Lisa Svedberg
Lisa Svedberg, designs the artwork, the eye appeal, the “embellishments,” that adorn our
Svenska line for fly rods. Custom reel seats, unique stripping guides, hand crafted winding
checks, beautifully wrapped and varnished windings, and anything that makes this line of fly
rods even more aesthetically pleasing, highly valued and collectable are all because of her
artistry and craftsmanship. I still design and make the bamboo “blank,” install the grip and
reel seat. I make the rod function as it should, she makes it a collectable work of art. A little
background:
I have known Lisa Svedberg for my entire life. When we were kids we lived next door to
each other. Our fathers were best friends and made wildlife movies together. Because of
their influence we were always exploring the woods and fields around our very rural
neighborhood. While I tended to be more into trees and finding secret places, Lisa had a
different passion. She became a “rock hound” and found great enjoyment in searching for
quartz crystals. She then sold these “diamonds” from a small table at the end of her parents
driveway!
Her love for the outdoors and beautiful natural materials led her first to the Worcester Art
Museum School and then to the Worcester Center for Crafts in Massachusetts, where she
focused on creating metalwork and jewelry that would showcase the incredible world of
natural crystals and gemstones.
Lisa has over 45 years of experience in creating high carat gold and platinum jewelry. Her
pieces are inspired from an amalgam of extensive travels and study of the art and
architecture of ancient civilizations. She has developed an original style of hand crafted
sculptural designs, incorporating quartz specimens, Australian opal, South Sea pearls,
tourmaline and tanzanite, among other gems, created especially for the discerning jewelry
collector.
I think her passion for searching for difficult to find beautiful rocks, gems, and crystals
somehow ended up making her beautiful works of art difficult to find. When she first went
into business it was pre internet and like most great artists she spent her time making art
rather than marketing her work. Despite this fact people gradually discovered her amazing
work and when they found out how difficult it was to acquire these one at a time handmade
custom pieces, they began searching New England’s top tier coastal galleries where her
work was most likely to be found. For many years she lived and worked in the midcoast
area of Maine. Her original Athenae, Inc. designs https://athenaeart.com, whether it’s a 22
karat gold custom one-of-a-kind collectible, or a piece from her 18 karat gold collection can
still be found if you look hard enough, but because she now resides and works in
Lewisburg, West Virginia, her jewelry is more easily obtained by visiting the Virtue Gallery at
the Greenbrier Resort. https://www.virtuatthegreenbrier.com (note: there is still a wait time
for custom work.)