Bacon a real work of art for Central IL artist
Springfield artist Suzanne Schmid creates jewelry from meat, especially bacon.
Kay Shipman
Published: Jan 27, 2012
A strip of bacon may be a tasty work of art to some people. Springfield artist Suzanne Schmid also sees something beautiful that is worth preserving. Say as a belt buckle, earrings, or cuff links.
That’s right -- Schmid, the daughter of a California cattle rancher, creates jewelry from meat, especially bacon. She sells much of her bacon jewelry through custom orders from online websites.
Her creations also may be seen at www.zanneavenue.com or at the Blue Door Gallery, 214 S. Sixth St., Springfield.
“The world of new and inventive ways to use the all-purpose bacon continues to surpass even my imagination,” said Jim Kaitschuk, executive director of the Illinois Pork Producers Association.
Schmid, a sculpture major in college, remembered the first time she thought of meat as potential art material. The iridescent sheen on a package of roast beef caught her eye and it “snowballed into my love affair with meat in art,” she said with a laugh.
Work as a photojournalist led Schmid to Springfield while jewelry and art were a sideline business. Over the past several years, she became a full-time artist and began creating bacon jewelry one year ago.
Some of the public is surprised, even skeptical, about Schmid’s declaration that her work is made with genuine cooked bacon preserved in resin. “They’re shocked at first, ‘No way.’ Then, ‘Oh, it’s awesome,’” she said.
Her bacon buckle is the most popular seller among men and women. Women also favor her bacon rings, she added.
When Schmid first ventured into the world of bacon jewelry, she tried using raw bacon with resin, but her artwork became too aromatic after two weeks.
“Somehow the power of raw meat is greater than resin,” she explained. In desperation, she threw her creation into a boiling pot of water, and voila, problem solved.
Surprisingly, Schmid had not thought of tapping into her agricultural roots by marketing her jewelry to farmers.
“I wouldn’t have suspected the ag market would be interested,” she said.
Asked if she has any plans to expand her jewelry line into other meats, Schmid answered: “I’m always on the lookout for good-looking meats; but bacon is what people want.”
As for her rancher father’s view of his daughter’s creations, Schmid said she believes “he is secretly proud.”
After all, Schmid has proven that one man’s breakfast may be another man’s jewelry.
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