Tag Archives: interview

Oct10

Featured Artist Hugh Bridgeford

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Hugh Bridgeford of MudBugs pottery describes his art as “a hobby grown out of control.” The Urbana resident creates pottery with a sense of humor, and many of his current pots have a whimsical or satirical quality. He recently chatted with us about his art, which we’re happy to have at VK! 

What was your first piece? What inspired you to create it?

I created a green vase in high school using the coil method. It had a sun across the side inspired by the movie “Yellow Submarine.”

How long have you been creating?

Nearly as long as I can remember I’ve been creating. I still have a couple Christmas ornaments I made as a child. I made a conscious decision to follow my creativity on leaving high school. I left years of commercial art in 2004, when I was juried into the Illinois Artisans Program.

Click on photo to purchase this skull moonshine jug!

How did you get into making pottery?

Pottery and drawing were originally something I did to take a break from work in commercial art. At the point I left commercial art I naturally filled more of my time with making pots. It’s a hobby grown out of control.

Describe your creative process.

My imagery is inspired by news that piques my interest: “Ned Kelly’s skull found” or “Parachute may be lead in D. B. Cooper case.” I research the news and try to find the core of what is interesting for me. At the same time I have some work already in progress in the studio allowing the new idea to gestate into imagery. There is a constant rhythm between the studio and researching backstories on the internet. I spend significant time in the studio every day that my wife isn’t home. On those days we may plan strategy or work cooperatively on projects.

Flask inspired by Ned Kelly story! Click to purchase or see more of Hugh’s work.

What drew you to ceramics?

I love the rhythm of the ceramic process. Clay has to be prepared, then thrown and altered, spouts and handles added. Then dried and fired. All this before any imagery can be added to its surface. Each step has its own pace and generally cannot be rushed. It’s something akin to being a farmer – The outcome remains in question until harvest.

What is your favorite part of the creative process? What is your least favorite part?

After over a decade I have come to find pleasure in nearly every aspect of the potting process, even cleanup. The most exciting is to open a glaze firing and to see the finished work for the first time.

Click for more details of the blue jug.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by individuals or events I find outstanding or unique in some way. The current work uses the theme of moonshine and moonshining as a lens to look at individuals who acted outside of convention to perform dramatic and celebrated act. It may be D. B. Cooper and the only unsolved airline hijacking on the books or Ned Kelly who performed robberies wearing homemade armor in 1880s Australia.

What do you do when you’re not making art?

My wife, Ann, and I take seriously our obligation to give back to our community. We have been involved in issues of homelessness and hunger. We also donate to fundraisers for HIV awareness and access to medical care. Finally, we are always visiting friends and family spread from one end of the country to the other.

Don’t forget to check out Hugh’s display at Vintage Karma!

Sep26

Featured Artist Lisa Schureman

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It’s time for another look at what goes into creating handmade goods at Vintage Karma!

Meet Lisa Schureman of That Old Blue House. We were immediately drawn to the Green Valley resident’s use of old treasures in her jewelry. Words found on her jewelry packaging describe her work best: “She gives us a peek into the past through little windows of time created by heirloom quilts, lace, coverlets, vintage postcards and seed packets she uses in her pieces. All of these things lend clues to a way of life that no longer exists except in little treasures like these, found and preserved to be enjoyed today.” 

What was your first piece? What inspired you to create it?

I took my first stained glass class over 25 years ago at a local retail gift shop by day and craft shop by night!

How did you get into making jewelry? What drew you to your chosen medium?

I was drawn to stained glass because I wanted to make a lamp. I started making small suncatchers, and I had a friend that offered to sell my pieces in her florist shop. After she sold one, I was hooked! I have been creating ever since!

Click the photo to purchase one of Lisa’s marble necklaces.

Describe your creative process. 

Over the years my work has evolved. Now I mainly make jewelry using the stained glass technique. I combine my love of antiques with glass to create one-of-a-kind jewelry.

What is your favorite part of the creative process? What is your least favorite part?

