Our third designer profile leading up to tomorrow’s trunk show features the lovely Ann Jones of AJ’s Eardrops. We’ve been working with Ann for a long time, and love her completely unique jewelry designs.

Ann takes plastic out of her recycling bin, paints it, and cuts and bends it into earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. Her jewelry is so sophisticated and modern – it’s really hard to believe that she’s working with recycled plastic. All we can say is that Ann has a true talent. She’s also fun to hang out with, so we hope that you’ll join us tomorrow!

I know you became a jewelry designer after a career in marketing. Did you always design or make things in your spare time, or is this something that you were drawn to later on?

I have been interested in design since I was a little girl. The first major project I remember was making a bride dress for my doll. The doll and dress were featured in the window of a store in our tiny town when I was about 8. Now that was a big deal!

On Kid’s Day (a small town fair) in the Midwestern town where I grew up, all children were allowed an opportunity to paint anything they wanted on the windows of the storefronts. The Mayor would judge the winners, and the drawings would stay on the windows for display during the entire event. I will never forget the fun we had and the encouragement we received just to express ourselves through art. I guess my spare time has always been taken up by design, painting, or invention because I was given encouragement and a sense of art appreciation.

I had one grandmother who was an artist – she loved to paint landscapes. My other grandmother loved to play the piano and cook. My family said I inherited my love of the arts from both wonderful women but not my cooking!

Inspired by my son when he was 5, I copyrighted drawings of girls and boys working at the same jobs and participating in the same sports, and was asked to provide drawings to the publisher Price, Stern, and Sloan for a “Career Color Cut-Out Book” for Boys and Girls. My son and I wrote poems for each page and had a wonderful time. Published in 1976, boys and girls were featured having the same careers, so the book was also a statement for all children to be able to choose a career or participate in a sport that matched their interests and not their gender. The little color cut-out book was reprinted a few times so I feel in some small way I made a contribution to a sense of equality for all of us. I have to say of all the creations I have completed, my little people are near and dear to my heart because they all started with only one little drawing of my son when he was 5!

My earrings were a result of having my ears pierced at age 60! I’d always worn large clip earrings, however, the weight and pinching of those beautiful ear adornments finally drove me to get my ears pierced. I didn’t realize it would be a very long time until I would be able to wear large earrings on newly pierced ears, due to the weight! I had taken many photographs that I printed on canvas, which was lightweight, so one day as I was looking at the color and design on canvas, I held the cloth up to my ear and decided to form shapes that would produce interesting earrings. When folded, the colors became the focus of interest, and not the photograph.

The photographs did produce unique earrings but I also wanted to use my artistic talent to create a different look using pure color. When I was looking at just one day of recycled plastic in my recycling bag, I thought – why not use paint to create artistic designs and produce earrings of any size or color, so I could make a different statement with my jewelry. Out of color, grew shape, and then a multitude of unique earrings that dropped from my pierced ears. They were featherweight so it felt like I was actually wearing nothing on my ears…no pinching, no weight, just uniqueness. As I wore my creations, many people – friends, family, or even strangers started asking where I found those earrings. I told my story and the rest is history – AJ’s Eardrops began.

How does your design process work? Do you sketch out designs on paper or in a 3D computer program, or do you play around with the materials? Or all of the above?

When my raw material for the earrings is plastic, first and foremost, I play around with the materials and decide the type of recycled plastic I am using…is it pliable or rigid, thick or thin? Does the plastic bend easily or not? Will the plastic take paint or will it not adhere to the surface? After I decide on the type of plastic it is, I place the color. Once the type is decided, I will use colors that I feel are prominent based on the season or wants and needs of my customers. Should I use lichen or emerald green? Is the metallic look for the season or colors selected enhanced by gold leaf, silver, antique gold, deeper rich silver, bronze or copper? Once the color is applied, a design is cut out…perhaps in strips to bend, rectangles, circles, or just plain shapes based on how the color is applied to the plastic. The movement of the color often determines the shape, however, specific individuals, based on facial shapes and angles, will prefer a specific size and shape. In that case, the design is based on an individual. When a photograph is a base or canvas for the eardrop, the shape will be determined by the colors in the photograph or again, specific images or shapes within the photograph.

What does a typical day look like for you? Can you walk us through the day to day activities of a jewelry-maker?

