Black widows to jewelry: Tucson artist transforms black widows into wearable works of art

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — On the eastside of Tucson, Natasha Nathan’s backyard is home to more than twenty black widow spiders, and a whole lot of creativity.

Her brand is called PunkyBoy, a small jewelry business where her designs are inspired by the spiders she raises and other critters. The process is intentionally sustainable. “They’ll generate new egg sacks and I collect them and then I let them hatch and put them back on the property,” she says.

Her work blends curiosity, artistry, and deep respect for the environment. “I’m not like a spider aficionado, you know. I’m passionate about just learning and doing and creating. It’s like artist is in my DNA.”

Athena Kehoe

She doesn’t take her role lightly, especially when it comes to how people perceive black widows. While her work is inspired by them, she’s careful not to glamorize risky behavior. “The more we make it look okay to play with them, the more people get hurt.”

Though black widows are venomous, Nathan says they are rarely a threat unless provoked, and often stay completely hidden during the day. “They are misunderstood. If you see a black widow, call me. But they don’t want anything to do with you. You’re not gonna see them, by the way, except for at night.”

Athena Kehoe

Her home in Tucson is surrounded by what she describes as “thousands and thousands of insects and critters.” For her, the spiders are just one small but beautiful part of the ecosystem.

“That’s my passion,” she says, “It’s just creating and doing. If I’m not creating, I’m, like, withdrawing.”

PunkyBoy

She explains it's important to treat the critters with respect, “So as long as I’m careful, I don’t put my fingers near their mouth, I respect them, you know I just open the container, feed it, close it."

You can find some of her jewelry products for sale here, or she recommends people email her at punkyboyjewelelry@gmail.com with any questions about some of the jewelry.

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Athena Kehoe is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Athena by emailing athena.kehoe@kgun9.com or by connecting on X/Twitter.