find out more about Justice at www.nelsoncountylovechild.com.

Gerry Riddick-Bernard has been an inspiration to the business, helping out with overall office management and many, many projects. She has taken a teaching job in the school system and is no longer here except in spirit. Many of you have spoken with her over the years as our in-house representative. Gerry and K have shared a long-time friendship immersed in the wonderful abundance and community of Nelson County. We are keeping her on staff as advisor. " The fact that K’s jewelry touches a deep core of empowerment - reminding people of aspects of themselves (and verily all life) that they wish to celebrate, evoke, and multiply - is a delight. The spring of ancient symbols, women’s spirituality, nature, archetypes, and creative vision echos the divine. "