Judith Gauthier

Judith moved to Bellingham, WA in 1972 and started her career in metal jewelry design and fabrication at the legendary Alaska Silver & Ivory Company. She became a shop supervisor, assisting in the production of a very unique and beautiful hand- made line of sterling silver jewelry using fossilized mastodon elephant and walrus ivory.

Her love of this medium motivated her to pursue a degree in Art Education with an emphasis in metalwork at the University of Montana, Missoula. She received “Best of Show” at the annual student art exhibit. Further studies in this field followed in Eugene, OR where she worked as assistant production supervisor for Jody Coyote, a very prominent jewelry company that sold to Nordstrom’s and Macy’s.

With a new family, work, and college experiences to draw from, she decided to return to Bellingham in 1989 and start her own jewelry company, “Pouncing Rain Creations.” Judith made her own line of jewelry and sold wholesale to stores in the Pacific Northwest. She also was a member vendor at the Bellingham Farmers Market, Best of the Northwest and Anacortes Art Fairs, and was an active member of Allied Arts of Whatcom County.

Pouncing Rain developed into a jewelry school where Judith taught hundreds of students metal jewelry techniques. Currently it is a non-profit organization called Bellingham Metal Arts Guild where she is an active member.

Judith teaches metalwork at the J, was a primary developer of the jewelry studio, and serves as the studio lead. She continues to love and share with others the wonderful world of metal art/jewelry, as well as create one-of-a-kind pieces in her home studio.