Over 40 years ago, I enrolled in a Metal Sculpting Class at a local Art Center, and fell in love with metal. The jewelry studio was next door to the Metal Sculpting studio, and each week I would peek in – the metal drawing me. It didn’t take long before I was spending two nights a week at the Art Center – one-night metal sculpting and one-night metal smithing. I loved both, and especially loved working with metal – which spoke to me – both the iron that I welded and the silver and copper that I soldered.
Raising a family and pursuing a career in business left me with limited time to devote to my avocations, but I continued to take classes and started to build a home studio for jewelry making – metal sculpting required welding equipment which was too large, expensive and dangerous for a home with young children.
In the ensuing years, I took classes at Cheltenham Art Center, The University of the Arts, Moore College of Art, Main Line Art Center, Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen and from local Philadelphia artists who offered classes in their studios. I also travelled to Ashville, North Carolina several summers to study at the Penland School of Craft.
I sold my designs from time to time at craft fairs, at home shows, and in galleries in the Philadephia area. But I continued to view jewelry making as an avocation, my vocation being full time work in high technology sales and marketing.
Time passed, and with it came changes that affected the economy and employment opportunities. I found that reinvention was the key to success. To remain relevant, I successfully reinvented myself several times, and now I am ready for the latest reinvention from jewelry making as an avocation to jewelry making as a vocation. Having a logo created, opening an Etsy Store, putting the finishing touches on my home studio, and offering my designs to you is an exciting new beginning. I hope you like my work, will share my story and my store with friends and family. And perhaps you will fall in love with something in my collection and treat yourself.
Kaaren