I have to admit it’s the hunt for antique and vintage items that I most enjoy. I love digging through antique shops, auctions, etc., to find old pieces to repurpose in my jewelry. A friend of mine says I have more “stuff” than I will ever use! My least favorite part is probably the wrapping of each piece with copper foil before soldering.

Click the photo to purchase.

What inspires you?

I usually find inspiration from the vintage pieces I pick up here and there. One day I might be going through my old crazy quilt scraps and spend the whole day cutting and assembling pieces; another day it’s my marbles. At times ideas just randomly pop into my head …

Lisa’s studio

What do you do when you’re not making art?

I spend time going to my son’s games. Right now he is playing in a wood bat league. I also love to read mysteries and watch sports on TV.

Don’t forget to check out a special display of Lisa’s jewelry at Vintage Karma!

Sep16

Urban Escapee interview!

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Last week, we were interviewed over on Urban Escapee, where the tagline is “Ditch the Commute, Build a Business, & Revitalize Main Street.”

It’s pretty easy to see why we were so excited to be featured there:

Ditch the commute. Check. Ainslie no longer travels about an hour a day, and I sure don’t mind giving up my old commute. When I added up my time on the road, I found I gained approximately 40 hours of life back PER MONTH.

Build a business. Even though some folks think we are crazy, we moved Vintage Karma 800 miles away to a small Midwestern town to expand and offer retail online and in person.

Revitalize Main Street. We’re both excited to be part of what Tuscola is creating! We opened here in April, and more changes are coming to Sale Street with a fitness business, coffee shop and home decor store on the way.

We discovered the Urban Escapee site through our friend James, who was nice enough to introduce us to Katie, a small business owner and the voice behind Urban Escapee. She is also writing a book, and is the author of

The manifesto has lots of food for thought in it about community, small businesses, the environment and rural/small town living. A good read filled with beautitful photos. You can get it here, and it’s free!

Sep12

Featured Artist Melissa Mitchell

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This series gives you a peek into what’s behind some of the art you can find at Vintage Karma. Each object is created with care and creativity; behind every handmade item, there’s a story and a person. 

This week, meet Champaign artist Melissa Mitchell, who creates funky assemblage, colorful collages and whimsical photographs. Also a writer, she crafts up clever names for her artwork, too!

Melissa in her studio in Champaign’s Lincoln Building.

What was your first piece? What inspired you to create it?

I made my first assemblage about 12 years ago — a 3-foot sculptural piece I dubbed “Tina the Ballerina.” It turned out to be the first of a series of three featuring architectural salvage. All were influenced to some degree by my interest in Louise Bourgeois and the sculptures she referred to as “personages.” Tina grew from an unusual “thing” I picked up at a garage sale. I have no clue what its original function was, but it has what assemblage artist Michael deMeng would call “inherent thingyness.” The base is made from a gold resin-like material that appears similar to what’s used to manufacture bowling balls. Extending upward from the base is a metal rod. I slipped a hollow architectural-salvage piece on top of that, added a rusty Rototiller blade then capped it with a glass-doorknob finial. I also attached burgundy fringe around Tina’s “hips,” hence the ballerina reference. When I was a child, I took ballet lessons and loved listening over and over and over to a song called “Tina the Ballerina.” I still remember the words. But I will spare you.

Tina the Ballerina.

How long have you been creating?

I’ve been a “maker” all my life … always doodling, drawing, painting, crafting. And writing, writing, writing. I wrote my first (and maybe only!) play at age 7. In college, I majored in English literature, but at one point switched to interior design. When I was supposed to be writing, I tended to procrastinate by making art; and, of course, when I was supposed to be making art … well, you know. Through the years, I also took random classes in photography and ceramics.

How did you get into making your art?

About 20 years ago, things kicked up a notch again on the visual-arts front when I became friends with an artist who lived near me. The two of us would sometimes just hang out and make stuff. That act of communing through art-making made me realize that, for some reason, as adults, many of us have suppressed so much of the natural creativity that was always there bubbling up as children. It was a liberating experience. Even though I self-identified as a writer — because that’s what I was paid to do — I realized I could make art if I felt like it, and I certainly didn’t need anyone’s permission or approval to do so.

