Happy Fathers Day!

Father’s Day didn’t become an official national holiday until 1972 when then president Richard Nixon signed the proclamation recognizing the day to honor fathers. Setting aside such a celebration reminds us of the important jobs fathers have been doing for all time. The gifts they pass on to their children are immeasurable. 

For the artists at Tskies, and for our founder, Mathew Shepardson, this means passing on their love of the art of jewelry making. In these days of mass production and poor quality imports, showing their children the true skills and artistic vision needed to create fine handcrafted jewelry is a way of continuing their own artistic legacy. 

Mathew found out firsthand how much fun this could be when his girls, Emalee, 9, and Seren, 11, participated in their school’s art program. The girls were the only two students to choose jewelry as their art form. He was able to take them to the Tskies workspace and show them the tools and skills they needed for their creations. The project got the girls hooked. They have continued to come to the shop to create their own pieces.

For the artists at Tskies, this opportunity to have their children see what they do and be able to try it out for themselves is a way of continuing the legacy they themselves were given from their own parents. One of the missions of Turquoise Skies is to preserve the traditional ways of making handcrafted jewelry. Being able to bring them to the work space at Tskies, show them the tools and how they work and introduce them to the process of making their own piece is also a way to show their children that they too can make a living by being creative. Perhaps one day the Tskies gallery will be filled with their pieces alongside their fathers’ creations.

So as we celebrate and honor the fathers in our lives this month, let us also remember the ways in which they guide us to be the people we’re meant to be. To our artists, and to all fathers everywhere, we send out a big shout of gratitude for the gifts they bring to our lives.