By his freshman year at Fairmont State College, he was sold on that notion, so he withdrew from his classes and hit the road to find himself and his passion. He ultimately landed on the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay.

 

“I dropped out of college and took off hitchhiking to California. I arrived in Berkeley, Calif. with just a backpack,” said Kelley, who grew up at Maple Lake. “I was living as a hippy on the street.”

 

His first attempt at a livelihood was selling tie-dye Ts. Soon, he hooked up with a couple of guys who taught him how to dig stones in the Tucson dessert.

 

Fast forward 40 years and Kelley has a very successful career as a jeweler, crafting pieces from hand-dug natural stones and repurposed native materials from around the world – which he retrieves in person.

 

Known for the past 30 years as Shano Kelley, the 1971 BHS graduate couldn’t be happier. And his earrings, pendants, rings and bracelets tell a shining story of following dreams and seeking self-sufficiency.

 

“I never started out to be a jeweler,” said Kelley, who bases his business out of Boulder, Colorado. “It truly has been a profession which has allowed me to explore a creative process. It’s a wonderful benefit that it’s been lucrative.”

 

Those who shop online or at street fairs across the country where Kelley peddles product can choose turquoise from Arizona or Tibet - or sassy Dalmatian Jasper, among a number of other precious stones. Other pieces are crafted of Japanese or Egyptian porcelain or bronze and brass, some boasting a whimsical flare. 

 

Featuring angular and curvy designs in sterling or gold – all with detailed finishing - Kelley’s pieces make a definite statement. It’s hard to believe the whole process was self-taught, with the exception of one very early lesson from a fellow street artist.

 

“In 1975, I set up next to a silversmith named Neil. In exchange for some of my cut stones, he showed me how to make my first ring,” Kelley said. “That was my only lesson in 39 years.”

 

There were a series of art enthusiasts and inspirers who helped mold Kelley’s fate. Included is a couple who persuaded him to move on from his tie-dye products to a unique handicraft.

 

“In Berkeley, I ran into a couple making a living with leather straps,” Kelley said. “They had turned a box of straps – about $20 worth – into a million-dollar business.”

 

He followed that advice when he followed a pair of natural stone diggers to the Arizona dessert. From there, he ventured throughout the Southwest.

 

“Back then there used to be little books – “Gem Trails of Arizona” – published in the late ‘60s with hand-drawn diagrams and treasure maps,” he said. “I dug all through Arizona and California.”

 

While honing his digging skills, Kelley also developed cutting and polishing techniques. Before long – using a discarded Volkswagon windshield as his showcase – Kelley began displaying and selling his self-created wares. And shortly thereafter, he took to the road in a Ford Econoline van, which served as both his mobile store and home.

 

Along the way, he met Mukara Meredith, who he married in 1980. A few years later, he adopted the Tibetan spiritual name, “Shano.”

 

“That really worked out well in the art world,” he said. “It’s more of an art name than Chuck.”

 

Kelley’s line, “Shano Jewelry,” was born in 1975. He started out as a San Francisco street artist.

 

“Thirty-nine years later, I’m still doing outdoor art shows all over America and a series of winter shows in Florida,” he said.

 

At the top of my game, Kelley was doing 35 shows per year.

 

His work with Shano Jewelry and Mukara’s work in group dynamic development through spiritual and contemporary psychology takes the couple all over the world. Kelley has been doing some teaching on the side with Mukara’s company, “MatrixWorks.”

 

This year, they journeyed to Japan, Spain, Portugal and twice to Brazil.

 

Through the years, the couple has visited a host of other countries. In each, Kelly has discovered the ideal place to locate geographic treasures.

 

“Brazil is known for tourmalines, aquamarines and citrines and from my friends in Jaipur, I get my moonstones,” Kelley said. “When I go to Beijing, Tibet or Bangkok, I hit the back roads and go to street merchants in the antique districts. There are nighttime markets and that’s where you find treasures beyond what you find in commercial markets.”

 

Through time, he has developed much knowledge about native materials and designs preferred by those of various cultures. Three years ago, he experienced one of his biggest industry breaks when, in addition to natural stones, he began making jewelry of various components – repurposing items such as dishes, buttons and cufflinks.

 

“What this has done is give me potential to create lines of jewelry catering to specific genres,” Kelley said.  “Now creating oriental, Russian and other specific lines, I can approach venues such as museum gift shops.”

 

That individualized focus, along with increased online sales, has allowed Kelley to cut back his street shows to about 25 per year. Traditionally included is West Virginia University’s Mountaineer Week, which annually celebrates West Virginia culture. He will be there in Morgantown Nov. 1-3.

 

Kelley made mention of two very important people in his jewelry line.

 

“Tonya Goodwin has been with me for 25 years. She’s been on board while also dancing,” he said. “Tom Finneran is a professional cutter. He cuts a lot of my stones and has been working with my porcelains, cutting all my dishes for me.”

 

Kelley still digs some of his own stones in the Crystal Fields of Arkansas. That element of his work is quite nostalgic. He is constantly reminded how blessed he has been to discover an innate talent and passion.

 

He credits both his independent spirit and the era during which he put it into action.

 

“That period was a magical time to be out there exploring. That streak of independence and where it came from allowed me to be adventurous. It just opened a lot of doors,” he said. “It has been an incredible blessing to be able to maintain freedom in my life. In the early ‘70s, I was a vagabond, traveling to see the world.”

 

To those pondering an unconditional livelihood, Kelley advises perseverance. It took many years to develop his art to the point where it started being money producing. The business was really a side product of the dream chasing.

 

“It was an incredibly magical journey for so many years, it didn’t seem like livelihood,” he said.

 

Shano Kelley is the younger brother of Becky Kelley (now Becky Walker) and is the older brother of Pam and Tammy Kelley, twins who graduated from BHS in 1977.

 

"My brother is a very creative artist and also very generous," said Pam "Pidge" Kelley Taylor. "I have a drawer full of his jewelry - pretty much the only jewelry I wear." 

 

 

Visit Shano Jewelry at www.shanojewelry.com.