Category: artist spotlight

Company: Concrete Polish
Proprietor: Angela Monaco
http://concretepolishstudio.com/
Jewelry Studio & Showroom: Concrete Polish
716 N. 3rd Street, Philadelphia
find her at booth # 3 at our upcoming art star craft bazaar!

Art Star: Tell us a bit about your background.  Are you professionally trained in jewelry/metalsmithing?

Angela Monaco: I grew up in Chicago and Cincinnati Ohio. I started school in Ohio studying Psychology.  This quickly made me realize that I would much rather be creating fun jewels with my hands.  I took an evening jewelry class for one of my extra credits that I needed & I instantly fell in love with metalsmithing and expecially casting!  I applied for an artist grant to build my own studio and started my quest as a jewelry designer and maker. I later transferred to the Maryland Institute College of Art to pursue my interest in Jewelry and Printmaking.  While attending M.I.C.A I took a casting class where I first started to create my line of jewelry.  I have always collected gems and minerals and had the idea to start making molds to reproduce them in bronze and silver. That idea never faded away and has become my main focus in design.

AS: What made you decide to move to Philly & open up a studio/showroom

AM: After I lived in Baltimore a few years I decided to take a leap to a new and bigger city. I always felt a great creative energy when I visited and it was time for a change. I love this city and I think it was a perfect choice for me to start my business and open my first boutique.

AS: What types of materials do you use?

AM:Silver, bronze, and many types of gemstones.  I have a large collection of faceted and natural crystals. I also love chain. I mainly buy antique chain at flea markets or silver and bronze stock chain.

AS:What is involved in the making of each piece?  Do you carve your pieces out of wax & then cast them?

AM: I mainly design jewelry using wax. I am either carving or manipulating an organic object that I have made a mold of.  After I come up with a prototype I am happy with, I then make a mold of that and cast it in either silver or bronze.  I can plate the bronze or silver in yellow gold, rose gold, or black rhodium.  If requested I can also cast in solid gold, platinum, or rhodium but I do not keep stock in the store of those metals. I also have a wide variety of gemstones i use.  My favorite are natural amethyst points and smoky quartz.

AS: What is your creative process like?  Do you sketch your ideas out first?

AM: I mainly work in 3D. A lot of my designs come from playing with the different rubber molds I have made over the years.  I cut them apart and make my own formations that suit a piece of jewelry.  Over the years I have carved a few different ring bases that I re-use with different crystals on top.  For example, I make a mold for a double finger ring with my logo on it that i can use for multiple designs.

AS: What inspired your current collection?

AM: My current collection is inspired by the formations of raw crystal growth, like an amethyst or natural quartz crystal. Since i was a small child my Mother and I have been collecting gemstones, crystals, & all sorts of fossils.  My childhood phases never seemed to thin out and now crystals have become the main focus of my design.  I keep finding more and more creative ways to tell the story of why these forms are so attractive to me.

AS: How did you come up with the name Concrete Polish?  What is the story behind that?

AM: The name Concrete Polish sprung to me one day when I was thinking about what my jewelry represents visually and emotionally.  The pieces I create have a rough and refined exterior, but with a feminine polished touch.  It is a balance of sculpture that creates an edgy yet sophisticated piece of jewelry. Concrete Polish represents that idea of balance.

AS: Your collection seems to mostly include rings & some necklaces.  Do you have any plans to expand into earrings or other types of jewelry/accessories?

AM: Yes, you are completely correct.  We have soo many rings here at CP.  I seem to have a small obsession with rings lately. This is of course my mothers fault :). I am working on releasing a new catalog for the spring.  There will be 10 ring designs, 3 bangles, 3 stud earrings, 3 drop earrings with chain, and about 4-5 necklaces.  I am also designing a bolo right now for a friend, which I feel will become a successful unisex piece for a future collection.  Linda Smyth of Topstich Boutique and I are also working towards collaborating on a jewelry line of Rabid Fox and Concrete Polish Jewelry.  Can’t wait!

AS:Tell us about your storefront.  What do you carry aside from your own work?

AM:Walking into Concrete Polish you will find a great ambiance of well crafted hand made jewelry mixed in with a warm atmosphere of antiques and taxidermy.  The alchemy-nautical inspired showroom carries all handmade jewelry – 80% of which is made right in the back of the shop and the rest at nearby studios in Philly!  There is a wall of mirrors that hangs to help separate the spaces.  Come and check out what we have made and are currently working on.

AS:Where else do you sell your jewelry?