Click on the photo to purchase “Live Freaks” or other art from Melissa.

Describe your creative process. 

Whether I’m making assemblage, collage or taking photographs, for me, it’s all about the moment — seeing things suddenly in a way I’ve never seen them before. I’ve probably photographed every inch of my backyard 20 times over, but then the sun hits a flower or casts a shadow on a piece of garden art just so, and I see something totally fresh. And simply must capture it! Definitely borders on obsession or addiction. A similar effect takes place in my studio, which doubles as a repository for all the odd bits that I accumulate to make assemblage. My best work there happens spontaneously as well — especially if I immerse myself there for several hours at a time (typically, far into the wee ones). Even though I may have looked at a particular object many times over and been uninspired, for reasons I can’t explain, all at once the pieces start to come together … divine inspiration, maybe? (Ha!) Sometimes I will finish an assemblage in its entirety in one sitting. More often, there’s a testing period involved, in which I try configurations, change them out, then rearrange and rethink them again before attaching the pieces permanently.

What drew you to your chosen medium?

As mentioned previously, my original assemblages were loosely inspired by Louise Bourgeois’ “personages.” My “associates,” as I called them, were an amalgamation of parts that ultimately assumed vaguely humanistic qualities. To create them, I did what many artists, especially self-taught ones, do by necessity — worked with materials that were readily accessible. Also, all of my art — regardless of the medium — tends to be narrative in nature. Considering that I worked as a reporter and feature writer most of my adult life, it’s not too hard to figure out the connection there. It also explains my interest in photography; early in my career as a writer, I realized photography was one more useful skill to have in my toolkit. It’s also something I’ve been exposed to all my life. (Yes, pun intended, sorry!). My dad was into it, so I grew up watching his slide shows as Saturday-night entertainment. I still have the first black-and-white photos I ever took with my own camera when I was 12 years old.

Rooster metal panel photo available at Vintage Karma.

What is your favorite part of the creative process? What is your least favorite part?

My favorite part is that aha! moment … when I know in my gut that something is not only finished, but that it has turned out better than what I’d imagined. Least favorite: When I’m working in my studio late at night, overtired, and know I should just quit and go home before I get clumsy and break something. But I don’t quit. Then I break something!

What inspires you?

Rusty junk, bright colors, sunshiny days, music, nature, travel, my own backyard.

“Special” collage available at VK.

What do you do when you’re not making art?

I’m the volunteer communications coordinator at The I.D.E.A. Store, a fabulous creative-reuse marketplace in Champaign, so a lot of my time goes into promoting the store. In the cracks, I enjoy gardening, swimming, listening to music, “junking,” traveling and hanging with friends — including my best friend/sweetie Jim. Oh, and I may as well admit that I have a reputation for being one of those crazy cat ladies and add “entertaining and being entertained by cats” to the list. Well, make that cat. Singular. Sadly, we lost three of our old kitty friends this past year.

Don’t forget to stop by Vintage Karma and check out a special display of Melissa’s art!

Aug29

Featured Artist Molly Poganski and the Living Letter Press

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Molly Poganski is the printer and shop manager at the Living Letter Press in Champaign. When not printing up “Hey Girl!” cards or roller derby posters, Molly teaches workshops that take participants back in time with blocks of wood type, the rythmn of the press and the smell of fresh ink. 

How long have you been creating?
The Living Letter Press opened in October 2011, but I’ve been printing for five or so years.

What was your first piece? What inspired you to create it?

I think the first commercial piece we did at the Living Letter Press were the posters for the 2011 Pygmalion Music Festival. Very fun project. The poster is based on a traditional show poster look, similar to that of Hatch Show Print, for example.

How did you get into making your creations?

I learned about letterpress while attending Indiana University and was hooked immediately. The Living Letter Press opened after a Kickstarter campaign and the creation of our “sister project,” an app called LetterMpress, which simulates the process of letterpress printing on the iPad.

Woodie Guthrie print available at VK.

Describe your creative process.

