Who is Pink Gargoyle (or maybe what?)

Well, I guess I am - but there really is a pink gargoyle and he comes to all my shows.  His name is Victor.  He is named for Victor Hugo.  Hugo is my rotund pug who reminds me of a gargoyle when his rolls are hanging down when he's on his back.  Paris made a big impression on me in my teens.  And I love gargoyles - smiling ones.  I have numerous ones in my home and they all have names.  Salvatore sits on my work table in my studio, and Guido watches over all of us.  I rub his head for luck. 

Ultimately, I am a mom of two who left a stressful corporate lifestyle after 20 years to be a SAHM, dislikes housework, did some catering and then randomy bought an jewelry craft kit one day.  Pink Gargoyle was born within weeks and I started doing shows within months.  Clueless, I kept at it - learning new techniques and figuring out what I wanted to say.  Four years in, I think I got it figured out.  I still have more to learn to get my art to where I want it to be, but I am very happy with my work right now and feel blessed that I spent that first 10 bucks.

Here's the 'official' artist statement:

  Soldering is painting with silver. I love watching the molten metal flow over the swirls and patterns that I have laid out. Like watching the slow process of lava seek its path down the side of a volcano, the movement of solder  as it finds its footing and stays to rest is calming and beautiful.  I push its  boundaries. With patience and skill, I challenge the solder to fill larger and  larger gaps, to create more abstract patterns. To create something solid out of  the space between. To join a juxtaposition of elements into  something unified  and beautiful.

The other side of the coin are the added elements that are incorporated into each unique piece of jewelry. I am happiest at the beach. The feel of sand running through my fingers, the smoothness of the rocks, driftwood, and shells that wash up on shore. I have a lifelong fascination with pearls. I’ve always worn them, collected them. Their lustre and beauty from such an unglamourous start is captivating to me. I love the feel and beauty of glass as well. Again, it is amazing to me that in ancient times, something as simple as sand could be transformed into a thing of beauty. Many of my designs feature something of the sea – glass, shells, pearls – something that shimmers with the lustre of the waves, something that came from the shore. These pieces connect me back to quietly sitting on the beach and simply being there.

I feel that each of one of my pieces of jewelry reflect a quiet beauty. The design can be striking, but at its core, it is about the small details that capture the closeness of one’s attention. Come closer, take the time to see,
and  know that each detail is there to not just make a pretty bauble, but to reflect  back the beauty of the wearer.