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Pat Pruitt, mixed breed native, 1/4 Laguna Pueblo (registered member), 1/4 Chirachaua Apache, 1/2 White Boy. Currently residing on the Laguna Pueblo Reservation in the village of Paguate, NM.
His occupational hazzard for 15 years running, has been owning, operating and managing Custom Steel Body Jewelry (www.customsteel.com) making stainless steel body jewelry for the body piercing industry. This was his start in working with stainless steel, specifically type 316LVM, 316L and 316.
Making jewelry started 20 years ago when Pat was fortunate enough to study under a local silversmith, Greg Lewis. Working in traditional materials (silver, copper) learning traditional repousse techniques (stamp and hammer), this gave him a firm foundation in jewelry fabrication, tool development, and general craftsmanship. Several years later, he met Charlie Bird, another esteemed jeweler from Paguate. He taught Pat a different view on silverwork and asthetics of jewelry design.
During his college years at Southern Methodist University (Dallas, TX), Pat studied Mechanical Engineering and landed a position in a prototype machine shop building one off components for various mechanical devices. This apprentiship was a true eyeopener. Learning the skills of a machinist was a blessing. Pat thanks Geroge Sabolski for taking the time to teach him.
Acquiring all these skills eventually lead to the startup and growth of his current business, Custom Steel. Yet after many years producing jewelry for body piercing, Pat still craved making personal adornment like he had in years past.
It was only until recently that he felt comfortable introducing a new medium, style and technique (along with tons of encouragment from friends and artists a like) into a market that is solely defined by what native art *should* be. This time using a different skill set and utilizing a material that was familiar to him (SS). His design still has traditional native undertones, with a contemporary edge. Coupled with influences both on and off the reservation, industrial design, and limitations forced onto him by the material of choice.