I mentioned in a previous post that I wanted to start including some interviews on my blog since I am very interested in the creative process of other artists.  To begin, I decided to “interview” myself.

Where do you sell or display your work?
Online at hollywest.etsy.com.

How long have you been making jewelry?
I have been making jewelry off and on for about twenty years.  However, I didn’t get serious about it until 2001, when I took my first handmade jewelry class at UCLA Extension.  From the course description, I wasn’t sure what it entailed, and boy was I surprised to learn our first project was making sterling silver wire from scratch.

How did you learn to make metal jewelry?
I guess I kind of answered that question above, but I’ll elaborate here.  From the beginning, I learned to make everything from scratch, down to adding alloys to pure gold and silver (although this is something my jewelry teacher does for me–I don’t think he trusts me with that much heat).  From that first class in 2001 I’ve continued taking classes with the same instructor, however now I rent space in his private studio.  He’s there to offer support and instruction when needed but generally I work on my own.

Now that I know the basic techniques of metalsmithing, I’ll often save time by buying wire, sheet, jump rings, et cetera instead of making them myself.  However, knowing how to do it is invaluable in my design work because I can construct things to my exact specifications when needed.

What is your favorite metal to work with?
I absolutely love working with 18k yellow gold.  When I first started making jewelry gold was at about $340 an ounce and now it’s over $900 so I use it sparingly.

Most of my work is in silver these days, which is another metal I love to work with.

What are some of your other favorite materials?
I love gemstones, especially beads.  Some of my favorites are rhodolite garnet, swiss blue topaz, and lemon quartz.  I also love andalusite and all colors of tourmaline.  As for diamonds, I don’t work with them very often, but I do love the look of rough cut and “champagne” diamonds.

raw_diamonds

Is your studio at home or do you rent/own separate studio space?
I have an almost fully equipped studio at home, but as I said above I also rent studio space once a week.

Since I live in a condominium I am limited in a couple of ways with regard to my studio space.  First, I am still using a small butane torch because frankly, I don’t trust myself with anything stronger at home.  Second, I don’t have a rolling mill because there is nothing I can bolt it to.  This is one of the reasons I still rent studio space.  There I have all the equipment I need and I don’t have to worry about maintaining it myself.  I generally do larger, more advanced projects there and save the small stuff for home.

What is your favorite tool/equipment to use in your work?
I love my flexshaft!  It does so many things, I couldn’t make jewelry without it.

What is your dream piece of equipment?
For some reason I am having trouble answering this.  I suppose the answer would be casting equipment, but I will never do that.  Too dangerous!

What is your favorite technique?
I really like setting stones in bezels.  And who doesn’t like the stress-relieving activity of hammering metal?

81203_peridot_18k

What is your least favorite technique?
There are two:  drawing wire and sawing intricate shapes or thick pieces of metal.  I am also not a big fan of making tubing or tube settings, and I rarely do it.

What technique do you find most challenging?
I still have a lot of trouble with prong settings, even though I love to make them.

Is there a technique you don’t know yet that you’d like to learn?
I’d love to learn pave.  I’d also love to learn wax carving and casting (I’ve dabbled in wax carving but for some reason didn’t take to it.  I’d like to give it a second chance).

How does the design process work for you? For example, do you sketch your ideas first, or do they just come to you as you work?
I will sometimes sketch designs before I make them, but not very often.  I mostly do that if I have an idea that I don’t want to forget so I do a rough sketch.  Many of my ideas come to me in the moments between wake and sleep.  I think my mind is freer and more open for creativity then.  A lot of my ideas come from the metal itself and the techniques I use to manipulate it.  Sometimes I’m not sure what I want to do so I just start cutting or hammering or bending and the design creates itself.

Do you have any resource recommendations (books, websites, etc) for people who want to learn to make metal jewelry?
I think Jewelry Two Books in One:  Projects to Practice and Inspire by Madeline Coles is a good entry level jewelry making book.

I have a number of interviews lined up to post in the coming weeks/months.  Should be good reading!

If you are interested in being interviewed and fall into any of these categories, please email me.  I’m also interested in interviewing design, PR, and marketing professionals.

And speaking of artist interviews, here’s a great one with Chris Parry.  He’s a jewelry maker that really inspires.

