GOD, TEXAS, FAMILY:
Richard Schmidt’s Roots Run Deep By JACKIE BENTON Photography courtesy of RICHARD SCHMIDT
T
o wear jewelry by Richard Schmidt is to wear a little bit of the history and personal experiences of the jewelry designer’s life. Schmidt’s work stands out, summoning a unique balance between strong iconic images and subtle textures. Tooled metal evokes thoughts of the rugged Texas landscape, while dramatic religious figures bring to mind thoughts of the faith and grit required of settlers such as Schmidt’s forebears, who chose to homestead in this wild, untamed land. Schmidt’s dramatic designs have captured the eyes, hearts and imaginations of many, as well as celebrities such as Sheryl Crow, Steven Tyler, Mary Emmerling and Miranda Lambert. Each piece is reflective of the man who honors his German roots while embracing Native American and Mexican influences. In many ways, the stories that are told with Schmidt’s designs could be considered more than his own story — they are the stories of Texas itself. Growing up a fourth generation Texan in La Grange, Texas, Schmidt remembers looking forward to the annual summer trip to the family’s vacation home in Colorado. “We would always stop in Santa Fe or Albuquerque, and I remember as a kid wanting to stay there longer. It was the first time I saw turquoise, always set in silver, and that was my first introduction to Southwest design,” Schmidt recalls. Later, Schmidt’s parents purchased a jewelry store when he was in high school. At the time, Schmidt wasn’t interested in the family business. He was, however, very interested in art and 54
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discovered metalworking in college. “I have an art minor, and I found I really liked working with metals.” After graduating from college, Schmidt moved to El Paso, and rediscovered his childhood love of Southwest art. “I just found myself immersed in the old Mexican culture of the city,” he says. “Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) was not well known back then, and I was really taken with what a wonderful event it is. It’s a family day, with food and drink and a big celebration of the past life of a loved one. There’s a party and a parade and skeleton masks — it flows into old Catholic Church and Mexican history that I really love.” After living many years in El Paso, Schmidt and his wife Janet decided it was time to pack up and move back to La Grange, where they wanted to raise their family in Schmidt’s beloved small town. And, after moving back to his hometown, Schmidt approached his father and asked for help in pursuing his love of metalwork. “I really didn’t start doing jewelry until Janet and I moved back to La Grange. Dad reintroduced me to jewelry from the basics up, and through trial and error I started to do my own thing.” Schmidt’s “own thing” is a marvelous blend of a new look at the old Southwestern influences. Schmidt’s metalwork background from school and his father’s teachings have given him a firm foundation in jewelry benchwork. Drawing upon his past experiences has helped him create his signature jewelry. “It changes all the time,” Schmidt says. “Some days I’m working and all kinds of ideas pop into my head. Whenever we travel through West Texas and New Mexico, I get a lot of energy. We’ll be out there about a week, and I can’t wait to get home and start making jewelry. I get lots of positive energy and ideas there, and it’s great to get out of my normal element and recharge.” That inspirational time away makes Schmidt’s creative mind come alive when he returns. “It’s kind of weird: I start putting things together. My favorite pieces typically have a lot of balance and symmetry.” Of all his pieces, Schmidt confesses he enjoys working on cuffs the most. “I have a large surface area to tell a story,” he explains. “Sometimes it’s a crafted story, or I start with certain images or colors that I use for inspiration. My wife collects vintage religious medals from Europe. I often incorporate them with gold because they have gold tones, I set them in silver and embellish gold around them. I think gold and silver tones together create a perfect contrast. And obviously, I love working with turquoise and silver the most. It’s been my favorite since childhood.” And just as Schmidt’s father brought him into the family business, Schmidt will be continuing that tradition as his 25-year-old son, Tyler, joins him this year in his jewelry design business. Schmidt is looking forward to sharing the satisfaction and happiness his work brings him with his son. “I just love, love, love my work,” says Schmidt, “I’m happy and blessed that I can do this work every day.” v Find Richard Schmidt Jewelry Designs at Schmidt Jewelry in La Grange, The Gypsy Wagon in Austin, 259 in Boerne, Farmloft in Wimberley, Gunslinger in Bandera and Trends & Traditions in San Marcos. Or, visit his website at www.richardschmidtjewelry.com.
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