Believe it or not, Elizabeth Hake didn’t set out to be an artist. In fact, she initially rallied against the idea of fine art as her career path. But after dabbling in sculpture, painting and printmaking, she eventually took a jewelry class and something just clicked.
Today, Elizabeth is renowned for her contemporary sterling silver jewelry, accented with gold and inspired by found pieces. The jewelry is both architectural and simple –– deconstructed so as not to get caught in any certain trend or time period. Over the years she has focused on rubber jewelry and lost-wax casting, but what led to her current body of work happened by chance.
One day on a walk she spied an old washer on the ground. At the time she was doing nothing but lost-wax casting, so the washer sat unused on top of her jewelry bench for a year. During a slow period she glanced up and decided to make something out of it for fun.
“I made two pieces with washers then that was it. I completely stopped casting and started doing all fabricating with the ideas around found pieces,” Elizabeth said. “Now I still do some of that, but the shapes and the designs have morphed over the years.”
Elizabeth said making jewelry can feel a bit solitary, especially in the suburbs of Erie, Colorado. The yearning to find her tribe and join a group of peers drew her to the Celebration of Fine Art. She likens the experience to art camp or graduate school, and said the artists rally around one another like a family.
“When people believe in you, you can do more,” she said. “I have done a lot of shows and been in galleries, but you really do get something different at this show.”
See more of Elizabeth’s story below:
My earrings are just lovely to wear and for my sensitive earlobes, perfect comfort. Happy decision. Bless your every day?