AM: So far my jewelry is showcased in the following stores: Arcadia Boutique,  WERK, Topstich Boutique and our home boutique in Northern Liberties!

AS: What can customers expect to find at your ASCB booth?

AM: I have actually completed 3 new ring designs and a few earrings in the last 2 weeks – just in time for ASCB!!! We have been working hard here to get ready for the holiday shopping season. Much more thought has gone into the idea of gift giving.  I will have a large assortment of new necklaces, one of a kind charm bracelets, earrings with pyrtie and quartz crystals. See you soon!

Company: Miss Millie
Proprietor: Melissa Crotty
Located In: Philadelphia
http://shopmissmillie.blogspot.com/

Art Star: How did you learn your craft? Are you formally trained in ceramics or are you self taught?

Melissa Crotty: I started working with clay through an apprenticeship about 12 years ago. I worked with a woman in Western New York who in trade for working in her studio taught me how to throw. She was an inspiration and a mentor. She really pushed me to study the arts even further. I wasn’t totally convinced on going to a 4 year art school right away so I enrolled in CCP and traveled a bit doing workshops at places like Penland School of Crafts and Anderson Ranch. Eventually, I landed at Alfred University where I received a BFA in sculpture in 2005.

AS: What drew you to working primarily in porcelain?

MC: I’ve worked in a lot of different materials and a lot of different clay bodies. I like porcelain because I apparently really like a challenge and I love the way it feels in your hands. I also love the way color pops on and next to the stark white of the raw clay body.

AS: When did you start your business?  Do you work on Miss Millie full time?

MC: I’ve dabbled in craft shows for the last few years but really started taking my business to new levels this last year, doing more shows and gearing up for more wholesale. I work on Miss Millie pretty much all the time but I also waitress a few days a week.

AS: Where do you work on Miss Millie?  Do you have a separate studio?

MC: I have a studio at 13^th and Carpenter. We have a great community of artists in the building. We do craft shows there twice a year called The South Philly Handmade Brigade.

AS: Do you have any employees/interns?

MC: I do not have any employees but I might take on an intern next semester. I could really use some help but I’m somewhat of a control freak so I’m going to have to figure out what I can have someone else do.

AS: I went to school for ceramics myself, so I know that there are many steps involved in creating each of your pieces.  Tell us a bit about how your work is made.

MC: I start out slip casting lots of parts (heads, legs, arms, bugs, animals, flowers, ect.) and put them in a wet box so I can use them later. I then roll out slabs and build forms such as mugs, bowls, vases, tumblers and cups. Then comes the really fun part, assembling and designing what goes on the forms. Like a collage process I take a form and add some cast pieces and then maybe more pieces and then possibly a drawing. Then they dry for about 2 weeks. They are fired once I apply glaze & then they are fired again and are finished (unless I’m adding a decal – then they are fired a third time).

AS: What is your creative process like?   Do you start with a sketch/plan or is it more of an intuitive process?

MC: I start out with an idea of what form and then the additions and drawings are intuitive. It’s really fun for me that way because I’m never exactly sure what I’ll come up with.

AS: What are some things that inspire you?

MC: My inspiration comes from so many places like nature, traveling, architecture, food, people, animals, dance, music and seeing other artist’s work. I also really love vintage dolls and I’m totally fascinated by the people who collect them. When I was younger my great aunt was a collector of clowns and I really loved going to her house even though the dolls were kind of bizarre. I’ve been thinking of her collections a lot lately and feel like this doll series is inspired by her.

AS: Who are some of your favorite artists/crafters?

MC: Oh man this is a hard one because there are so many. Off the top of my head… Frida Kahlo, Bansky, and Nick Cave (the fabric artist, not the musician, although I do love the musician also.) There are so many amazing crafters in this city. I really love Peg and Awl, Bloodmilk, madebyhank, Dahling Accessories, girls can tell, DMT Design, Fabric Horse and Volta Organics to name a few.

AS: There are many different kinds of pieces in your collection – mugs, bowls, vases, lanterns, jewelry, pill boxes, herb markers, etc.  Do you have any new forms in the works?

MC: Yes I have dessert plates, salt and pepper shakers and soap dishes that are new. Oh and some new jewelry!

AS: Where do you see Miss Millie in the next 5 years?

MC: In five years I hope to be running smoothly doing mostly wholesale with a few employees, always working on new designs and hopefully in a warmer climate.

AS: What do you enjoy the most about running your own creative business?

MC: I can bring my dog to work!

AS: What will you be selling at the upcoming ascb?

