Jill Griffin | The Lesson Of The Peacock

Artist: Jill Griffin, WashingtonMaterials: sterling silver, peacock turquoiseSize: 8 Artist Statement: A treasured piece of peacock turquoise had been staring me down for months, it called out to be part of this ring. A large vase of peacock feathers — the train — was the inspiration for the construction of the ring, and it got me thinking of ways to incorporate the complex beauty of these lovely creatures. Confident, graceful and brave became a personal mantra for this piece. Wanting to use pierced, riveted and kinetic elements, the ideas came flooding in. The design kept changing and became increasingly challenging. I spent hours thinking through how the piece would need to come together and what the order of steps should be. Terrified I’d make a wrong decision throughout the process of creating the ring, I was constantly reminding myself that ‘you can do this: be confident, be brave.’ What started as a mantra has since become my lesson. The primary components were cut from sterling