My process is sometimes based on a client’s needs (commercial work) and sometimes based on other inspiration. At the studio every day I’m surrounded by hundreds of pieces of wood type, which most of our work is printed from. There’s an endless supply of words and imagery you can create from the type, and the amount of freedom we have to be creative and experiment really depends on the project.

What drew you to your chosen medium?

The look of letterpress is distinct; each piece of wood type has its own knicks, dents, and idiosyncrasies. It looks old (it is old) and rustic, which I love. It has a warm Americana sort of feel to it. Also, I really enjoy the process of setting type. It’s time consuming, but for me it’s a puzzle you get to figure out and then print with. A puzzle that produces art in the end. I love that.

Click the photo to purchase the cards.

What is your favorite part of the creative process? What is your least favorite part?

My favorite part is probably setting the type to print, and then pulling the first prints off the press. You can never quite tell what your print will look like until you’ve pulled one; there’s always a little bit of mystery and risk. My least favorite part (and I think this is universal among printers) is cleaning the press.

What keeps you inspired/what inspires you?

Old things. Abstract type and type as image. Vintage typography. Linocut and woodcut. Hatch Show Print, Yee Haw Industries, Hammerpress, and a hundred other printers and print shops.

Click the photo to purchase a print.

What do you do when you’re not making art?

Outside of work, I cook a lot, play the drums, root through thrift stores, ride a bicycle, and hang out with my cat Gus.

Aug15

Featured Artist Anne Potter

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Anne Potter

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Champaign resident Anne Potter is the new featured artist at VK! Her jewelry is currently featured in the Fall issue of “Stringing Magazine” and in the “101 Bracelets, Necklaces and Earrings” issue, too. 

Don’t forget to stop by and check out a special display of her jewelry!

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To purchase these pop earrings or see more photos, click the picture above.

How long have you been creating?

For as long as I can remember.  One of my first memories is stacking two chairs on top of each other to reach two jars of tempra paint that my mother had bought for my brother’s art project.  I mixed the black and the white to paint several gray “alligators” on sheets and sheets of newspaper.  My mom was less than impressed with this early endeavor, even though I still think it showed my artistic potential.

How did you get into making your creations?

While always artistic, I think my path was directed by my mom. Without her fabric scrap box and utter     refusal to buy me pretty art supplies, I wouldn’t have the creative resources that I rely on in my art today.  When I was decorating my dollhouse for Christmas one year, I wanted a little bottle-brush Christmas tree from the hobby store.  My mom refused and said something like, “No.  Make do with what you have.” So I fashioned a tree out of wire branches glued into a wooden thread spool.  I crayon-colored paper for the greenery, cutting lengths of tiny paper fringe and glued it to each wire branch.  I felt my tree was too Charlie Brown, (and still wanted the store-bought bottle brush tree) but this do-it-yourself attitude guides my work every day.

Describe your creative process.

I create art around my real life of raising five kids.  Art is my passion, but it is very second-place.  I save full-on creative time for nighttime, after the kids are in bed.  All day long, I store up ideas of projects or pieces, color combinations, new materials to try, etc., and then at bedtime, they all tumble forth and I get to work.  I work at my coffee table, watching travel shows on TV, with a glass of wine.  After I finish a piece, I show it to my husband who politely smiles and says, “Nice.”

Anne’s DIY kits are available at VK.

What drew you to your chosen medium?

While I work in a lot of different media, I mainly make jewelry now because it’s so gratifying.  I love that I can pull together beautiful beads and metal and make a piece in an evening (which is about 1/100 of the time it takes me to make a quilt).  I’ve also found that making jewelry suits my scatter-brained nature.  In jewelry making I can quickly move on to a new piece, whereas in knitting, for example, my ADD just leaves me with an unfinished sweater.

Click on the photo to purchase this necklace.

What inspires you?

Travel mainly.  I suffer from wanderlust and I have long loved the exotic styles from foreign cultures.  Thai pagodas, Mexican Milagros, Norwegian stavekirkes and Viking ships, Indian block printing and mendhi designs, Hungarian embroidery, Morroccan souks, Maori tattoos, the Australian outback, and Japanese gardens.

What do you do when you’re not making art?

