Stu News Laguna, July, 2017
On July 11th, 2017, Stu News Laguna published an article “Adam Neeley: Painting with Gemstones” by Samantha Washer with photos by Mary Hulburt on their Front Page II” as a part of the recurring series Laguna Life and People. The article featured long-time Laguna Beach local, Adam Neeley. The write up follows the growth of Adam’s early gemstone passion into a successful career as a award-winning designer and goldsmith, as well as highlighting some key accomplishments , aspirations, and Adam’s artistic approach.
An excerpt from Stu News:
As his design aesthetic developed, Neely found his signature style. “I draw a lot of inspiration from nature,” he explains. “The curves of a flower blossom or the colors of a sunset. I do a modern interpretation of those kinds of things. I like clean, fluid lines that showcase the gemstones.” One of his goals is that his pieces are recognizable as an “Adam Neeley piece.”
“A lot of people get stuck in trends. I’m sensitive to trends, but want to keep my aesthetic.” He sees his process as “painting with gemstones.” A particular favorite stone is tourmaline. It comes in so many colors,” he says enthusiastically. “I have these boxes filled with accent stones. I pour them out next to the main stone and see what harmonizes with it.”