Giftbearer

This is Pippit Carlington in her owns words. I encourage you to check out her shops as well as her blog. Beautiful pieces in a wide range of styles and mediums.

Pippit Carlington has been creating art ever since she was old enough to pick up a paintbrush. At age 5 she was composing songs on the piano; teaching herself to play by ear. She often found herself re-designing things she saw around her, in 6th grade she constructed the class mascot; a 4 foot-tall owl sculpted out of paper mache, and in junior high she began selling various art items she had made.

Over the years Pippit went on to receive formal art training at Callenwolde Center for the Arts, The Atlanta College of Art, and Atlanta Jeweler's School and
Studios.

Pippit works in several mediums including acrylics, watercolor, drawing, clay sculpture, and jewelry. A multicultural influence is evident in her work reflecting a diverse heritage of Iroquois Indian, Hawaiian, Russian Jewish, and French Canadian. She is strongly influenced by nature, political and social issues, and uses her art to educate the public.

Two paintings from her September 11th Series appeared at a show on war at The Spruill Center Gallery. One of them titled, "It Makes You Realize What's Really Important", depicts a family comforting each other with an American flag in the background. The other shows the rescue effort at Ground Zero, "Amongst The Chaos". That series also included portraits of Osama Bin Laden and George W. Bush.

This series was really an exercise in patience and tolerance. It was a difficult subject matter, but I felt it was important to document this event in history so that hopefully people would never let this happen again. The portrait of Osama Bin Laden evoked such an emotional reaction that the gallery exhibiting it in Sautee, GA. had to take it down. The gallery-owner reported to me that people told her it was incredibly realistic and that was why people were so deeply affected by it on a visceral level.

One of the other paintings in the series, "Blessed Event" shows the resilient side of September 11th; the story of a woman who walked several miles after being separated from her car to the local emergency room to give birth to a healthy baby. Journalists had done an interview with the new mother and her husband for Time Magazine.

Greeting cards and bookmarks are available of some of these paintings.

Pippit has mentored artists with mental illness in a psychosocial rehabilitation program she developed called Artvision which she operated out of her home on a shoestring budget. The project was fully self-supporting, receiving no government funding.

Artists in the program received help and guidance in learning all aspects of how to run an art-based business. This prepared them to earn money using a talent they already have.

Pippit has become involved in a number of volunteer efforts including providing online support and treatment information to people with autoimmune diseases and has donated art items to benefit the survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

Pippit has sold and exhibited her art at the following stores/galleries:

Star Sapphire
Oz Gallery
Dragonfly Gallery
The Spruill Center Gallery
The Millennium Art Co-op
Anna's Wardrobe
Topaz Gallery
Squash Blossom
The Work of Our Hands
Simpsonwood Gift Shop
Creative Spirit Gallery

She has participated in the following art shows:

The Sandy Springs Festival
Annual GA. Microenterprise Network Conference
For Sisters Only
The Spring Fling at Simpsonwood
Sweet Auburn Festival
Inman Park Festival
Arts In The Garden
Goodwill Christmas Bazaar
United Way Christmas Art Show
AutumnFest

Pippit's creations can be found in two locations:
Her Etsy shop: Contemporary Tribal Giftbearer This is where you will find most of her original jewelry.
Her Smashing Darling shop: Giftbearer This is where you'll find her Rain Stick necklaces.
You can also find her at her blog: Art Life Newsblog.