Huffalo is…

As Huffalo, I create limited production, custom, and one-of-a-kind jewelry primarily utilizing vitreous enamel and copper, which is a process of fusing glass powder to metal with a kiln or torch. Traditional metalsmithing techniques like hammering, sawing, soldering, and etching are my foundation, as I strive to make everyday objects that are durable enough to be shared for generations.

Mark making, drawing, and sgraffito inform my imagery and line work, much of it inspired by landscapes, distilled from observation, and daydreamed from memories. I hope that my pieces can be a catalyst for a wearer’s own moments of reflection and joy. Jewelry is way to speak with the people around you without words, it is a vessel for identity, and a spark for connection.

Enamel was traditionally used for functional items like cookware and street signs, so it’s a sturdy material that can be cleaned with dish soap and water. Sterling silver ear wires can be polished or dipped in jewelry cleaner without effecting the enamel or copper. All my pieces are nickel free.

…made by Lindsay Huff.

The creative process is a study of juxtaposition, one rooted in intimacy and in improvisation. It is a balance between being reflective and being present, being certain and uncertain, and in finding clarity and calmness from chaos. I experience wonder and joy as humble metals and materials are transformed into objects that can be incorporated into someone else’s daily life and routines. It is an honor that something I make plays a part in the ritual of everyday life—a burst of color evoking a smile, a tiny moment of joy.

I have been working with metals and wearables since 1998, falling in love with the combination of technical skills and elaborate processes, first learning fabrication, soldering, and lost-wax casting as a teenager in middle and high school art classes through receiving my BFA with Honors in Metalsmithing in 2006. Immersed in the creative process where all the mental noise dissipates is a moment for joy, where I’m in touch with my intuition, and lost in the flow for hours. This craftsmanship was a starting point that gave structure to my ideas and unlocked creativity that so often is clouded by waves of anxiety and depression.

As a queer artist, wearables and jewelry provided me with an avenue to explore gender identity, and a way to consider how adornment aligns with communicating a sense of self. I wanted to make casual, durable jewelry that fit my own semi-androgynous aesthetic and could make sense with my everyday jeans and hoodies. I intend for my wearables to be meant for EVERYONE—folks of all identities in the broadest sense of the word. I choose to avoid photos of jewelry on humans as a practice of being more inclusive. I’m a queer person, but I’m also a white cis woman (she/her), and I think there are plenty of images of white women in the media already.

Alongside my production work, I began teaching jewelry making, metalsmithing, and enameling at community art centers in the Pittsburgh area in 2007, first teaching adults, and expanding to teach teens and children as well. I regularly teach through Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media (formerly Pittsburgh Filmmakers / Pittsburgh Center for the Arts), Artsmiths of Pittsburgh, and Contemporary Craft, and have previously taught at Sweetwater Center for the Arts, various locations of the Carnegie Libraries of Pittsburgh, and CCAC South Continuing Education. Since 2015, I have been a rostered teaching artist with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, expanding my teaching practice to include creating public, collaboratively-created sculptures and installations in school settings with students in 2nd grade through high school. I received a Teaching Artist Certificate from University of the Arts in Philadelphia in 2018.

As a metalsmith, I fuse art with science, ancient techniques with modern creativity, engineering with inspiration. My teaching practice creates a tangible way for students to see science in action, to express themselves through experimentation and creation, and to connect with centuries of ancient craftsmen as well as modern day artists. I believe strongly in an educational practice that celebrates multiple intelligences, builds self-esteem and confidence through play and problem solving, and brings a unique opportunity to explore a growth mindset through patience and practice.