Artist Portrait of Emily Cobb

I am a jewelry designer and maker utilizing digital technology and traditional fabrication techniques to make my work. My most recent jewelry pieces are inspired by the physical and psychological change that occurs with the passing of time. By imagining another reality in which animals show signs of aging in unusual ways, I explore both the appealing and destructive results of this process.

I received my Master of Fine Arts in Metals/Jewelry/CAD-CAM from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and am a founding member of JV Collective, a collaborative jewelry group, based in South Philadelphia. In 2017, I accepted a full-time assistant professor position in Jewelry and Small Metals at Humboldt State University in California.

1: When do you feel most creative

I feel the most creative when I wake up in the morning and drink a cup of coffee. I think the caffeine and my high-energy level at the beginning of the day makes me feel a strong burst of creative energy. However, most of my new ideas are formulated just before I fall asleep at night, when I’m lying in bed. I have a notebook next to my bed I jot ideas onto, then in the morning I figure out the details.

2: What do you need to be most effective in your work.

This is a question I think I am always seeking the answer to. But it always boils down to time, and money. Or just time. Or just money, depending on the day. Those are the two resources that make all the difference on whether an idea can come to life.

3: What do you do when you’re stuck

When I’m stuck, I go to the library. I love libraries and browsing through random isles of books. I am lucky to teach at a university that still has physical books. There are new libraries without books or robots that find the book you want from the basement. When I’m stuck, its because I don’t know where my inspiration will come from, so I need the spontaneity and randomness of just wandering through the stacks.

4: Where do you nd your inspiration

Other than libraries, I find inspiration anywhere I find stories, memories, and folklore. I love Aesop’s fables, mother goose, and other books that use animals to describe the human condition. I think animals have always been used to symbolize the weaknesses and strengths in humans, and I find that interesting.

5: Who’s your favorite artist

I’ll cheat a bit and say my favorite artist couple is Helen Britton and David Bielander. I had the amazing opportunity to visit their artist studio the last time I was in Munich and it was a life-changing experience. They are role models to me.