ALTON - Alton's Rocky Pardo is a local artist who has developed a strong reputation for her quality work. At the Edwardsville Arts Fair recently, she won the coveted Best Of Show honor out of an abundance of artists.
Pardo said she loved the Edwardsville Arts Fair.

"It was great talking to other artists, and it was a really great weekend," she said of the fair. "Everyone there seemed to have a great time and seemed to do very well."

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Rocky Pardo Jewelry is a handcrafted collection of high-quality mixed precious metal jewelry. Her designs are a showcase of her split roots in both St. Louis and Spain.

Pardo's art journey began when she was 14 or 15 and she started working in metals.

"I fell in love with metals as a teen," she said. "I received a BFA in Metalsmithing from SIUE and graduated in 2014. I worked full time at a jewelry store in Kirkwood, Mo., before going out on my own in 2016." She now has her own studio in Fosterburg.

Rocky said her husband, Michael, is always supportive of her. He has a tech job in St. Louis and assists her in her shows when she has to travel. He has also used his woodworking skills to help her build a home studio.

"I started out kind of small doing night markets and tiny things, but now I am slated to do some really big events, for example, one at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in November," she said. In 2019, I started going outside a five-hour radius for art shows."

Rocky grew up in Madrid, Spain. Her dad is Spanish, and her mom was from America.

"I split a lot of time between the Midwest and Spain," she said. "There are different worldly influences there. There is a very strong art presence in Barcelona."

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Her long-term goal is to schedule about five to 10 shows a year and spend more time in her studio. She said she welcomes set appointments for those wishing to purchase one of her pieces.

"I hope to inspire the love I have of art in someone else," she said. "It is just the greatest thing. I love torch work and fusing and melting."

Rocky said she puts her "whole heart" into her work as an artist.

"I was left with no words when I won the Best of Show with the caliber of artists there," Rocky added.

See Rocky Pardo Jewelry at:

https://www.rockypardo.com/


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