Mike Bird Romero didn't start his jewelry career until his early thirties. Prior, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps and spent several years as a salesman. This sales experience accustomed him to talking about and explaining his work to clients, something regular Romero followers have come to relish.
Serious collectors follow his jewelry waiting to see what he will do next. His booth at Santa Fe's Indian Market is proof of their enthusiasm; it is often 12-people deep with buyers scrambling to see and collect his new work.
As a young boy, Romero observed other jewelers hard at work. Ultimately however Mike Bird is a self-taught artist who possesses a mind that never ceases to absorb and process knowledge.
His use of stones and metal, predominantly sterling silver, create simple and dramatic necklaces, earrings, bracelets, pins and other accessories. His sketches of the dynamic petroglyphs from the canyon walls of San Juan Pueblo (where he lives) and of Barrier Canyon in Utah enhance the mysticism and magic of his jewelry.
His work combines tradition and innovation. With the help of his wife Allison, Romero also researches antique pieces of Native American jewelry, collects and repairs them. Replicating styles from the past, like replicating the Masters, gives an artist the knowledge to create his own contemporary work.
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