My day begins with checking website orders and fulfilling those. Then, I go for a walk, taking photographs of interesting subjects, checking to see my recycled material for the day – stopping along the way to purchase a Mocha Freddo from Peet’s coffee or Mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks as a drink of choice, chicken salad from Whole Foods, cantaloupe pre-cut, yogurt container, or water bottles used to give my dog, myself, or my husband a drink. If people would look at the amount of plastic they use on a daily basis, they would be overwhelmed! So, for the day, I wash all of the plastic from my family’s consumption, look at the possibilities, and store based on use…earrings, bracelets, etc. Some of my materials are in the wash process, others, the paint process, cut or shape process, varnish process, metallic finishing process, and again, varnish process, applying the appropriate jewelry findings, assembling, packaging, and shipping process. There are many stages involved every day but the best of anything is that each piece is new, unique, and cannot be replicated. The fun is in the uniqueness, whether it be color or design. My imagination is endless. After hundreds of earrings, I can still say, each and every pair is unique unto itself.

Do you have a favorite piece of jewelry (either one that you made or that was given to you)? What does it look like and why do you love it?

My favorite piece of jewelry is a cameo that was my grandmother’s, given to her by her aunt. It is not a typical oval cameo, but is rectangular-shaped, edged with a wide strip of gold that has been twisted, with a scene of a woman and a landscape roughly etched on the shell. It is so very old and so very unusual. I guess the history of where that piece has traveled and how it was acquired has always intrigued me. I will never know the story. but it sure is fun to imagine different scenarios. My grandmother was originally born in Ireland but grew up and was raised by her aunts in Canada, and then was married and raised her own family in the United States. Sounds intriguing. When I wear the piece, I feel as though there is an unwritten novel housed in that brooch.

MAJOR INVENTORY SALE

40% or more off EVERYTHING* in the shop 

Now – May 29th

We’re having a big sale to make way for some big changes at New Coast Studios!

On June 1st we’re closing our shop and gallery in order to focus our efforts on providing artist services and studio/exhibition rental space. We’ve loved running the shop and gallery, but it just makes sense for our small team to focus on what we do best.

AnyaSF is one of the three designers featured at our trunk show this Saturday, and is the subject of today’s designer profile! AnyaSF is the brainchild of Anja Broenink, a San Francisco-based apparel designer originally from the Netherlands. Anja creates simple, modern pieces from recycled materials.  We’re very excited to have her at New Coast this Saturday! We recently asked her to share her story with us.

I know that you worked in the fashion industry in Amsterdam and Paris before starting your own line. Were you always interested in fashion from a young age? How did you get started in the industry?

I was not really a “fashion girl” as a child, more a tomboy, but I always knew exactly what I wanted to wear and I am sure I drove my mom crazy with that. She was busy and had 4 children!

I grew up in the Netherlands and my mom used to sew her own and her children’s clothing. She bought fabric at the Fabric Market, which is a weekly outdoor market, as a child it was great fun to visit the Fabric Market with my mom and here was the start. I could not wait to have my mom make me something from the fabric I choose at the market, so I started myself, and I made my first pair of pants when I was 12 years old!

Before I started to work in the industry I went to Art School in the Netherlands and studied Fashion. I learned how to design, make patterns, the basics of sewing, drawing and painting, and how to think as an artist/designer. After my graduation I went to Paris to find myself a job…

What drew you to use recycled materials? Does using recycled materials make your manufacturing process more complex? 

A small part of my collection is made from recycled T shirts. While I was visiting a thrift store I was intrigued by the enormous amount of printed T shirts. Most of them were very ugly and that triggered me to recycle them and make something really fun out of it. I bought printed T shirts and started to make dresses using the prints to give every piece its own theme. Lately I’ve also been making wrap dresses, for these it’s not really about the prints but about using every scrap of the T shirts, like quilters used to do, I embroider some panels with quilt stitches.

The manufacturing process is much harder than working with new materials. I can’t do what I want, I limit myself to working with pieces of fabric in odd shapes and prints, and I remake these in dresses that fit well and have a good balance. Every dress is different and it’s always a puzzle, sometimes frustrating and most of the time a lot of fun!

What does a typical day look like for you? Can you walk us through the day to day activities of an apparel designer?

Most days are pretty full with work.

