STRIPES Merry-Lee Rae In 2016, I was invited to join the American Jewelry Design Council. The single most intriguing aspect of this new opportunity was the participation in yearly theme creations – challenging the members to produce objects inspired by a different theme each year and presented at group shows as a body of work. My work is narrative in nature as my technique (cloisonné enameling) lends itself to descriptive illustration. When the theme STRIPES was announced, I greeted the challenge with enthusiasm as it was quite obvious to me that my cloisonné voice was Tiger inspired. The designs I am compelled to make reflect my personal relationship with the environment. I am intrigued by the beauty and perfection in the animal kingdom, I am thrilled by the jewels that reside there and above all, I am awed by the responsibility of humankind to honor and protect the species of our planet. I feel somehow reassured that when you hold this piece in your hand, that you will know me. You will feel the reverence I have for this powerful creature. 34