Billie Jean Theide

Billie Jean Theide lives and works in Champaign, Illinois, where she is chair of the metals program at the University of Illinois’ School of Art. She first worked with metal as a student in junior high school, when she created a pierced and soldered silver ring. She makes jewelry and teapots from a variety of metals, and often applies patina or enamel to the surface to create different colors. Theide is inspired by American landscapes and wants her pieces to evoke the same sense of drama and timelessness as the imposing land formations of the West.