Laundry.

Jul27

Featured Artist Leslie Hornaday

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This series gives you a peek into what’s behind some of the art you can find at Vintage Karma. Each item is created with care and creativity; you’re not buying something manufactured on an assembly line or made by mistreated workers. 

Behind every handmade item, there’s a story and a person. 

This week, meet Tuscola resident Leslie Hornaday. She runs her company, Mother of All Design, and her creations range from baby bibs and toddler aprons to fun handbags and rosette headbands. Leslie’s aprons are often vintage-inspired and her headbands made with vintage fabric and earrings!

 

 How long have you been creating?

I have been creating ever since I started out on my own after college.  I learned that things can get really expensive and sometimes it is just easier to create it yourself.  I didn’t know at the time when I was trying to save money that I would find a hobby I enjoyed so much!

What was your first piece? What inspired you to create it?

My first piece was a half apron for my mother-in-law.  She had wanted one, and I couldn’t find one I thought she would like.  I decided to get out my sewing machine and make her a half apron for Christmas.  This was the first item I created for someone else.  That following year I ended up making quite a few more half aprons for some of our friends who wanted to give them as gifts.

Click on the photo to purchase this apron.

How did you get into making your creations?

My creations are mostly items sewn from fabric.  I can give my mother credit for getting me interested in the idea of creating items on a sewing machine.  She made many things growing up, and the most memorable are some of our cutest Halloween costumes.  I also have to thank my father for buying me my first sewing machine!

Describe your creative process. 

As a mom, all my items I create are inspired around being a mother.  A new item usually gets added to my list of creations when I find a problem or a store item I just don’t like and end up making it with my own design.  Once I create it I usually end up loving it and making more to sell to other moms out there! Also having children makes it hard to find time to sew, but I usually use nap time as my creating time.  Some people find watching their favorite show or reading relaxing.  I find that I can really relax and enjoy myself when sewing and creating new items.

What drew you to your chosen medium?

My mother is responsible for getting me interested in owning my own sewing machine, and my mother-in-law is responsible for getting me interested in working mostly with fabric items.  It is neat how much “mothers” are behind my company and what it is all about!

What is your favorite part of the creative process? What is your least favorite part?

My favorite part would be when I get to pick out the fabrics in the beginning and then seeing the finished product at the end.  My least favorite part would be if my sewing machine is not cooperating that day.

Click on the photo to purchase this apron.

What keeps you inspired/what inspires you?

My children and my day-to-day life inspire me!  I see what I need as a mother to make my life easier or just a little bit more fashionable and fun!!!

What do you do when you’re not making art?

Full-time mom … enough said. :)

Jul11

Featured Artist Erin Blitz

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Charleston resident Erin Blitz creates colorful fused and kiln-formed glass. Her vibrant offerings include everything from keepsake boxes and centerpiece bowls to striking earrings and pendant necklaces. Purchase a piece of her art at Vintage Karma’s online shop. 

Q: How long have you been creating? How did you get into making your creations?

Many of my earliest memories are of creating artworks. My father is an architect and I had two very creative grandmothers that were always crafting something, so I was encouraged from an early age to express myself visually. I spent a lot of time just making things.

I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History and Studio Art from the University of Puget Sound and later when my youngest child entered school, I completed my Masters of Arts degree at Eastern Illinois University with an emphasis in Ceramics.

Q: What drew you to your chosen medium?

Today I work in fused and kiln-formed glass and have been since 2007. Apparently flinging around 50 pound bags of clay can be bad for your back, so about a year after earning my graduate degree I had back surgery. I had to find some lighter weight materials to work with. I spent a couple of years working in felted wool, another two experimenting with batik, and flirted with bookmaking techniques, but eventually the new, unused kiln in the basement beckoned to me. I started melting some bottles and working with broken glass. When I discovered that I could purchase sheets of colored glass, the possibilities seemed endless.

Q: What is your favorite part of the creative process? What is your least favorite part?