In the morning I start with mail, emails, and phone calls,  then I start working on orders or preparing for a show, which means cutting, sewing, finishing, etc. Or I design and make new designs, or the one of a kind pieces which are a total different type of work and need different energy.

Most of the time I take a break in the early afternoon and go out for a walk or lunch, and then work again till about 7 PM. Because I work for myself I am more or less flexible in time and can work till late at night or take a morning off. I try to work during daylight hours though because it is much easier to choose color/print combinations in daylight.

I always end my day with a to do list for the next morning.

Are there other designers or artists that you’re particularly inspired by right now? 

I have always been inspired by Yamamoto and JP Gaultier, and then of course there are other favorites, they come and go, I love to travel and look in the little stores of local designers.

This Saturday we’re hosting a trunk show featuring three fabulous designers – AnyaSF, Amy Faust and AJ’s Eardrops. Over the next few days we’ll be posting interviews with each of these talented women to share our excitement about their work.  Today’s interview is with Amy Faust, a jewelry designer based in Oakland, CA.  Amy uses recycled silver and gold, beach glass, vintage glass, pottery, pebbles and gems to create sculptural modern pieces. She’s inspired by light, texture, and color, resulting in simple pieces that are both elegant and very wearable. This is the first time that Amy will be showing her work at New Coast, and we’re very excited to have her!

I know that you started making jewelry in high school. Did you always know that you wanted to be a jeweler? What drew you to jewelry-making?

I have always enjoyed making things with my hands.  Whether it’s drawing and painting or print making, being creative, and expressing myself through the objects that I make has always had it’s appeal.  In High School I took a jewelry making class which more or less lit the spark. However, it wasn’t until a friend at school who had learned how to do some metal work, made a small metal box that totally amazed me.  I hadn’t seen anything made like that before.  That is probably the thing that got me into Metalsmithing and led me to want to get a BFA in Metalsmithing.

How does your design process work? Do you sketch out designs on paper or in a 3D computer program, or do you play around with the materials? Or all of the above? 

My design process is very organic in that it changes from project to project.  I sketch out designs/ideas/concepts but I also like to play around in my studio with the many found objects (both natural and man made) that I have collected.  This is usually the path that is the most consistent. I don’t really do anything on the computer design wise; but do use the computer as a research tool for materials and visual images that inspire.

What does a typical day look like for you? Can you walk us through the day to day activities of a jewelry-maker?

Ideally, I like to start my day with yoga and mediation.  Typically I get a lot of email from customers and stores regarding orders or custom design work.  Also quite a lot of time is spent doing research for materials i.e., ordering metals and speaking with vendors;  and of course general office work.   It’s not very glamorous!  Eventually I get to my work bench.  

Do you have a favorite piece of jewelry (either one that you made or that was given to you)? What does it look like and why do you love it?

A sterling silver necklace that my Great Uncle brought back from WW1.  I love this necklace because it has these amazing little charms that are representative of prominent Italian cities and beautiful silver work.

Jennifer Schwartz is the owner of the Jennifer Schwartz Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia; the writer of the arts advocacy and photographer resource blog, Crusade for Art; and the creator of the ongoing arts engagement project, the Crusade for Collecting. More generally, she’s an innovator who spends her time thinking about how to expose young people to art and young artists to collectors, how to create a new generation of art patrons and successful artists.

Jennifer’s currently in the middle of Crusade for Collecting, a two month tour that she’s making across the U.S. in a blue V.W. bus. In each town she sets up pop-up events, and with the help of artists, gives away original work to passers-by that are willing to engage with them about the art. The goal is to give local photographers the chance to connect with future collectors in their own communities, and to give young people an opportunity to the think about the value and accessibility of art.

We’re really inspired by Jennifer’s work, and recently got the chance to ask her some questions about it:

How did you come up with the idea of Crusade for Collecting?

I have a photography gallery in Atlanta and show the work of emerging photographers. I realized really early on that a huge part of my job was to find an audience for that work. Photography is affordable and accessible – the barrier for entry is lower – so I thought emerging collectors would be a good fit. But how do you find someone who isn’t yet looking for art? How do you give someone an art experience so that they can get into it? People don’t appreciate and value original art as much as previous generations did, but we value being original in general and are curious about things in our world. If you give people an arts experience – make them a collector on the spot – it can be transformative.

