| Created and designed by the Winkler Gallery of Fine Art All works property of the individual artist of the Winkler Gallery Unauthorized Reproduction strictly Forbidden. |
| As a jewelry artist and metalsmith working primarily with found objects, I seek to create an intimate interrelationship between my work and the viewer to form a narrative on life and memories. I see these objects as remnants of lives once lived and connections to the past. Collections interest me as marks left behind in resistance to the passage of time. It is this desire for understanding the meaningfulness of life that informs my work. Interaction and response of the viewer is of great significance to me. For that reason, scale is very important to encourage the viewer to lean in for a second look. The collections that I primarily use are small and intimate in size lending a precious quality that I hope to convey as an analogy to the memories the objects represent. I see these relics as trinkets of life and links to the past. I feel these objects give validity to the lives of those who owned them as a sort of proof of existence. In addition, I use shrine and religious architectural imagery to house the objects as well as to pay homage to them. Bobbi holds a Master of Fine Arts from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a major focus in Jewely and Metals and a minor in Ceramics. She received her undergraduate degree in English from Penn State University in 1996 with a minor in Art. After a hiatus in her family’s floral business, she returned to school in 2006 to pursue her love of art. Bobbi currently offers classes and workshops in jewelry and metalsmithing at the Winkler Gallery and the Sawmill Art Center in Cook Forest. To view her work, please visit www.bobbimennettishaffer.blogspot.com or www.bobbishaffer. etsy.com |
| Personal Shrine Series: Ode to Childhood sterling silver, found toy dog 2 x 1 1/2 x 1 1/8 in. 2009 |
| Ode to Family sterling silver, found object 2 1/4 x 1 x 3/4 in. 2009 |
| My Collection 300+ slip cast porcelain bottles sizes variable 2008-2009 |