My favorite part of the creative process is the process. Literally, I like the steps it takes to create something; the more the better it seems. I also enjoy the magic that comes with a multi-step process: the newly developed photograph, the removal of wax from a batik, the “big reveal” when opening a kiln. These surprises, frequently but not always positive, keep it exciting. My husband the scientist likes repeatable results. Although I appreciate the concept, I like to keep trying something new.

The least favorite part of my creative process is that sometimes I just make things too complicated with all those steps.  “Less is more” can be a beautiful thing.

Q: What inspires you?

Making art inspires me.  Every time I take something out of the kiln I want to make something else; I could have done it differently, used other colors, made it larger, smaller or changed its form. Finding out that others like my work also inspires me. I like making things that are beautiful or attention grabbing, things for the home that give people pleasure or just make them smile.

Q: What do you do when you’re not making art?

When I’m not making art or thinking about art I’m probably making or thinking about food. I enjoy cooking and everybody’s got to eat three times a day if you’re lucky. I also work part-time at Adams Funeral Chapel in Charleston.

Don’t forget to visit Vintage Karma to check out Erin’s Featured Artist display!

Jun26

Featured Artist: Jim Beeson

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Tuscola resident Jim Beeson has a passion for fly fishing, and it shows in his work. The artist creates unique flies and hardwood nets that not only are decorative pieces but functional as well.  

Q: How long have you been creating? How did you get into making your creations?

A: I have been creating hardwood nets for fly fishing since 2004. I was introduced to fly tying and fly fishing when my dad gave me a fly-tying kit when I was about 8 years old. I took it up later in life after my children began college, and I have 22 years’ experience now. I started trout fishing in the Missouri Ozarks and have traveled to Arizona, Wisconsin and Michigan pursuing fish on a fly rod.

I learned fly tying from a local fly fisherman back in the 1950s. He taught me the basics of the art of fly fishing and fly tying at his home study. His adventures to Wisconsin in May to fly fish for brown trout were inspirational. Hunting also intrigued me, and I would use feathers from pheasant and fur from rabbits I had harvested.

Q: What was your first piece? What inspired you to create it?

A: My first piece was a trout net that was a kit. I figured if I could put a kit together, I would investigate and learn the art of building my own completely. I made several small 7-inch handle nets and began wood burning on them. Inspired by a fellow fly fisherman, I put scenes of May flies, fish and other embellishments on them.

Q: Describe your creative process.

A: I create flies usually during the afternoon. I have a spare bedroom I converted into a fly-tying area equipped with feathers, tools, beads, thread and a variety of other man-made materials. Hardwood nets are created in my garage, where I have a band saw, sander, drill and steamer to steam hoops and varnish. I use feathers on nets as well as a woodburning tool. I take pride in the artwork I create.

Q: What drew you to your chosen medium?

A: When I was a child, I had a great interest in insects. I collected butterflies and insects, and labeled them and studied them. Watching my father fly fish kept my interest in what fish eat and how a person could catch them. My background  is Scottish, Irish and English. A lot of our history in fly fishing came from our heritage in Scotland and England.

Q: What is your favorite part of the creative process? What is your least favorite part?

A: I enjoy coming up with a new pattern that works or inventing ways to use accessories of fly fishing. There are endless possibilities. I am excited about creating and talking about some aspect of fly tying or net making. Some people are not near as interested in a lost art form. I would say that is a drawback. In other parts of the country, it is a livelihood.

Q: What keeps you inspired/what inspires you?

A: I keep inspired by reading up on fly fishing. My aspiration is to continue to help others learn the art form of fly tying or net making and fly fishing, and to interest younger people in my endeavor.

Q: What do you do when you’re not making art?

A: I have been married almost 16 years . My wife and I are basically retired. I am a volunteer in my church; we attend small groups. I encourage people to live a full Christian life and help others succeed in life’s adventures. I am a member of VFW and also a commander of TK Martin post 10009. We try to help veterans as they return to work and civilian life, and we maintain a presence and membership in our community.

Don’t forget to visit Vintage Karma to check out Jim’s Featured Artist display!

