In creating beauty and works of art, every journey begins with a vision in the artist’s imagination and lots of creativity. Add to that a translation of the vision that lives in the artist’s head, change it into the reality of an actual 3-D physical item and you have a doodad of a fantastic whatcha-ma-call-it. Voila! In two easy sentences, the millennia of artists’ efforts are condensed into a seemingly simple process of blatant artistic alchemy.

Local Outer Banks artist Carson Davis remembers blurting out her magical brain tornado of creativity to her art instructor. Her answer for the assigned project of creating a wearable piece of 3-D artwork? “An eyeglass umbrella!” She remembered hearing her own voice. Then she recoiled in a panic it gave her. But her instructor thought the idea was brilliant. So Carson spent the next seven months with three hundred pairs of eyeglasses, drilling and connecting them together with steel wire, to form a dome-shaped umbrella of sparkling optical spectacle. (Yes, I put a dollar in the pun jar!)

This outrageous project changed Ms. Davis’s life. She realized she had enough creativity, imagination, and moxie to become a jewelry artist. To paraphrase Carson Davis: she wanted to create something that was different from what others were making.

She wanted to push the limit of what was considered fashionable. And she wanted her jewelry to impart a sense of confidence, be comfortable to wear, have an edgy style, and to be affordable and accessible to everyone. The creation of Dvandva Designs was brought to life.

As we all know, the universe works in mysterious ways, and big rumblings were looming for Ms. Davis’s horizon. During her trial and error artistic experimentation, Carson came across a heat technique to manipulate gorgeous patinas out of her metals. Her work soared in popularity on her Instagram site. Out of the ether, she was contacted by Erryn Moreno of GBK Productions

who invited her to participate in a “gifting lounge” for the pre-Oscars event. On a shoestring and some prayers, Carson succeeded in a fantastic launch of her designs for some of Hollywood’s Oscar glitterati, including the living legend, Cicely Tyson, who adored her work.

Carson Davis is a Manteo, North Carolina girl, born and bred, through and through. For three generations, Manteo Middle School, and then Manteo High School produced the community’s students into citizens.

Children’s children’s children passed through the hallways of education there. Carson’s own grandfather began their family’s heritage in the school. To honor that community heritage, Ms. Davis wanted to somehow commemorate the school. She is announcing her most recent jewelry creations of Manteo Mementoes.

Carson says it best from her heart: “More than a school, this building was a character in all of our stories – the good, the bad, and the uneventful.

So to commemorate this fulcrum in our community, I have partnered with a local resin Outer Banks artist and Manteo alumnus, Josh Jones, to create a permanent reminder of the ties that hold this community together.” They have mixed bricks with resin and set them in silver to “create the finest pieces of Manteo memorabilia that we could imagine.” Creations include two styles of rings, key rings, pendants, and others. Great gifts for the holidays!

Dvandva Designs are available at The Gypsy Cupboard and Cloud 9 in Manteo. Or order on the website: dvandvadesigns.com

Rebecca Orr, your intrepid author, is an optimistic, transplanted Midwesterner who loves all things Outer Banks. Iowa or North Carolina, we share the same American heart. These are my tales.

RKOrrWriter@gmail.com