Pattie Phipps - Jewelry Artist: About the Artist

I began jewelry making in 2001 in San Diego after wandering into The Shepherdess looking for leather cord to string on silver pendants that my partner and I imported from Mexico. After a quick lesson on attaching findings on a cord I noticed some jewelry samples for classes and expressed an interest in a beginning silver wire class. I found myself enrolled the next day in the silver wire class and I have never looked back.

I spent the next several years exploring various classes at The Shepherdess and then with Connie Fox. In February of 2005 I became an Art Clay Silver Certified Level I Instructor, under the tutelage of Jonna Faulkner, and have since made a commitment to expanding my knowledge about working with various media and finding different sources of inspiration everywhere I look. The goal is to help ensure that my artistic expression in making jewelry has balance between material, creativity and quality.

In 2005, to further stretch my abilities, I enrolled in a metalsmith class taught by Deb Jemmott which has opened new avenues in my style. I am a semi-retired graphic designer of over 25 years and currently have my own practice as a Holistic Health Practitioner 2-1/2 days a week and on the off days I am a wire jewelry artist and ACS designer. Currently I am a member of the Art Clay Society, Metal Arts Society of Southern California, and Bead Society Of San Diego County.

Current Aspirations
“This past few years I have expand my knowledge of felting purses and have been incorporating my jewelry designs into them with addorments made from Fine Silver. I am also opening up and sharing my knowledge of working with Fine Silver Metal Clays and teaching this medium to others both in Art Clay Silver® and in late fall of 2007, Precious Metal Clay®.” See classes availability at www.conniefox.com.

Gratitude and Acknowledgments
There are many people whom I am grateful to for contributing to my jewelry making skills and encouraging me along my journey through the creative process and finding balance in my life.

Cooky Schock - for introducing me to the world of wire working and her generous time spent with helping me make peace with bending wire.

Jonna Faulkner - for her generous spirit and enthusiasm for teaching Art Clay Silver. Without her guidance, support, and encouragement I think I might not have pursued the medium as thoroughly as I have done. She made the process of learning this art so much fun it was infectious.

Connie Fox - for her skilled and generous wire art instruction; many of the wire techniques present in my work I learned in her classes. Also for teaching me an endless array of in-teresting things to do with sheet metal and most of all for giving me permission to step out of my “safe” color zone of black, white and beige and experience the world of color! www.conniefox.com

Deb Jemmott - for introducing me to the wonderful and exciting world of metalsmith. This is an ongoing process of learning and exploring which has opened new opportunities for designing. I simply cannot get enough of her classes which I continue to soak up like a sponge. www.debjemmott.com

Charlie Warner - for her beautiful lamp-work beads which give me great inspiration for creations of jewelry. www.charliescreations.com

Pat Hill - my late best friend for her endless energy, devoted friendship and creativity, for always being an inspiration for me and her gallant fight with breast cancer. “He Ho’olaule ‘a no ke Ola o Patricia Hill, Pepuluali 8, 2001”

And most importantly - my husband, Rick - who has allowed me to spend endless hours late at night creating and most of all for letting me take over his work bench and garage to set up my studio!