How did you get into metalsmithing? I’ve been into collecting jewelry since high school, when I inherited a bit of my grandmas native turquoise jewelry collection. Then after collecting and searching for stuff that I like or that fits for years, I just decided I wanted to try to make things that I couldn’t find and things that fit me. I have a couple good friends who are also into metalsmithing, lapidary and collecting that also really helped me get into silversmithing. I took the 8 week jewelry 1 class at the Harold Studio and really took off from there! What inspires you? Everything! I live for 40s/50s Fred Harvey era silver. Turquoise! The desert! Stones! Stones, probably more than anything, they really make every piece so special. What is your design process? I don’t know if I really have a process really. I doodle designs a lot, but my drawing is terrible. I usually just lay out some stones and it really just comes to me from there. Ill start moving ele...

How did you get into metalsmithing? Years ago, my grandma gave me her wedding ring and told me that I could reset the stones, if I wanted to do so. I felt that the best way to honor her, would be to learn how to reset the stones myself. Ironically, I no longer want to reset the stones. I cherish the memories that I have of her wearing that ring. I want to preserve the ring and the memories. What inspires you? I'm very inspired by other cultures. Specifically, Native American and Hispanic cultures. I love the story, the spirit, the richness and the detail. What is your design process?  I tend to be a more methodical person, so, I'm not one to "wing it".  I almost always have a plan before I start working on a piece. Usually, I end up deviating or modifying somewhere along the way. That's the part of the process that I have a tricky relationship with. I don't like uncertainty, although, uncertainty can be our best teacher. What is you...

How did you get into metalsmithing? "I developed an obsession with turquoise in 2018. It literally developed overnight. Until then, I used to think it was an "old lady stone", guess I'm an old lady now ;). Anyhow, I bought a few pieces of old Navajo jewelry and the workmanship was amazing, so I wanted to know how it was all put together. I looked up silversmithing classes and came up on Harold studio and the rest is history (not that long of a history I guess).   What inspires you? I find inspiration in different places...antiques, old metal structures and even stones themselves (sometimes I "sit" on them until it "comes" to me what they should be). My love for vintage and rustic shows in textures and designs of my jewelry. What is your design process? Design process...as much as I overplan in all other aspects of my life, jewelry design just comes to me. I start working on something and it develops into...

How did you get into metalsmithing? I had an uncle who made a living as a watchmaker. He also had an interest in stones and made some jewelry. When I was in elementary school he would take me along to hunt for rubies, and on one occasion he bought me a handcrafted Sterling dogwood flower ring. I thought this was so amazing! Later on I became aware of art shows, and grasped the fact that I could actually make a living designing and making jewelry. What inspires you? I would have to say beauty. I relate to the fluid nature of metal, and am totally in love with the drama of fire. I find clarity in looking for design, and it is usually a subtle, very unplanned idea that starts my process. c What is your design process? Very simply, I make it up as I go along! What is your favorite tool? I like working with my foredom ..... the finishing process I find rewarding as the piece is becoming a whole. What is on your bench right now?  ...

How did you get into metalsmithing? I have always enjoyed learning and doing anything art and crafts related. I also admired all the pretty silver and turquoise jewelry out there, but had a hard time finding rings or cuffs that fit. I remember thinking maybe someday it would be cool to be able to make it myself. Two years ago, I was looking for a creative outlet to balance out my life and randomly searched the internets for a local metal-smithing class. I found Harold Studio, took the awesome Jewelry 1 class, and have been hooked ever since.   What inspires you? Lots of things - a lot of the times just looking at the stone itself sparks some idea for what it could become or what style would fit it best. I had lots of fun looking to nature and the National Parks for inspiration for several pieces. Sometimes running low on supplies (rarely happens right...) generates ideas. It ends up being a semi-fun challenge to see what I can try to create using what I have left un...

How did you get into metalsmithing? I was searching for an alternative creative outlet removed from the food world that I have spent my working career in.   I needed a new medium that still let me use my hands and tell a story, but without being edible. ( ring ) What inspires you? The natural world inspires me the most.  I look to the scenery around me for form and functionality.  Themes are important to me.  I like to set an idea and then open up the drawing books to let the creative juices flow.  I research botanical illustrations, animal anatomy, and maps to help ground my wandering mind. ( earrings ) What is your design process? Draw, draw, draw.  I try to draw in my books daily, even if I feel that is not consistent with what I’m working with at the moment.  It helps me keep a log of what I was feeling at the moment.  I also make prototypes for myself that I can where out and see the response I receive.  The responses help me know if the piece is liked by the collec...

