Imagine yourself waking up to the first rays of sunshine of the day. You open your eyes and they have filled the space above your bed with light, illuminating the dust particles in your room, making them look like glitter. These are the type of mornings that give birth to some of my best ideas. I believe in the notion that your attitude can affect your work, the reason why I always try to do my best at having good intentions and be in the happiest mindset when creating.
The process
The brainstorming usually starts with a lengthy Pinterest/Instagram scroll. I gather ideas, color palettes, patterns, trends. I look at nature shots, architecture, sculptural art, vintage and modern design, anything that might spark inspiration. I sketch, erase and then sketch again. I shuffle the pages of all the notebooks I have, dig to the bottom of my brain to try and find a scribbled idea in it or a color combination I have liked.
I carefully combine two parts resin, one part hardener and pour it on a flat surface. 24 hours later I cut it into shapes and the brushes and paints come to play. Sometimes I plan every image, sometimes I mix pigments and use my fingers to tap on the resin and make tiny abstract paintings. The next layer of resin will seal the tiny painting and make the surface shiny. After another round of curing, the back of the piece will receive the same amount of attention.
Arguably the most important part in finishing a piece is sanding the edges and perfecting the shape. A huge box of drill bits and sanders come to good use, with utmost care as a slight twitch can make or break the piece.
When a collection is finally formed, and everything is ready to see the light of social media, it is on!
I would say that the most precious thing about handmade jewelry is that it has a soul.
You can see and feel the time invested in creating the item. On a purely technical note, a pair of earrings can take an hour or two to make, but it takes many more to reach the desired end result that one would be proud of. It’s as if you’re looking at a painting. In it you see its entire story – from the first time the artist grabs a brush, through practice that requires time and patience, to the moment when his hand moves with ease and lets the brush glide gently upon the canvas with confidence. Not all ideas survive and many scratched ones will have to be thrown in the garbage before the best one reaches its finished final form. But it’s one hell of an exciting ride!