For a long time now I’ve wanted to feature some interviews on this blog, specifically, interviews of knit designers.  Why?  Because I want to be a knit designer and I want tips!  So out of my selfishness, I hope to do some good for the knitting community in general.

Of course, I am interested in other things as well.  Being a jewelry designer and metalsmith, I of course would like to learn about the creative process of other artists.  And since I am a self-taught painter, I’d love to learn about the creative process of other painters, especially those who are more successful (which pretty much counts most people) than I or who have formal training.

So I am sending out a casting call:

KNITTERS
I am specifically interested in interviewing pattern designers who have had at least one pattern published somewhere either online or in print and/or who sell their original pattern designs.

METALSMITHS
By “metalsmith” I mean someone who makes hand fabricated jewelry (or other things). This isn’t metalsmithing per se, but I’d also be interested in interviewing PMC artists and those who carve their designs in wax for casting.

PAINTERS
I am a pet portrait artist who mainly uses acrylics and canvas. But I am interested in interviewing other types of painters/illustrators. 

My blog is all about the creative process (specifically mine) and now I’d like to include other artists. I don’t have a huge audience–about 200 page views a day (not necessarily unique)–but every bit of promotion helps I think.

If you are interested in being featured, please convo me on Etsy, comment on this post, or email me. I can’t guarantee I’ll feature you or that it will be done in a timely manner, but regardless I will do my best.

I kind of think one should write a post on Leap Day, even if one doesn’t have anything of real import to say.  Cause it’s Leap Day, ya know–won’t happen again for four years.

Much as I like to blather on about nothing, I decided to try to think of something, like a meme, that I could post about in honor of this day.

So here’s what I decided on, and hope that you will participate in:  List four things you’d like to accomplish by next Leap Day.  The first should be something you know you will accomplish, the second should be something you have a reasonable expectation of accomplishing, the third should be something you will have to really push yourself to accomplish, and the fourth should be kind of a “pie in the sky” dream accomplishment.

I’ll begin:

1)  Complete the Santa Monica Muscle Beach traveling rings, forward and backward.  I’ve been working on this goal since January and will likely complete this goal in the next few months.

2)  Earn a profit from my jewelry business.
3)  Design and publish an original knit design (anywhere but on my own website)
4)  Write that novel!

Next, tag four people whose goals you’d like to see.  I’m tagging Creatress, Mick, Jen, and Candace.  Be sure to let the people you’re tagging know they’ve been tagged, either in the comments of their blogs, or email.

I woke up to a lovely surprise this morning.  A seller on Etsy called Ivy Lane Designs emailed me to let me know one of my items was featured on the front page.  That in itself is a very cool thing, and in this time of very slow sales, I need the promotion.  But when I looked, I saw that not only was I featured on the front page, I was also included in an article about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose birthday we celebrate today.

MLK

The item featured is this one:

408N_world_peace_cu
I wish peace was as simple as putting on a necklace.  Sadly, not so.  But however you choose to celebrate peace on this important day, remember that it truly does begin with you.

This year for Christmas, my family decided to give handmade gifts to each other.  It was my sister-in-law’s idea, and everyone embraced it.  Everyone except me, however.  I need to qualify that by saying that my intent was to purchase all or most of my gifts on Etsy because I knew I wasn’t going to have enough time to make gifts for everyone (and Etsy is a handmade marketplace, so I figured handmade is handmade, right)?  And I did buy most of my gifts from Etsy.  Just not the ones I gave my family.

I got some really cool stuff from my family though, and I totally regretted not thinking harder about what I could make.  For some reason I got stuck in one of two places–jewelry (um, I think my family has enough jewelry made by me by now) and knitting.  I had these grand visions of knitting the bestest gifts ever, but you know how that goes.  It takes time to knit.  It never occurred to me to make something else.  The possibilities are endless!

That’s why this year I’m off and running.  I’ve already started making my Christmas gifts and I’m gonna do my best to make every single one.  Several members of my family admitted they’d already started their projects as well.  Should be interesting (and fun) to see what people come up with!

