The Wonders of Combining Clay and Metal ~ Clouds and Ladders

In this maker-to-maker interview we catch up with Kate to discuss influences, materials and fine art collaborations.

Kate: Hi Annie! Looking forward to this interview 😊

Annie (SKUE): Hi Kate! Very excited to chat with you today. Let’s do 3 questions. Q1: Your painting and sculpture background really comes through in your creations, what drew you to start making small pieces of art for the body and what inspires your color palette?

Kate: I started making jewelry when I when to graduate school for occupational therapy. I didn’t have the time or space to continue with sculpture or painting…then I got hooked on it because it was so much more accessible for people, in price and usability! I loved to hear people say they get compliments on something they bought from me. We all know how it feels to wear something and feel like we look good in it!

My color inspirations come from vintage book illustrations (I have a ginormous collection of those 😍) as well as from the natural world.

My latest colorway, called Botanical, is inspired by the spring flowers popping up in my garden 🌷

Annie: Oh I love that spring is here! What materials do you use for your jewelry? Was there trail and error/experimentation to find the right combination?

Kate: My jewelry designs are made from brass or cast bronze, polymer clay, and sometimes other materials such as cotton thread and resin.

Polymer clay is surprisingly lightweight, which means I can make larger pieces that are comfortable to wear.

I learned how to solder by watching YouTube videos and I’m still working out little problems here and there, but I’m finally over the fear I had about using an open flame. These materials have been fun to learn about, but I’m always trying new things and have started developing a line with all natural materials like wood and stone that I’m excited about.

Annie: Clay has so many fantastic possibilities, I’m excited to see the new line using natural materials. What’s next for your brand?

Kate: Besides adding some new materials to my designs, I’m excited to be collaborating with 4 other artists whose work I really admire. The end products of these collaborations will each be unique combinations of our individual styles.

I just completed the first collaboration, which is an earring design that was first imagined by an Italian artist whose illustrations I love.

I made real earrings based on some that she had painted in one of her paintings. I’m not releasing any info on the other collaborations just yet, but stay tuned!

Every week we do live interviews on Instagram with our makers before featuring them here. Are you interested in joining our wholesale collective? Apply at skue.co/makers