Little Toro Designs
Palm frond shadows, meticulously built anthills, lizard skin patterns, the texture of an alley-side wall, the outline of a nesting dove, the ephemeral nature of a tangerine and fuchsia infused sunset - everyday minutiae - these things interest and inspire me. I love to roam my urban neighborhood and observe. Sometimes I write a haiku, sometimes I translate the shape of a rock or pod into something that can be worn. I dabble in a variety of crafts, but metal smithing is my passion, and I am always striving to improve my skills to better represent my flights of fancy. My work is handcrafted with quality sourced materials using traditional smithing techniques in my little home studio. Jewelry and other decorative objects and hangings are included in my collection. Thank you for dropping by - I hope you find a piece that resonates with you.
~ Tawney
Tawney Weir | Metalsmith Jewelry Artist
Tawney Weir is a metalsmith jewelry artist based in the the dusty brown town of Tucson, AZ, which lies on the ancestral land and territories of the Indigenous O’odham and Yaqui people. Like many creators who live and work in the Tucson area, she is influenced by the Sonoran Desert - color, form, line, and shadow - but also finds the cultural fabric of the community to be equally inspiring, as well as the simplicity of Modernist art and design, which harmonize so well in this geographical environment.
She is the owner and sole fabricator at Little Toro Designs and works primarily in metal - sterling silver, brass, and enameled copper - but has been experimenting with hand dying textiles and watercolors. She characterizes her style as minimal/maximal and loves to take simple shapes and designs and elevate them with size and color. A technique she specializes in is enameling, the fusing of glass particles to metal with high heat. She loves a modern mood and enamel lends a colorful vintage vibe.
Little Toro Designs is committed to social equity and justice and donates monthly to The Loveland Foundation - a national funding organization that provides financial assistance to Black women and girls seeking therapy. Black lives matter. Indigenous lives matter. LBGTQIA lives matter.