Jun13

Featured Artist: Susan Harbourt

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Meet Susan Harbourt of Luster Metal Works in this Vintage Karma artist interview. The St. Joseph resident’s eco-fabulous copper creations have been seen on celebrities Christopher Heyerdahl and Tinsel Korey of The Twilight Saga, and on Iqbal Theba of Glee. 

Forget-Me-Not necklaces

Q: How long have you been creating? How did you get into making your creations?

A: I have been creating in some fashion my whole life … from creating the most amazing messes when I was little like plugging the hole of the dryer with Play-Doh to cracking all of the hollow eggs of a decoration my mom had to help “let the baby birds out.” I stole my mom’s hose to secretly cut up so I could weave her endless supplies of potholder squares. I finally got a little older and started making more useful items like a coffee cup table for my grandmother.

When it was time to go off to college, I studied materials engineering, and that landed me a job in product development where I got to create fun items for a sporting goods company.  That lasted for about seven years until my life path lead me down a different road when my husband and I moved back to Illinois. At that time I made my best creations, my two sons James and Mark. But after leaving my career behind I was missing the satisfaction of creating and completing projects, because as we all know as a mom, your job is NEVER done.

So the proper short answer to your question is that about six years ago is when I got into the “creating” mode I am in now. And that was purely by chance. We were updating the electrical system in our Edwardian-era house, and I found myself surrounded by bits of gleaming copper that we had removed from the walls. I absent-mindedly picked up some and was twirling it and made a lovely bracelet. You could say that was the defining moment for me. I gathered up all that copper and put it in a box and have been creating with it ever since!

Q: What was your first piece? What inspired you to create it?

A: Well, technically my first piece was a wedding band for my husband about 14 years ago. I carved a wax form with a wave design and had it cast into his wedding band. That was so much fun to do, but I didn’t really do much more in the way of jewelry design until many years later when I started making lovely beaded necklaces to wear to work. But my first metalsmith items were copper stacking rings featuring a variety of textures made with different hammers we had in our workshop.

Q: Describe your creative process.

A: I don’t have a hard and true creative process. Normally it’s more about words or feelings all scribbled down on a piece of paper. Sometimes images come to me in my dreams and I have to wake up and sketch my ideas, so there is always a pad of paper and pen by my bed with the most random chicken scratches all over the pages.  Sometimes I wake up in the morning and wonder what the heck I was trying to draw or write because it will be completely illegible. I also now use Pinterest to scroll around and look for inspiration.

But for the most part my creative process involves me going out to my shop and just doing it. I start with a general idea and then I let my hammer guide me on a journey. Often the resulting items are nothing like what I started off intending to make, but if I didn’t allow myself that stream-of-conscience designing style, I would never have come up with the amazing design. I enjoy that free form designing method a lot, but as I am getting more skilled in my metalsmithing, I find it is easier now to actually sketch a design and go make it as I had intended it to be.

Q: What drew you to your chosen medium?

A: It chose me I didn’t choose it … It was all just from that fateful day of absently-mindedly playing with the copper wire! I guess that is part of the reason I enjoy allowing myself that unstructured design time. When I let go of preconceived ideas my best work can occur … and some of my most amazing failures as well.

Q: What is your favorite part of the creative process? What is your least favorite part?

A: My favorite part is the actual making of the items. I love taking some piece of “scrap” and watch it turn into a lovely piece of art. My least favorite part is the business and administrative end … the marketing of yourself, the  keeping paperwork, paying taxes monthly, making sure the item gets shipped, the product photography, the listing the item to sell, the maintaining the websites …

Actor Christopher Heyerdahl wearing one of Harbourt’s copper cuffs.

Q: What keeps you inspired/what inspires you?

A: The need to create keeps me inspired. I also find a lot of inspiration from nature and the world around me.

Q: What do you do when you’re not making art?

A: When I am not making art I am chasing after my two little boys, ages 3 and 6.  Sometimes I round them up long enough to get them to help me work in our veggie garden. But late at night, when it is quiet and still in the house, I like to curl up on the couch with my Kindle and a cuppa hot tea and a few cookies and let myself be transported far, far away by a good book.

Don’t forget to visit Vintage Karma to check out Susan’s Featured Artist display!