MC: I’m going to have new jewelry and some new ornaments. I’m also working on some packaging for gift ideas, which I’m really excited about.

 

 

Company: Kaye Rachelle
Proprietors: Bonnie Kaye Whitfield + Susan R. Dreifuss
Located In: Philadelphia / New Jersey
http://www.kayerachelledesigns.com

Art Star: Tell us a little bit about yourselves.  What are your backgrounds & how did you two meet?  When did you decide to transition your art making into a business?

Kaye Rachelle: We met at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY in 2008 as MFA candidates in Printmaking.  We were studiomates, busy focusing on our independent work.  But within the next year, we were asked to collaborate as designers & printers for a special Pratt project – we designed & screen printed all the home textiles for two showroom apartments at 3rd + Bond Apartments in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.  We had never before screen-printed on fabric – and it rocked our world.  Custom orders started rolling in from our friends and family.  After getting entrepreneurial advice live on Fox Business News just days before graduation, we dove forward & have yet to look back.

AS: Are you able to focus on Kaye Rachelle full time or do you have day jobs?

KR: While Kaye Rachelle certainly feels like a full time job for both of us, we have day jobs, too. Bonnie is a teaching artist for the Mural Arts Program, and Susan teaches art classes for a non-profit organization in NJ.

AS: Do you both work on all aspects of the business, or do you each have specific jobs that you focus on?

KR: We collaborate from start to finish but we do have specific tasks.  We live about two hours apart, so we are constantly communicating via g-chat and email.  Primarily, Susan is in charge of inventory, printing fabrics, & research, whereas Bonnie sews & works on daily communication, such as emails, Etsy posting, & social media.

AS: What is your creative process like?  Do you fully plan out a piece from start to finish?

KR: Our goal is to release a new batch of designs twice a year, with other special & custom design projects in between.  After deciding on a main theme & creating an inspiration board, we then work individually to come up with a variety of designs.  From manipulating photographs we have shot to scanning in drawings, we pull imagery from our daily inspiration.  Together, we choose & polish the designs that are the strongest and most complimentary to one another.  Lastly, we select our seasonal color palette.  We like the idea of customers being able to pick a product, design, & color that fits perfectly with the aesthetic of their home.

AS: What types of items can we find in your collection?

KR: Our collection includes screen-printed pillows, placemats, table runners, cloth napkins, tea towels, wall organizers, market totes, cocktail napkins and small prints on paper.

AS: What are some of the inspirations for your collection?

KR: Our latest line (Fall 2011/Winter 2012) is called Transported.  It consists of a collection of prints inspired by travel and transportation, such as crosswalks, traffic lights, bicycles & Philly’s 30^th Street Station.

AS: Where do you hope to see Kaye Rachelle in the next 5 years?

KR: We hope to be in a variety of retail locations nationwide and to eventually open our own space.  Our goal is to find a location where we can print, teach, sell, eat & entertain. (We are both avid cooks!)

AS: Do you have any new products in the works?

KR: Yes! We are currently working on wine totes, aprons, and Philadelphia-inspired recipe cards.

AS: Aside from the Art Star Craft Bazaar (and soon Art Star!) where can
customers find your work?

KR: In Philadelphia, our products can be found at COOK, SquarePeg Artery & Salvage, and Lodge215.  We also sell at Clover Market in Ardmore, PA, and will be at the Crafty Balboa Holiday Market on Sat. Dec 17th at the Broad St. Ministry.  We also have products at Teich in the West Village, NYC.  Last and not least, you can find our latest creations on Etsy, at www.KayeRachelle.Etsy.com.

AS: What can customers expect to see in your ASCB booth?

KR: From floursack tea towels to linen throw pillows, expect to see a cozy array of our screen-printed textiles, ready to wrap up as gifts.  We will also have hostess gift bundles, a sweet way to say thanks to your holiday hosts.

Visit Kaye Rachelle at Booth # 10 at our upcoming Art Star Craft Bazaar

 

 

Company: Meerwiibli
Proprietor: Sarah-Maria Vischer
Located In: Phoenicia, NY
http://www.sarahmariavischer.com

Art Star: When did you first learn to sew?  Are you professionally trained or self taught?

Sarah-Maria Vischer: I’m mostly self taught, though I did get some sewing and other crafting skills in elementary and middle school – they were considered important parts of education in Switzerland (at least for the girls). My mom also helped me enormously and then I took some pattern making and draping classes in the past few years. One must have the technique to deliver the quality…

AS: You were born & raised in Switzerland.  What made you decide to move to the US?

