Interview of Maja Lindgren

Dearest readers,

Today I am interviewing Maja Lindgren - fused glass jewelry artist.

My art/craft is handmade jewelry but I am also starting to hand paint T-shirts when time allows. I was a home furnishings textile designer for several years but was laid off many years ago due to company shut downs. I also studied graphic design, jewelry fabrication and somehow found a job with a couple in NYC helping to run their jewelry business. This is where I picked up speed and interest in making my own jewelry. Their jewelry is very expensive whereas mine is quite inexpensive. I worked for them for 4 years. I have been interested in making jewelry for the last 6 years or so. Glass is another medium I am very interested in working with and pursuing further so have been taking classes in fusing and lamp working as well. I want to incorporate more glass in my work for the future!

Right now a lot of my jewelry is made with stones, coral, and crystals and I combine the materials by wire wrapping them in sterling silver or silver plated non tarnish wire. It is easy to make these pieces at home and without a real studio. I am hoping to join a collective towards the end of the summer where I can explore glass further.

Favorite materials are: glass, metal, stones, crystal beads, sterling silver wire

Hand painted Tshirts is another area I would like to explore. I did study graphic design and have an interest in that field as well. I enjoy coming up with my own whimsical characters and they kind of work well as handpainted characters on Tshirts.

My two favorite shops on etsy are:  www.acerriteno.etsy.com  and  www.monaslampwork.etsy.com
I think these two shops are my favorites because their work is very whimsical and different than most. They really have their own style and they are making a lot of sales which is what I want to aspire to.

Website:  www.mblcreativedesigns.etsy.com

Interview of Peggy Li Creations

It's that time again for another awesome interview of some awesome jewelry!  Her work is absolutely adorable :-)
Here's what she had to say~

What is your art/craft and how long have you been doing it?

I created handmade beaded jewelry and have been doing it since I was a teenager. As a business, I've Peggy Li Creations for about 10 years now!

What got you started?

Pretty typical story -- I saw a necklace in a store that I couldn't afford but loved, so I decided to make it for myself. After wearing the jewelry around work and having folks ask for me to make some for them, I thought to myself that maybe it could be a business.

Are there any other arts and crafts that you would like to try your hand at? If so, why?

I love cooking and writing. I'd love to learn more about photography, because I am so terrible at it!

What are your favorite materials to use?

I love sterling silver, 14k gold (when I can afford to use it), and semi-precious stones. There is nothing else like the colors found in nature.

What and/or who inspires you?

I'm inspired by nature and fashion. I love the jewelry work of Melissa Joy Manning, Ten Thousand Things and Robert Lee Morris. 

Customers receive a 15% off coupon when they sign up for my email newsletter: http://www.peggyli.com/nesiup.html

Blog: http://peggyli.blogspot.com
Website: http://www.peggyli.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/peggylicreations
Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/plcpeggy

Interview of Anastasia Savenko

Today I'm interviewing Anastasia Savenko, a promising jewelry artist.  Here is what she had to say:

Hi Myria!

Thank you so much for your interest, I am very glad to participate in your blog

What is your art/craft and how long have you been doing it?

I am second year in making jewelry; it's very exciting to be in the beginning of the way, so many new experiences ahead of me.

 

What got you started?

A friend recommended me to try jewelry making. I always had an urged to draw, took different art courses, wanted to create stuff. I see carving things out of wax as a sculpture variety. Those rings and bracelets that I make out of precious metals will last well past my lifetime and it's a great feeling, I want to leave my mark behind.

 

Are there any other arts and crafts that you would like to try your hand at? If so, why?

I can't wait to learn enameling techniques and also glass fusion. Would love to do some clay sculpture again and maybe wood carving. I enjoy working in three dimensions.

 

What are your favorite materials to use?

I love to dig into a block of jeweler's wax and bring out a piece; there is no limitation besides Physics laws. It's a very rewarding process as I see it, it takes time and skill but I enjoy the challenge. Some people prefer crafts with immediate gratification but I surprise myself when it comes to carving, since in day to day life I am not a patient person at all. Sometimes it takes several months from idea in my head to a jewelry piece one can wear.

What and/or who inspires you?

Japanese art of Meiji Period, Ancient Assyrian bas reliefs and Art Nouveau, I want to be the next Rene Lalique, not original at all.

Water fascinates me. We can see it in three different states as clouds, fluid and ice. I am yet to incorporate frozen water in my jewelry, but I definitely see it coming.

 

Do you have a Coupon Code? 

10%off for customers if they mention this blog

Website: http://anastasiasavenko.com/jewelry.html

Interview of Colleen Reynolds

Hi Myria

Thanks for replying! See my answers below. And Thank YOU for being interested. I look forward to seeing your article.

What is your art/craft and how long have you been doing it? Fine art, painting. I started painting in 1992 by taking an oil painting class at The Old Torpedo Factory turned art center in Alexandria, Virginia. I was in the US Navy at the time and needed a diversion from the stress of the job. But I have been drawing for as long as I can remember.

