GAYLE WHITELEY MINJAREZ
CONTEMPORARY, UNIQUE, ART JEWELRY
A windy road has been my path, always leading back to the arts. As a design major I worked with metals and clay. For seven years I taught art classes in the public schools. When I relocated to Santa Barbara in the 70’s, art classes were being eliminated so I opened my studio. I became a potter and for the next 15 years I traveled coast to coast selling pottery at art festivals and galleries. I focused on large rake pots, heavy textures, spontaneous flashes of color, and intricate carving. All influenced by my mountains, boulders and seashore.
Alas, the recession caused me to change careers again. I became a business women for the next 20 years. I knew I would be back in the arts so when time permitted I took metals classes and workshops. When I discovered the torch could create a mountainous landscape by melting the surface of silver, I was hooked. The technique is reticulating silver , a very spontaneous process. I also combine this with fusing gold and silver patterns onto silver. My designs in jewelry are influenced by nature. The boulders around my house in Santa Barbara have always been in my creative brain. Also now the lake and nature of Washington state where I have my second studio is becoming apparent in my new contemporary work.
Fifty years ago I made my wedding rings and now I share with you my line of jewelry, I hope you enjoy the designs.
