Sketching plants and critters has been a hobby with Ali Wieboldt ever since she was a little girl.
In fact, it is a hobby, which she has now turned into a lucrative business that allows her to express her love of nature and her love of God in an unusual and elegant manner. Wieboldt makes one-of-a kind pieces of jewelry using materials that are all provided by nature.
Wieboldt grew up in the small town of Ivy, with nature as her main source of entertainment.
“We didn’t even have a television at home back then, and I still don’t today,” said the nature lover and artist. “My parents spent a lot of time outdoors as bird watchers and scientists, and I loved nature as much as they did.”
Sketching plants and critters became her favorite past time.
“I’m from a long line of artists. My sister, grandmother, grandfather, dad, my whole family were artists so I did art work instead of watching television.”
Still wondering which direction she wanted to go in with her art, upon graduating from James Madison University she transferred to the University of North Carolina. There she took every studio genre that was available including painting, drawing and jewelry thinking that she might get her certificate and teach.
After finishing her degree, she taught in Winchester for a while only to discover teaching just wasn’t for her.
“I just didn’t have what it takes to be in a classroom all day long,” she explained.
Somewhere between high school and college Wieboldt said she became a Christian so she prayed a lot about her career and what God would have her do.
“I looked at a lot of options for my life during that time and decided to go back to JMU for graduate school.” There she studied metal and jewelry and began to come up with ideas to put the two together. “Since I love science and nature, I started doing scrimshaw, which is a process where you etch images in metal and add ink.”
In 1990 Wieboldt went out west and spent lots of time looking at Indian jewelry which she found fascinating.
“I was really impressed with the combinations of materials used in making the jewelry I saw and just the whole process in general. So I came home and started painting birds and critters and ultimately developed a line of jewelry that allows me to express myself,” she said. “Somehow I wanted to share the wonder of God’s nature just as He created it.”
With such tools as a small hacksaw, very fine paint brush and acrylic paints, coupled with natural materials such as antlers, palm ivy, wood fossils, and gemstones, Wieboldt has created her own line of jewelry.
Some pieces are displayed in wooden shadow boxes or on wooden plaques while others are made to wear.
Most of the wearable pieces are in the form of pins some of which have tiny hinges so they can open. Others are hand-painted pendants. The thing that makes the jewelry so special is the fact that regardless of the nature of the piece, somewhere or other is is inscribed with a scripture verse oftentimes relating to nature.
Wieboldt, who now resides in Newport, was the speaker at the Too Young To Quit luncheon recently.
