About

FRAN BATTENDIERI

ARTIST AND CREATOR OF ONE OF A KIND FINE COUTURE JEWELRY

From her studio overlooking beautiful Soquel Creek, Fran becomes immersed in her natural surroundings. She says: "I am inspired by art in contour and texture, nature, and the colors that surround me. Every piece of jewelry is designed by myself and is 'one of a kind'. I primarily work with natural materials, Bones of the Earth. Quartz Crystals, Chalcydney, Sea and Fresh Water Pearls, Amber, Chrysoprase, Blue and Pink Topaz, Lemon Citrine, Abalone, Amethyst, and many more. I also have collaborated with Vince Broglio, surf board glasser and Sculptor with his Resin Art, and James Beckett, Wood Sculptor."

Fran, who has been a resident of Santa Cruz County for twenty five years, spent her youth in a home filled with art and family in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Her mother, Trudy McGaffney Dixon, was Fran's earliest inspiration and an accomplished watercolorist who studied with Carolyn Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth's sister, and was well known for her paintings in the style of "Magic Realism".

Fran's abilities blossomed as she studied fine art and jewelry design at several schools on the east and west coasts. Her skills in combining shape, color, and texture as expressions of herself became a career when she created and displayed custom painted clothing in Key West, Florida.

She continued to build upon her success with journeys into commercial illustration, furniture design, and as a design consultant for an architectual firm. This past decade has found Fran focusing on her enduring personal passion for fine women's jewelry.

COMMUNITY

Her life includes a number of active civic and volunteer roles. She has served as co-curator for the Santa Cruz Cancer Benefit Group's "Spring Forward Against Cancer" Art Auction. Fran also participates in many local causes including Hospice, Jacob's Heart, and the Dominican Hospital Foundation Guild.