Giftbearer http://giftbearer.etsy.com is the ETSY shop of jewelry artist Pippit Carlington. Pippit is a woman who draws inspiration from nature and from cultures close to the earth, working in a style she describes as "Contemporary Tribal." With over 23 years experience working with metals, gems and fibers, Pippit has mastered the tools and techniques of these mediums and moved beyond technique into expression that is deeply symbolic to Pippit and inspiring to those moved by her work.
The "Early Budding Vine" bracelet above illustrates Pippit's perfection of technique in service of a subtle and elegant form. The continuous bangle bracelet is a hollowform, making it lightweight and comfortable on the wrist. Pippit painted layers of silver clay slip on to a real vine, then baked it in a kiln, leaving behind .999 pure silver. The piece is set with gem-quality Chrysoprase 'buds'. It has a light patina; just enough to highlight the grooves and natural curves and twists of the vine, while still showing the lightly brushed silver underneath.
The bracelet above, "Hemlock Wreath Reflecting Mountain Stream," is densely woven of seed beads 'branches' with quartz crystal briolettes and tiny sterling beads, that appeared in "Bead & Button" magazine's Community's Forum Challenge #12 "Cool Water".
Describing her process Pippit has said, "I approach each piece as a living being with a soul. If I can convey this essence to the viewer and have it speak to them on a deeper level then I have done what I've set out to do. I want my work to be more than merely an accessory, but something treasured with special meaning to the buyer, not necessarily in words, but in the same way you know it when it's true love."
Pippit describes her "Many Muses" gemstone necklace above as symbolizing the "many muses we take with us on our path each day, the hearts of those who love us and inspire us tucked away for safe-keeping as amulets for good luck." You can see additional work by Pippit at her Flickr Photostream: http://www.flickr.com/people/giftbearer/ and at SmashingDarling where you can find a selection of her "Rain Stick" necklaces http://www.smashingdarling.com/store/1882. Shortly her work will also be available at Mindt: http://www.mintd.com/stores/show/148-Giftbearer
Pippit is sensitive to many political and social issues, and uses her art and her example as a socially engaged artist to educate.
She developed the psychosocial rehabilitation program "Artvision" in which she mentored artists with mental illness. Pippit taught the participating artists to run an art-based business, preparing them to earn money through their talents. The project was fully self-supporting, operating without government funding.
Combining entreprenurial energy with artistic vision, Pippit founded and continues to lead ETSY's "Art Jewelry Collective Street Team" which you can learn about at http://artjewelrycollective.blogspot.com/ and http://artjewelrycollective.wordpress.com/
Her most recent endeavor is the innovative marketing plan "The 90 Features in 90 Days Challenge" in which this blog participates. You can read Pippit's in-depth features in her blog "Art Life News Blog" http://artlifenewsblog.blogspot.com/