Meghan makes jewelry for runners, triathletes, duathletes, swimmers, cyclists, yogis with her business Girls Run Fast. Jewelry to celebrate your accomplishment and more. Meghan makes jewelry for runners, triathletes, duathletes, swimmers, cyclists, yogis with her business Girls Run Fast. Jewelry to celebrate your accomplishment and more. How did you get into metalsmithing? I took my first class when I was at the university working on my BFA, it sparked my interest then but at that time I could not  fit any more classes into my schedule. I got back into it and  started taking classes again  twenty years later after teaching art for many years. What inspires you? My life experiences and the experiences of the people in my life.  I started making my running pendants when I was training for a marathon and continue to get ideas for new pendants from events in our lives. One of my newer designs is a runner with a dog , inspired by our new dog. What is your design...

Arizona Artist Series: Rebecca/ MissHotcakes Q&A Rebecca of MissHotcakes has a quirky unique style that mixes her love of the vintage and weird in a beautiful way through her jewelry designs. Learn more about her process and style in our latest Arizona Artist segment below! How did you get into metalsmithing? Jewelry making has been something I’ve been doing since high school, maybe earlier, so it’s always been an interest of mine. It started with beads, and then in the late 90s, there were hemp necklaces/bracelets. More recently, I was on the lookout for vintage buttons, and I also was using felt for a bit. I enjoyed that, but I found that I wanted to elevate my skill set, which led me to taking a course at Harold in 2015. I fell in love with the process and the ability to really create something out of nothing.  Creating is just such an important thing to me, and metalsmithing is really my favorite way to scratch my creative itch. What insp...

Arizona Artist Series: Mark Plehn Q&A Mark of Sacred Spirit Gems has a stirring array of crystals and crystal healing jewelry with stone combinations that are carefully arranged to create optimal healing results for the wearer. He was kind enough to answer some questions in our Arizona Artist Series about his design process and what inspires him. How did you get into metalsmithing? I began the initial metalsmithing aspect of my jewelry career learning how to set gemstone cabochons with sterling silver wire.  Almost twenty years ago I was fortunate enough to have met an amazing silver wire stone setting artist.  She had a small table at a very small northern Arizona town craft fair and after some conversation and my bold request for her to teach me, we ended up at my dining room table a few days later as she passed on her knowledge!  I was and am so grateful for her open-hearted sharing of her talents for my benefit and I appreciate the gift I received that day every ti...

Arizona Artist Series: Katherine Londen Q&A Katherine makes jewelry that mixes edgy lines with organic shapes and she always uses beautiful stones as a focal point. She just launched her etsy store, shopdearjewelry.com and we can't wait to see what she comes up with next.  Stick Earrings How did you get into making jewelry? I first became interested in metalsmithing in college, when I worked for a year as a sales assistant at a boutique jewelry store in Tucson called Viir Jewelers. I learned a little about gemstones and how they form in the earth, what gives them their colors, where they come from, etc. and I was fascinated by it. Jewelry making is really the intersection of art and science. I think that is the coolest thing! Years later, I read an article about Harold Studio and when I ended up taking a job downtown, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to take a class and learn. I've since taken several different classes. What inspires you? S...

Arizona Artist Series: Melanie Channon Q&A Melanie Channon is a scientist who makes beautiful wall hangings that will leave you breathless.  One of her pieces, Octopus is currently being featured at Arizona's Herbergur Theatre's Face Off Exhibit  with some other amazing artists until January.  You can see more of her work on her instagram .  How did you get into metalsmithing?   I took a class at Harold Studio in February 2013 and immediately fell in love with manipulating metal. What inspires you?   Metalwork made for religious purposes and/or royalty in the middle ages.  Pieces like reliquaries and crowns that were obviously time consuming and painstaking to make.  I really admire the dedication it took to make them.  I strive to reflect that kind of dedication in my pieces, even though they are not for religion or royalty.   What is your design process?   I try to think of things that I personally like (skulls, animals, character...