Swamp Ape Studios is the brainchild of Lawrence Barker. Lawrence produces jewelry (metal clay, metalsmithing, and pieces that use both techniques) that reflect his unique design aesthetic, one that has been described as ‘archeological dig chic’. Many, although not all, of the products of Swamp Ape Studios honor the traditions of the ancient past, drawing inspiration from Norse, Baltic, Classical, and Native American (among others) traditions. While Lawrence sells his jewelry, he also wants to help you with your own jewelry making. Our blog section will include both projects and tips. Our gallery section includes examples of work in what we modestly 😉 call ‘Swamp Ape Style’.

Lawrence plans on setting up a sales site on this website. That isn’t active yet. Until it is, visit Swamp Ape Studios’ shops at Etsy and craftisart.com.

Why ‘swamp ape’? Lawrence now lives in Atlanta, but he used to live in Florida. As you might or might not know, Florida has it’s own legendary hairy hominid, Bigfoot’s first cousin called the ‘swamp ape’ (as well as other, less savory names). Lawrence enjoyed the stories of the swamp ape. When he founded his jewelry line, Lawrence decided that the swamp ape deserves some recognition. Why should sasquatch get all the glory? 😉

Swamp Ape Studios logo by Julia Morgan-Scott (juliamorganscott.com).