Biography:
Pat Gullett is a life long artist and teacher. The jewelry: flashes of insight create the strongest pieces as she casts, stamps, forges, and molds ancient languages and symbols into gold and silver, often augmented with 33 million yr old sea fossils and earth gemstones.
The Prints came before the jewelry, from original mixed media paintings sold in the Chicago area. The images are from my inner journeys and the dreamtime.
A Chicago native, life changes transitioned her to the east coast in 2001, changing her focus from mixed media paintings to jewelry and now, to comprehensive life changing workshops. Trips to Santa Fe, the Caribbean, Turkey and Greece continue to influence her work. She lives with her husband in the luscious woods of Connecticut, creating and teaching from her inspirational home/studio.
My work is expanding beyond the jewelry to Practicing the Creative Life Workshops. Each deals with a focus about life, a demo of some art technique or material with a hands-on original art project being created by each participant, and a writing formula to tell the story about the piece. I'm hoping to create on line classes, and extend all the possibilities for each participant on the journey to rediscover and ignite their passion. It's a fun, magical journey, creating a shared fellowship of likeminded creators.
Wabi Sabi Saturdays presents an aspect of the ancient Japanese life practice of Wabi Sabi, with each participant then creating a piece of art about the concept. It's a fun gathering where everyone is an adventurer, immersing themselves in new art techniques, and reveling in their own one of a kind work of art.
Education: BFA- University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
MA Interdisciplinary Art-Columbia College Chicago
Teaching:Creative Life workshops held in my Home/Studio, New Milford, Ct
Brookfield Craft Center-9yrs as jewelry instructor 2001-2010
22 yrs art teaching experience in Chicago area high schools
Columbia College-instructor in MAT graduate school
Published Work:
Work highlighted in Amulets and Talismansby Robert Dancik, 2009
Work also in Pure Silver Metal Clay Beads by Linda Kaye Moses, 2009
Work also in the PMC Annual 2010, by Tim McCreight
Art Jewelry Magazine, step by step articles July 2005, Nov. 2008, gallery Sept. 2011
"Jaguar Wisdom" cover of a book by the same name, and "Bearheart" cover for the book Animal Magick, both publishied by Llewellyn Press.
Art for the deck of cards and book "Jewels of the Lotus" written by Dawn Silver.
Artists Statement
The jewelry combines gold, silver, brass, semi-precious stones, fossils, and found objects into metaphors for the Journey of life. Inspired by ancient civilizations, the goddess, mythic creatures, enigmatic codes, and symbolic languages, I create touchstones from the past to intrigue and guide us to our futures. Ancient memories become wearable fine art, giving direction and focus on our Personal Journeys.
The Prints are images of my original mixed media paintings created before the jewelry. The originals were sold at Art Fairs and Galleries in the Chicago area, in private collections from North America to Europe. Some are off set limited editions, signed and numbered, while others are open editions printed with archival inks on archival paper. The images come from my dreams and shaman journeys, the inner landscape, created with oil pastel, acrylic, prismacolor, and gouache. New images will be coming as I again expand my horizons to incorporate various techniques into mixed media art.
Art is the ultimate visualization to creating the life of your dreams! Practicing the Creative Life takes each participant on an inner journey to rediscover them Selves in a completely new manner. The total immersion experience of working with various media, surrounded by inspirational music, and connecting with like-minded explorers, changes each life in unique ways. Cumulative techniques along with cumulative life concepts create an Art Practice that can propel each person forward, armed with a rich treasure trove of resources for life.
Wabi Sabi Saturdays are a taste of the above, with an art project being completed based on some Wabi Sabi concept.
Life is Magic, and Art is its Alchemy!
Wear some Magic!!
The Collectibles and Antiques provide art decor to live with in your home. Surround yourself with your unique favorite things to reflect who you really are.