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Trying to Survive the Pandemic

Friends, Brandon and Sarah here

As small business owners we are blessed in many ways. Our labor is dedicated to something we believe in. People need art. We need more of it. As a metalsmith, I am living my dream. I get to give the world adornment. It is a labor of love.

Laboring for love has a tradeoff: you don't make it until you do, and it requires years of sacrifice. You may not starve as a rising artist, but you are a stranger to security. With hard work and smart decisions we made a life this way, even bought a home. But we live in precariousness. We live our version of paycheck to paycheck: art show to art show. Unlike a paycheck, the return on a show isn't guaranteed. But we managed in uncertainty.

Now we face the worst circumstances for artists like us: art shows that we depend on are up in the air. Spring shows bring much needed relief from post-holiday winter months without events. Now, events are not happening. The loss is untimely. Summer shows that provide us with most of our earnings may or may not happen. We cannot sustain without a year of art shows.

Our business offers something truly unique in the jewelry industry. We do things by hand. We remodeled the studio, built the work bench. Nothing is outsourced. We built our business tool by tool, skill by skill, project by project. This is what we do full time, this how we earn. This is me in my happy place, at my work bench surrounded by my tools: saws, hammers, torch, and more. When you see these tools, it is a sign that traditional metalsmithing techniques have not died. In an industry abandoning these techniques, I preserve a culture of handmade craftsmanship with a modern signature. Without these techniques, jewelry loses its character – its wabi-sabi. Our brand gives the world adornment that is perfectly imperfect, a feeling that is rare in a readymade world.

Please help us keep our studio running. If you can, purchase our beautiful designs. Please spread the word. We appreciate any and all support.


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