Einat Agmon

Name: Einat Agmon

Website Link: http://www.einatagmonjewelry.com/

Where are you located? Buffalo, New York

Tell us a bit about yourself:  I am originally from Israel and was raised in Jerusalem. I found much inspiration for all my artistic interests through the beauty and history of the land. I have had many hobbies throughout the years, but my main focus was on artisan jewelry and music. Both have been my greatest passions since early childhood. I started making jewelry when I was 12 years old and by 17, I was teaching jewelry classes at an arts and crafts shop in Jerusalem. After high school, I enrolled in the Israeli Army as part of my mandatory service. I served as a boot camp instructor for two years which was an interesting and unusual experience. After that, I moved to the US in 2003 to pursue a music career in Vocal Jazz. My plans, however, were soon to change. Today I live in Buffalo, NY with my husband Dave who is a wonderful musician and teacher.

When and why did you begin creating your jewelry/art?  I opened my design studio in 2007 after a few years of working as an assistant jewelry designer for an acclaimed Buffalo artist. What’s funny is that I always thought music would be my primary occupation and jewelry design would be my hobby. But, very quickly after I started working with Karol Kirberger, I realized that my heart and passions were in artisan jewelry. Today, I still sing from time to time when I have a free moment, but I love what I do. I can’t picture myself doing anything else.

What do you make? I make artisan gemstone jewelry and my work is “one of a kind”. I use sterling silver and/or 14K gold filled with all of my designs. The details are very important to me, which is something that people always notice. I make many different types of jewelry from rings and necklaces to hair and body jewelry, which is usually custom designed.

What materials and methods do you use? My materials are always gemstones and pearls which I buy annually at the Tucson Gemshow – the biggest gem show in the country. My methods include beading, wire wrapping, soldering, riveting, forging, sawing and other jewelry making techniques. I really enjoy working on small details that tend to be very time consuming and intricate.

Where do your design inspirations come from? It’s funny, but many times I dream my designs. My subconscious picks up on different visuals and they come back to me in my sleep in the form of jewelry. Other than that, I always have music playing when I’m working, which is a great inspiration for me. I also love nature and organic shapes and forms and use them often in my designs. Every now and then I also find inspiration in industrial structures of different kinds. Strong contemporary jewelry is really fun to make when I’m under that influence.

What is your best working environment/where is your studio? My work environment is in my home. I have a beautiful workshop in my sunroom looking towards my back yard with birds and tree branches looking back at me. I love my studio and it is my special corner where I can relax and create.

Where can your products be seen? My work can be found online at my new Etsy shop.    Etsy is a wonderful platform for artisans and crafters and I love to shop there myself. You can also find my work in shops and boutiques in Buffalo such as the famous and featured artisan shop Wild Things and the Burchfield-Penney Art Gallery. I also take part in many art and craft shows across New York.

Tell us  a little about one of your favorite creations: The Tree of Life is one of my all-time favorites. The one in this photo is made with tourmaline and sterling silver. Like most people, I love trees. They give us fruits and their leaves give us oxygen and so without them, there would be no life. This design always touches people and it is one that I have also made for myself and wear all the time.

Tree of Life

Anything else you wish to add? Making jewelry has become my world and it is my full time passion. There are many things about what I do that I love. One of them is the joy of meeting the strong and beautiful women from around the world who have bought my pieces. I feel privileged to make jewelry that helps them express who they are.

Bonnie Van Hall

Name: Bonnie Van Hall

Website Link: http://www.bonnievanhall.com/

Where are you located? Prescott, AZ

Tell us a bit about yourself: Unique clothing and jewelry have always held an attraction for me. From designing my own tops out of scarves as a teenager, to a fascination with the weaving of cloth from a single thread, my love for this practical and personal form of expression has continued to grow. My educational background is in spiritual psychology, and I see parallels between the forms and layers of the mind and the physical wearing of clothing. I hope my work expresses the idea that we can find meaning in everything we do, no matter how seemingly mundane or ordinary.

When and why did you begin creating your jewelry/art? I began doing beadwork in 1987 because I wanted to wear a certain kind of jewelry, but couldn’t find anything I liked. I taught myself to bead and gradually I found myself interested in creating larger wearable and decorative pieces. In the twenty-two years since then, I’ve found that my purpose in creating these pieces has evolved along with my skills. I’m interested in further refining my skills and methods, and finding new and more creative applications for my work. But perhaps more importantly, I’d like to generate some new interest in the old-fashioned traditional “women’s arts.”

