Sometimes it is the smallest things in our lives that exert the greatest pull.
And instead of feeling like we are being drawn into a helpless orbit, we know we’re in for the ride of our lives.
One of the biggest life-changers disguised as a small things, are babies. These miniature humans exert an extraordinary pull on parental units and before you know it, everything we do, say, eat and sleep is part of the lumbering journey that is parenthood.
Jeweler Pamela Pereyra knows it is the smaller things that have exerted the biggest pull in her life – no question.
“When I was pregnant with my first child, [Illyana – call in to check selling of this name], that I knew I had to come up with a jewelry line where I didn’t have to use a bunch of chemicals to make it,” she said. That was the impetus of clean design coupled with intriguing, yet simple forms.
Now, a handful of years later, her second child, Kosmo Micah, dozed in a sling as twilight came on while we visited in the deepening light.
He was fussy, “probably teething,” Pereyra said.
Over the adobe wall, lambs tottered and baby turkeys peeped and scratched in the lengthening shadows as Pereyra gently shifted her weight from one foot to the other, rocking Kosmo back to sleep.
Pereyra and her husband, teacher and musician Jason Weisfeld, live in the idyllic Lower Ranchitos neighborhood. Last year they completed a small studio, separate from their adobe home. A trail of hand-cast stepping stones lead to its door and inside is the world of art, music and jewelry. Before getting down to business, we enjoyed the setting sun, the cooling breeze and a little neighborly visit.
The new studio, which she shares with another jeweler, is a trapazoidal with a little loft area where Weisfeld has a drum kit set up.
This is her third studio. The third time is the charm, as they say.
“The first studio I had was a friends space. It was perfect because it was a woodworker’s studio in Los Colonias. There was electricity but no running water,” she said. Her next studio was nearby, rented from her neighbor, metal artist Pozzi Franzetti.
“With the new studio I am committed now to grow in my jewelry making,” she admitted.
And committed is an appropriate word to use when talking about Pereyra’s dedication to making her art business work. She’s developing her online presence and is in the middle of revamping her web site, but also offers work through a popular creative shop site called www.etsy.com.
“Working primarily in sterling silver with flourishes of gold and gemstones, I hand fabricate my pieces so they are unique works of art. I am influenced by the ideas that less is more and that the each of my pieces has enough space to breathe. In my latest body of work, circles play the lead role. The infinite combinations one shape can render guides this theme. My work is modern, sculptural and minimalist,” she said.
“Something else new is stacked, dimensional line that features the layered petals of the lotus flower. It’s something pretty different. When people visit Taos they look for traditional jewelry and that’s not mine. My work is modern. But it does seems to be a fit for people looking for something different. Jewelry is so personal it really has to click,” she said.
“I find inspiration through working with metals, stones, and the excitement of fire. It doesn’t surprise me that I have gone back to my roots through this creative process. I come from Bolivia, where the land and people share a long rich history with metals and stones and the earth’s cycles that created us all. “
Her work is unique, so it’s no surprise she has names the line “Única Fine Jewelry.” People have described it as almost punk or industrial, almost ethnic, but it has its own peculiar qualities far from the usual stereotypes of those kinds of personal adornments. The lines are almost sophisticated, sexy and minimal.
This is the second year Pereyra has been asked to participate in the annual Taos Invites Taos show during the Fall Arts.
“There’s a lot of prestige associated with being part of the show,” she said.
“I enjoy making intriguing pieces that please the eye. My jewelry has been described as elegant, sexy, cool, modern, tribal and as unique delicate sculptures.”
“Beauty inspires beauty,” she said, looking down into the face of her sleeping child. And in this light, with the golden sun going down, you think you could stay in this orbit, forever.
Locations where you can see Pereyra’s work:
FX-18, 103 Bent Street Taos, 575-758-8590
Harwood Museum Gift Shop, 238 Ledoux Street, Taos 575-758-9826
Body, Santa Fe
Mariposa Gallery, Albuquerque
Pereyra’s work online:
www.unicajewelry.com
www.unicajewelry.etsy.com
