Featured Artist on Artsy Shark
Featured Artist Pauletta Brooks- ARTSY SHARK Journal Nov. 2020
“Mesh Jewelry Ensemble—earrings and cuff” resin mesh, colored glass crystals, faux pearls, gold leaf paints, cuff 4”h x 3”w; earrings 6” long
Born of a mineral-collecting father and an artist/painter mother, it’s no surprise that I developed into a jewelry artist.
I work with semiprecious stones and raw minerals, applying color, form and texture to my work.
“Turquoise + Amethyst Mineral Choker” resin mesh, Turquoise, Amethyst, Jasper, vintage chain, Vermeil toggle, gold leaf paint, 20” long necklace
After graduating Hampshire College and The Fashion Institute of Technology, I worked in the fashion industry as an illustrator, stylist, and art director. When an opportunity arose where I was asked to accessorize a fashion show of plain black swimsuits, I took it upon myself to create an assortment of colorful jewelry to use on the runway, thus venturing into a new career of jewelry design!
“Mineral Mix Cuff” resin mesh, Quartz, Pyrite Druzy, gold leaf paints, 4” H x 3” W
“Mineral Mix Ensemble” (cuff, earrings, rings, bracelet, necklaces) resin mesh, Quartz, Pyrite Druzy, assorted minerals, silver, gold leaf paints, assorted sizes
“Mesh MERMAID Bracelet” resin mesh, pink and blue Mystic Quartz, Vermeil toggle, gold leaf paint, 7” L
Never shy to use non-traditional materials, I began to experiment with an array of products, mixing anomalous elements and blending them to form interesting textures.
I worked with various jewelry techniques but still hadn’t found anything I was comfortable with. So, it was sheer serendipity that led me to the doctor’s office one day with a broken finger where I discovered a new and novel material—resin mesh.
“Pastel Mineral PODs choker” resin mesh, pink, yellow and blue Calcite, suede ties, gold leaf paint, approx. 8” L x 2” H (not including ties)
“Long Mineral Necklace” (shown with cuff and earrings) resin mesh, Carnelian, Malachite, Aquamarine, Jasper, Amazonite, Amethyst, Turquoise, Fluorite, gold fill chain and toggle, gold leaf paints, 34” long necklace
With it, I could sculpt and mold my collection of minerals into jewelry pieces. This material, available in various weights, strengths and resiliencies, is one of several thermoplastic materials used in the medical industry for casts and splints, and also used in the theater industry for props and masks.
“MERMAID Jeweled Mesh Cuff” resin mesh, colored glass crystals, faux pearls, gold leaf paints, 4”H x 3”W
It has a thermal property that allows it to become soft and malleable when heated, then solid and flexible once cooled. It allows me to form a foundation and structure for the stones and allows me to re-purpose a man-made material in an environmentally sound way.
I try to create pieces that are eye-catching and unique, as if they come from a mysterious world of beauty and fantasy; almost as if they had been dredged up from a mermaid’s lair in the sea.
“Green Octahedron Fluorite Necklace” resin mesh, green Octahedron Fluorite, Vermeil chain and toggle, gold leaf paint, 20” long necklace
My work has been featured in fashion editorials in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Times as well as a variety of craft and jewelry journals such as Ornament Magazine, Hand/Eye and the Contemporary Jewelry Handbook.
I have also had my work shown in a number of galleries in the United States and around the world including The Folk ArtMuseum of New York City, the galleries at The Fashion Institute of Technology, Andrew Edlin Gallery in New York City, Eleni Marneri Galerie in Athens, Greece, Artistar in Milan, Italy and ICKS Contemporary Jewelry in Bruxelles, Belgium.