STYLE Myth Meets West

Lynette Miller’s jewelry is ripe with symbolism. Her pins, pendants, earrings and belt buckles Juxtapose images of mythology-inspired goddesses with wildlife figures from her family’s South Texas ranch. The resulting collection mingles the surreal with the decidedly real. Miller’s strong and simple goddess figures are minimalistic, yet capture the essence of the female form. Her animal bolos and buckles are detailed down to the creases in an elephant’s ears and the ridges in a deer’s horns. “The goddesses are more abstract,” says Miller, “while the animals are precise. It’s a great challenge to do both, and very centering for me.” The wildlife images are new, but the goddesses represent a recurring theme in her work. After monthlong travels to Peru and Crete, Miller began sketching primitive figures of women, which first appeared in her oil and watercolor paintings. “All of my works feed on each other. They don’t collide,” says Miller, whose paintings are represented by Rossi Gallery in Dallas. “I think of myself as an artist doing sculptural pieces rather than as a jeweler.” Miller’s sterling silver jewelry Is individually cast and finished and can be found at Stanley Korshak, Translations at The TieCoon and the DMA museum shop. Earrings start at about S50; bolos, $130; belt buckles, $130; pins and pendants, $60. Also available in gold plate and 18 karat.