Erin Hawley - October - The Purple Pomegranate

The Purple Pomegranate, a fine craft specialty store, is featuring work by Whitefish artist, Erin Hawley during the month of October. Erin is a 2012 graduate from the Goldsmithing and Jewelry Arts program at Flathead Valley Community College. She creates one of a kind jewelry that explores the story that stone and silver seem to speak together. Erin says "When building a piece of jewelry, I start with the stone, and then I build a visual story around it.  Some stories are short and sweet, some are universal, and some are very personal.  Everyday experiences become illustrations in a piece of jewelry that can be worn and remembered. Silver and stone can easily turn an ordinary story into an extraordinary one."

Erin has worked in silver for the past 4 years, gaining experience in fabrication, casting, wax carving, and stone setting. She works in sterling silver, 14karat gold, and bases her designs around artisan-cut cabochon stones. Erin uses high quality stones, gems, and metals that embody artisan quality jewelry. She likes to mimic Mother Nature, hiding inspired details where they are sometimes overlooked.  Using negative space and silhouetted images allows her to hide a story in the crevices and curves of her jewelry.  Like the natural world around her, Erin believes jewelry is meant to be explored. "Most of the stories I create in metal and stone are built upon a story I seem to hear most when I am outside, among wide open space and engulfing blue sky.  Nature reminds us over and over again, story after story, in every detail, that we are small too.  We are small, but our story is important."

Meet Erin during Whitefish Gallery Night, Thursday, October 4, 2012 from 6-9 PM. Erin's work will be displayed during the opening and throughout the month of October.