I talk about my jewelry studio a lot because it’s a very big part of my life.  It is such a great environment not only for making jewelry, but for discussing the business of selling it as well.  In addition, these women are my friends and there is a feeling of camaraderie and support that is very valuable to me.

Here we are, hard at work:

at_work
Even though I have most of this equipment at home, there are certain things, like the rolling mill, that I can’t install in my condo.  I also have access to a proper torch, which allows me to solder heavy things that a butane torch simply can’t handle:

keychain 

My teacher has hung photos of our work on the walls of the studio which is a constant inspiration.  I’m proud of my work, but frankly, it can’t touch some of the pieces made by his other students.  Simply stunning.

I think the best part of all of this, however, and what keeps me coming back, is that the type of jewelry making we’re doing is an ancient art.  The techniques we use have been used for thousands of years–when I go to museums and see jewelry, say, from ancient Egypt, I can look at it and see exactly how it was made and see techniques that I use in my own jewelry.  From tiny lumps of 24k gold or fine silver, we make the most lovely things, completely by hand.

image

Sometimes jewelry seems a very superficial thing to me, but I absolutely love the process of making it.  I am smitten.

I have never done this before so forgive me if I do it wrong.

4. Love it! This is my thing:
Jewelry making/goldsmithing, knitting, painting pictures of dogs, genealogy

3. I do or have dabbled in it:
Sewing, cooking, interior decoration, entertaining, gardening, singing, song writing, poetry, graphic design, web design, writing, wine tasting, screenwriting, filmmaking, knit design/pattern making, guitar playing, beading

2. Would love to try it; it’s on my list:
Dyeing fibers, spinning, furniture making, clothing design, tiling, mosaics, doll house making, glass blowing, pottery, quilting, acting, drawing, watercolors, doll making, wine making, piano playing, enameling, silk screening

1. I’ve got absolutely no interest:
Basket weaving, candle making, card making, soap making, flower arranging, balloon animal making, etching, glass bead making, lace making (needle lace, cutwork), lucet, paper-mâché, rug hooking, scrapbooking, stamping, tatting, wood carving, calligraphy, paper making, cross stitch, embroidery

This is very similar to my “things I want to learn” post, I know.  But I can never resist being part of the crowd.

There are so many crafts to learn, and so little time to learn (and do) them in.  And those who know me know I have much more free time than most people!

Still, if time permits, these crafts I am interested in learning:

1)  Pottery/ceramics
2)  Silk Screening – Easy Silk Screening Tutorial
3)  Enameling – Awhile back, I saw this jewelry designer profiled on HGTV and I’ve wanted to learn enamelling ever since
4)  Glass Blowing
5)  Spinning and Dyeing Yarn – I thought I was going to do that this year but still haven’t gotten around to it
6)  Wax carving for lost wax casting in jewelry design – I’ve actually done this before but didn’t really take to it.  I’m still very interested in the technique though
7)  Furniture making
8)  Pave setting in jewelry design

I’m also very interested in learning design on a more formal level, particularly graphic and interior design.  What I’d do with this knowledge, I’m not really sure, which is one of the reasons I’ve never really pursued either through formal classes.

What crafts are you interested in learning?

“I’m a lousy gardener.  I can never tell the soil from the dirt.”  –Woody Allen

I’m not the only creative person in my family, not by a long shot.  My mom is an avid gardener and the other day she sent me a photo of the flower box she made:

que_bonita
The box was made with an old wooden box my dad got at a garage sale.  She sanded it and hammered in the loose nails.  Next, she stained it with a yellow water-based stain and wrote the words with a black permanent marker.  She then sealed it with a water-based sealer.  For the legs, she attached an old TV tray she got at a flea market and removed the clips.  She painted the legs with a flat black paint and attached with clips she’d previously attached to the box.  Voila!  A nifty and very cute flower box.

And speaking of flowers, I had to show a photo of the gladiolus on my balcony:

 gladiolus
Definitely bonita.

My mom is also a very accomplished crochet artist.  Here is a photo of an afghan she recently made:
afghan_mom_front
I think it’s gorgeous, and she picked a great color.

I’ve never made an afghan, but I’m thinking it might be time for me to give it a try.  I prefer knitting to crochet (especially since I’m not that great at crochet) so maybe I’ll design and knit one this winter.