What do you make? Most of my work is wearable, usually women’s clothing, jewelry, and handbags. Beadwork is the main focus of most of my pieces, if not the entirety. I have also experimented a bit with decorative works such as tapestries.

What materials and methods do you use? My materials range from glass beads, silver, gold and semi-precious gemstones to various fibers and antique or found objects. My methods are standard beadworking techniques (including both loom and off-loom weaving), and knitting. But I try to apply and combine these standard techniques in unique and creative ways.

Where do your design inspirations come from? Many things inspire my work, most notably nature, color, and interesting forms, but often more elusive things like ideas, numbers, and even questions. The mysteries of being alive, and inquiries into the nature and meaning of life are often the seeds that grow into a new work.

What is your best working environment/where is your studio? My “studio” is wherever I can find the space. Currently, my husband (bronze sculptor Gary Persello) and I share a tiny room in our house for studio space.

Where can your products be seen? My website has the most up-to-date works available for viewing.

Price range: My prices range from $75 items all the way up to $5000 for a one-of-a-kind beaded top.

Tell us a little about one of your favorite creations: One of my favorite pieces is the very first beaded top I created, called “Desert Demonstration.” This piece actually began as a necklace/choker, but it took on a life of its own and evolved into a top made entirely of beads and gemstones. This was the beginning of a whole new direction for my work, and it really taught me to trust the creative process.

Desert Demonstration

Anything else you wish to add? For me, one of the most exciting aspects of creativity is in not knowing where it will take me next. The most recent turning point in my work has led to the combining of knitting with beadwork, and I am enjoying the new possibilities this has led to. But I fully expect this will become something else entirely, and I welcome this unknown twist of fate!

Black Crow – Trudy Gerritsen

Name: (Black Crow) Trudy Gerritsen

Website Link: http://www.blackcrowjewelry.nl/

Where are you located? I’m located in a small town in The Netherlands.

Tell us a bit about yourself: I grew up as an only child with beloved parents. My mom was creative too and she could make wonderful things with knitting. I was a creative child with a special love for collecting beads and feathers, pieces of wood and stones. Ever since I can remember I was  very interested in Native culture and their respect for nature and all living things! Many years later, I started to make dreamcatchers with gemstones, and that was (again)  the restart of my love for beads!

When and why did you begin creating your jewelry/art? I started with making dreamcatchers when I had my own small bead shop on the world wide web. In the beginning, there were only glass crow beads and gemstone chips that I used for my dreamcatchers. That was in 2004. A few years later, the bead collection became bigger and I started to sell other gemstone beads and that was also the start for making jewelry myself. The addiction to seed beads was much later and I created the first cuff in April 2007 after I saw the art of Heidi Kummli.  Designing and making jewelry started as a hobby, but slowly it became my work and I love it !

What do you make? My favorite piece of work is to design and create a beadwork bracelet, especially turquoise and bridal cuffs, but I also make rings, necklaces, earrings and jewelry with gemstones and natural beads. I guess bracelets are my favorite because I wear them myself too, I never wear necklaces.

What materials and methods do you use?  I love to work with gemstones and all other natural materials, for the cuffs I always use leather as a backing. The seedbeads I use are size 15-11 and 8. The methods I use are beadwork (embroidery) and beadweaving. At the moment, I am busy trying some new stuff like lace or wool in combination with gemstone cabochons.

Where do your design inspirations come from? My inspiration is in everything I see – nature, a picture or painting, people…just everything.

What is your best working environment/where is your studio? I work the best when I am alone at home, just with our 2 cats, a strong cup of coffee and a CD by Metallica in the CD player.  I don’t have space for a separate studio, I always work in our living room, but it is still a dream to have my own studio one day…

Where can your products be seen?  My products can be seen on: http://www.blackcrowjewelry.nl/

Upcoming events:  I don’t do shows, but a few times a year I’m on a local art market in the neighborhood. 

Magazine articles or press: An article in a local newspaper and in a women’s magazine and my work can be seen in the book “Flatwork” written by Nicole Campanella/Beadwright.

Who are you a fan of? Sherri Serafini, Heidi Kummli, Jamie Cloud Eaking, Good Quill Hunting, Kerri Fuhr, Vampi Choi.

Price range:  $20.00 – $400.00

Tell us  a little about one of your favorite creations: It’s hard to choose a favorite one, I love many of my cuffs, especially the turquoise ones…but this one is my favorite!Just simple earthtones in combination with lovely turquoise cabochons, they don’t need more.

Anything else you wish to add?  Thank you so much for choosing my designs for your interview, it is a great honor and I am delighted  to be on your beautiful website among such other great artists!