What got you started? My mother taught art classes and always had a ton of reference materials in our home. My father also entertained "the troops" by drawing elaborate cartoon stories. The first time I remember drawing myself, I was about 7 or 8 years old. My brothers and me made a game of drawing cartoon animals. I remember especially liking the bunnies. In my teenage years I switched to horses and people, especially pretty faces of young women. I illustrated a Horse Club pamphlet when I was twelve. I had a friend in junior high and high school, Pam Hardell, who also liked to draw. We would take our sketch books to the park and draw the people and animals we saw. I think we were pretty good then. I wish I still had the sketch books.

Are there any other arts and crafts that you would like to try your hand at? If so, why? Yes, about a million. But my budget doesn't allow it. Ha! Actually, I have begun to really admire encaustic works of art. Encaustic is painting and/or glazing with wax.

What are your favorite materials to use? I paint in oil, watercolor and acrylic. I simply cannot decide which is my favorite. They all three have their advantages and limitations. What I paint with on any given day is mood dependent. I teach watercolor classes because I like to surround myself with older (50+) ladies, and they tend to gravitate to watercolor. Plus my studio classroom is also my showroom, and watercolor is not as damaging to my studio environment as the other two media.

What and/or who inspires you? I have many inspirations. I love to people watch and I adore communing with our fellow furry, scaled and feathered inhabitants. I also enjoy investigating anything that grows in my husband's garden and/or flower pots. So I guess my theme for art is "Life in Bloom." It kind of covers all my "go to" subject matter.

The painters I study and admire are many, but briefly: I follow a blog by artist, Kathy Weber, of Rhode Island http://weberstudio.blogspot.com/. She paints in oil. I like her figurative and architectural works. I am taking a workshop this fall from LA artist, Jennifer A McChristian http://www.jennifermcchristian.com
I really admire Thomas Schaller's http://thomasschaller.com watercolor paintings as well as the exquisite flower paintings of Lian Quan Zhen http://www.lianspainting.com. My local mentor are oil painters, Melodie Williams, http://www.melodiewilliamsart.com, and Bonnie Posselli, http://www.bonnieposselli.com, of Salt Lake City, Utah. I'm still searching for an acrylic painter. I actually bought a book by a wonderful acrylic painter, but I can't find it right now, and I can't remember his name.

Etsy Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/colleenrartist
Blog: http://www.colleenreynolds.com/blog
Website: http://www.colleenreynolds.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/colleencrbe
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/colleenrartist

Interview of Anthropoloca Jewelry

Today's interview is of Jessica at Anthropoloca Jewelry.  She does some very intense and beautiful necklaces using the good old fashioned macrame technique.  This is not your mother's macrame! 

I love the one with the crystal which was stolen at one of her craft shows - so if you see anyone wearing it they acquired it ILLEGALLY!!!  I give you permission to kick their butts ;-)

Here's what she had to say~

Hey Myria! Thank you so much--I am so excited to be posted on your blog!!!

I am the owner and designer of Anthropoloca Jewelry, which is a line of unique macrame, wire-worked, and crocheted pieces inspired by my extensive travels in South America.  I started learning nearly 7 years ago with a tiny macrame collar for a pet kitten, and the process continues to this day!  

I basically started to make jewelry as a way to keep travelling. I arrived in Ecuador with a 9 month ticket, and realized very quickly that wasn't going to be enough time for me to explore and travel as I wished--with plenty of time. At first, I did work exchanges and homestays, but gradually began to learn the art of macrame  and wire-working from the artisans who live, travel, and sell on the streets of South America. As I learned more and gained more confidence, I slowly began selling my wares. It eventually became the primary means I used to get through 10 different countries in the 4 years that I ended up staying.

I would love to take some classes on silver smithing and more intensive jewelling techniques that include using a torch. I feel I could expand the Anthropoloca line by leaps and bounds if I could add this element to my work! I also would love to know how to use a sewing machine--I don't have the patience to do it by hand!

I love using natural materials--seeds, stones, bones, teeth, shells, fossils,feathers--my travels allowed me to see so many amazing places and realize how many inspiring and beautiful materials mother nature provides as a source of inspiration. I am constantly on the lookout for the next little treasure that will become my next piece. That said, my favorite macrame thread is the  Brazilian polyester waxed thread by Setta--its amazing. It comes in every color imaginable, is resilient, color fast, and allows one to play endlessly with design and form. I do occasionally use natural fibers such as linen and hemp for my macrame, but Setta is truly my favorite. I also love using recycled leather and copper (I often can be found stripping the outer plastic off of wires I've found!)--both of which have a great funky element to them.

Mother nature--I don't think there's a day that goes by that I don't see something that gives me an idea or inspiration--whether its an incredible sunset that paints the sky or a solitary red berry standing out on a bush--I always remember that there is no color man has created that does not exist in nature.And of course, so many amazing artisans that I met along the way, who inspired me and continue to do so to this day--Martin and Ugne are incredible--their use of color is impeccable,as are their designs--www.arumidesign.etsy.com and Nicole and Gerardo, two dear friends who crossed my path many a time down south--their work is as beautiful as it is original : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elquino-Artefacto-Jewelry-Art/161105407250637

Check out my websites:
http://anthropolocajewelry.com
http://facebook.com/anthropolocajewelry
http://www.etsy.com/shop/anthropoloca

Thank you loyal readers for supporting the handmade world!
<3 Myria