Pen Parks Andrishok
Silver Jewelry
Artist Bio
Pen Andrishok earned an MFA in multi-media from the University of Iowa. She has spent much of her career active in the field of conceptual art, so it's interesting that the artist would find herself working with traditional silver-smithing techniques in creating jewelry. Pen's fondness for her materials, however, has been life-long. "Silver has always been magical for me. As a child, I loved seeing the Native American jewelry being sold along the roads in the Southwest. The vibrant colors of turquoise, coral and lapis were beautiful to me." Learning about the healing and magical powers associated with these stones deepened the artist's appreciation for their natural beauty.
The unique qualities of each stone inspire Pen's design choices in creating customized settings. Hammering, hand-sawing, and soldering each piece of jewelry, her impeccable craftsmanship perfectly complements the loveliness inherent to the broad range of stones with which she works.