Why do you think it’s important for people to collect art?

Collecting sounds intimidating and stuffy…but we all collect a lot of things. People thinks it costs too much money or that they need an art history degree to collect art, but you don’t – you just need to love something and buy it.

There are a lot of artists out there. If we don’t cultivate a new crop of collectors, the art ecology will be in trouble.

What have artist reactions been to the project?

Mostly positive, but mixed. A lot of artists are excited to see someone do something completely different to try to build an audience. But a lot of artists have an issue with giving the work away for free. Giving art away isn’t the right move for every artist. The artists I’m working with are getting exposure, making a connection in their own community. Giving art away isn’t the only way to build collectors, it’s just a way that I thought of. My goal is to get people to think differently about collecting art and to give them a first step to seeking out other experiences. They’ll have a connection to the cool experience, the artist they met, the image that they received and hopefully recognize some personal value from it that will affect the way they think about art going forward.

How do people react when they come across your pop-up sites?

It’s been really great. I’ve fundraised for this project for over a year, so it’s really exciting to be out there. I’ve been overwhelmed by the number of people that have gone out of their way to tell me that this has meant something to them. It’s exciting to feel like you’ve worked really hard at something that’s made a difference.

Do you have a favorite piece of art in your personal collection? So many! I collect a lot of contemporary photography. Some relatively recognizable names, and a lot of emerging photographers.

What’s the first piece of art that you collected? Actually I talk about this with a lot of people. I think an important thing to remember is that when you collect art – you don’t have to love it forever. Just before my husband and I got married (13-14 years ago) we visited a restaurant in Atlanta that had art all over the walls, every spot was taken. We saw this oil painting of irises and we thought it was so beautiful. We fell in love with it, but it was $400. We hemmed and hawed over it for a week, $400 felt like the most amount of money ever. But we decided to buy it. It was over our mantel for years, but as the years went on, it got demoted and now lives in the kids’ playroom. I love it because of what it represents. Our tastes evolved and changed, it wouldn’t catch my eye now, but that’s ok because I really loved it for such a long time. Even if you buy something and love it and years later it ends up in the guest bathroom or not hung at all – that’s ok. What’s important is to go for it, loving it is enough. You can’t make a mistake.

Our first trunk show of the month is Saturday, May 18th from 10AM-6PM, and features apparel by AnyaSF and jewelry by Amy Faust and AJ’s Eardrops. All three designers use recycled materials in their work, and have a modern aesthetic that focuses on color, pattern, and form. Anja, Amy and Ann are also three fun ladies to spend time with, so stop by to meet them and learn about their inspiration and work!

Our second trunk show of the month will be Friday, May 24th, and Saturday, May 25th, from 10AM-6PM, and will feature apparel by Ellen Brook and jewelry by Blue Donya. We’ve worked with Ellen and Nassim for a long time now, and always love to bring them in for special events. Their aesthetics blends beautifully together – both designers have a love of color in their work, and create pieces that are modern yet noticeably one of a kind. Ellen and Nassim are also fun to shop with – we know you’ll enjoy spending time with them!

In addition to the trunk show, Ellen will have art pieces in our Color and Line Exhibition which will be up at the same time.

May is an exciting month at New Coast Studios! After Silicon Valley Open Studios we’re hosting Color and Line, an exhibition featuring twenty artists that explores the primal beauty of color and line through a wide variety of media. Click here to learn more!

We’re also hosting two incredible trunk shows – on May 18th and May 24th/25th – featuring five of our favorite apparel and jewelry designers! More on both of these events very soon, but in the meantime you can learn more about them here and here.

We’re very excited to be participating in Silicon Valley Open Studios (SVOS) this year! It’s the 27th year of Open Studios in Silicon Valley, with nearly 350 artists participating. We’re hosting sixteen artists at New Coast Studios during the first two weekends, so please stop by:

May 4th/5th, 10am-6pm

May 11th/12th, 10am-6pm

Visit our webpage or SVOS to learn more!

Worth watching – an interview with Tamiko Rast on the mural project in San Jose’s Japantown! The project involves 50 artists and more than 60 large mesh panels stretched on chain link fences along 6th and Jackson Streets. It’s a great example of how art can transform the urban landscape. 

Video interview by sociecity.