Tina Gasperson's Page

Location:

Tampa, Florida, United States of America

About Me:

My name is Tina and I am here to make for you a beautiful piece of jewelry that you could rightfully call "wearable art." I live in Tampa with my family: my husband Darin and three of my five kids. Two of my children are grown up and have their own families now.

I’m very much a sensory-driven artist. By that, I mean the elements that go into the final product, and how I interact with those elements and how they interact with me, are all very important ingredients. I like to “get my hands dirty.” I discovered that gold and silver and copper metals are quite sensuous in the way they respond to being worked, and I find that very enjoyable. I have always loved stones, gems, and crystals, and so that love aligns well with idea of bending and shaping the metal. The fact that what results is a thing of lasting beauty, is deeply satisfying. Jewelry making seems to be particularly fulfilling in that way. Maybe it’s because we wear our favorite jewelry on our body and keep it close to us, we lock it up at night, we pass it on to our children. It makes an impression in a unique way.

Right now I am working with gold and silver and copper and bronze, sometimes oxidized, which is a very special quality in itself and really beautiful. I like stones, wood, crystal, and gemstones. I have been looking at gold-filled, and I have also used aluminum from time to time. I would tend not to make multiples of most things I do. This might sound way too artsy-fartsy, and I don’t mean it that way, but there’s a certain “spirit” that goes into some pieces that you just can’t duplicate easily. Then there are other fun, cute little things that I can whip up several of, like my swirly rings, for example. Or there may be a certain motif that you’ll see repeated in a lot of my designs, but the piece itself may not ever be duplicated. As far as custom work goes, if someone has a request I can certainly work to accommodate that. So if you have an idea, ask!

I don’t know that I have one source of greatest inspiration. I look at everything around me, and I look at jewelry specifically, and just absorb it all. I think there’s a danger in focusing too much on one person or source because I think then your work starts to reflect that, maybe more than you would want it to. Having said that, I greatly admire and respect artists who have captured the essence of beauty and are able to express that beauty using the elements at hand. I think a true artist can use whatever he or she has available to them to create beauty. I’m not a big fan of artists who purposely look for and express horror, gruesomeness, or perversion in their work. I’m not against expressing those feelings, because I think we need to express those things and get them out, as artists, but then turning around and casting that negativity on the world is, in my opinion, irresponsible. I believe that artists hold a certain power of expression, and we’re better off using that power for good.

Advice for artists: Don’t be afraid of your talent. If others are moved by something you’ve created, believe in that, and act on it. And always follow your heart - it may lead you “out of the box” and in many different directions over the years, but you will be a much better person and a much better artist for it. Just because right now, for example, you’re a photographer, doesn’t mean you have to stay in that box if you’re feeling drawn and captivated by painting, or wire-work, or knitting, or whatever. Don’t let people paint you into a creative corner. Don’t let other artists get you down when they’re feeling negative about life or about their work. Exercise your freedom to be who you were created to be, and if you really honestly do that, you will be successful.

Gender:

Gal

I am a/an:

Independent Artist/Designer

(Designers only) I create:

Handforged silver jewelry, also gold, bronze, brass, and copper. I use gemstones, leather, and wood as accents. I also ship my jewelry pieces worldwide. My jewelry is worn by customers in Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Brazil, The Netherlands, and many of our beautiful fifty states here in the USA, including Alaska and Hawaii.

(Designers only) I am willing to do:

Custom orders, Wholesaling

(Designers only) I have been featured on:

Etsy.com, Etsystalker.com, Indiespotting.com, Bust Magazine, and others.

(Designers only) My work is sold at:

Etsy.com

Website:

http://tinahdee.etsy.com

Website #2:

http://tinahdee.com

Website #3:

http://facebook.tinahdee.com