ABOUT PAT NICOLINO

When you look at me, I want you to see a brain on fire.

I design and create jewelry to give expression to the exquisite whirlwind of ideas in my own mind– and to give other women artistic ways to express their unique selves, too.

During a long career in the corporate world I evolved a passion for innovation, for new product development, and business transformation. Over time I realized a definite pattern had evolved, almost without conscious knowledge on my part. My successes were driven by three things:

1. An ability to communicate.
2. I gravitated toward people whose brains were on fire.
3. My passion is taking the intangible… an idea, or even the barest outline of a good concept
and giving it form and shape.

So why jewelry at this late date?

One day I stared at a pair of interesting earrings and wondered how they were made. I decided to figure it out as a fun intellectual exercise. That landed me in the studio of a wonderful teacher who let me play and explore for three hours to see if I liked it. I was hooked the minute I realized I could make metal move, and when I added a torch blowing 1300 degrees of fire into the mix, my brain nearly exploded.

■ I make jewelry that makes my inner artist smile and my mission is to get that smile
going for lots of other women, too.

■ I work mostly in sterling silver with liberal amounts of copper. brass, gemstones, and
interesting finds added in.

■ I am a visual learner so things like texture, line, and color make my brain sizzle. The
interplay of light and shadow created by adding texture to metal is meditative for me,
so I bring textural elements into most of my work.

■ I like a wide range of styles and materials so I make lots of different things. Statement
necklaces co-exist happily in my mind with ultra-modern geometric designs in sterling.

■ I don’t make matching earrings and necklaces. I am not excited by them myself, so I
don’t make them. My house, my rules.