SMV: I always felt that Switzerland wasn’t quite my place in the world. When I got the opportunity to be an exchange student in the U.S., I ran and never looked back…

AS: When did your craft turn into a business?

SMV: I started selling a couple of years ago in a small shop in Woodstock. The store is no longer there, but the love of seeing other people wear my creations stayed.

AS: Where does the name Meerwiibli come from?

SMV: Meerwiibli means mermaid in Swiss-German – it’s been the name I’ve sewn onto my clothes for many years now. My family crest is the two-tailed mermaid I use as my logo, I love that she has the two tails – it’s so much more powerful (though I do love all mermaids).

AS: I love the way you combine textures, colors, & pattern in each of your pieces.  What inspires your clothing designs?  Do you follow fashion trends at all?

SMV: My day job is working at a photo agency where we have huge historical archives. I find a lot of inspirations browsing through those images, though the biggest inspiration for me are the fabrics. Once I hold them in my hand, the creations start to emerge.

AS: Tell us a bit about your creative process. Do you plan out each piece from the start?  Do you work from a sketch?

SMV: I rarely sketch. I’m not very secure with my drawing abilities! I visualize everything in my head or sometimes just start draping the fabric on my dress form and see where it takes me.

AS: You are also a photographer.  Do you shoot all the photos of the clothing?   Is your photography another side business?

SMV: I used to take self-portraits in all my designs. I love that my little line has let me live all my daydreams and use the many skills I’ve acquired throughout my life. I get to be a fashion designer, seamstress, graphic designer, model, photographer, etc. Though now, since I’m so busy making the clothes themselves, most of the photos of my clothing are taken by other photographers, though I still model them myself.

AS: Do you work on Meerwiibli full time or do you have a day job?

SMV: My line has begun demanding more and more of my time. I do have a day job, but fortunately I’ve been able to cut back a bit. Soon I hope to be able to spend even more time working on my clothing line. I do love having the balance between the two jobs though. I enjoy going to the office and working with a cool team. I’m a photo researcher in my other life, which is a nice job. I get to look at images all day.

AS: Aside from Art Star, where can we purchase your clothes.

SMV: Well, at the moment there really is just my Etsy shop (meerwiibli.etsy.com). Art Star has been such an amazing experience that it’s hard to find other stores that live up to it. But I am working on securing additional outlets. I’ve just finished my Spring/Summer 2012 collection and I’m shopping it around quite a bit.

AS: What will we see at your ASCB booth?

SMV: All your favorites and some new items too (hello scalloped hoodie!). I will have belts, hats and fuzzy muffs, as well as winter coats and lots of cozy and elegant and colorful clothes.

Find Meerwiibli at Booth #41 at our upcoming Art Star Craft Bazaar
View her collection at Art Star

I have decided to spotlight some of the vendors that will be included in our upcoming Holiday Art Star Craft Bazaar.  The first in the series is an interview with Beth Beverly from Diamond Tooth Taxidermy.  Keep checking our blog for more interviews leading up to the bazaar.  I hope to post a new one a few times a week.  Enjoy!

Company: Diamond Tooth Taxidermy
Proprietor: Beth Beverly
Located In: Philadelphia, PA
http://diamondtoothtaxidermy.com

Art Star:When I first met you, we were at Tyler School of Art together & you majored in jewelry/metals there.  How/when did you transition into taxidermy?

Beth Beverly: I’ve always incorporated natural fibers into my work, and while studying at Tyler I attempted to continue this ( to varying degrees of success ) using fur, hair and leather in some pieces.  While I adore all things metal, in the end it wasn’t such a good fit for me and I spent the next ten years dabbling in a crude sort of self-taught taxidermy before listening to my heart and making the decision to fully jump into the craft.

AS: Does your jewelry/metals background inform your current work?

BB:I was working on a brooch today wishing I still had access to that metals studio! (sigh…) There are many times when I would like to incorporate metal fabrication into the structure of a piece.  Lucky for me, I have friends like Maria Eife who have properly equipped studios and enough patience to assist me in realizing my designs.  Ultimately I’d like to have a skilled jeweler on hire to fabricate structures for me so I don’t have to divert my focus from the taxidermy.  To me, there isn’t much quite so striking as the look of sleek, shiny metal against deep, rich fur or feathers.

AS: Tell us a bit about the types of items that you make.  Do you mostly work on custom orders or do you have a specific line of items that you offer for sale?

BB: Just about everything I make is wearable.  I do custom sculptural pieces as well but my passion lies in headgear.  I do sell items from my etsy shop, but most of the income I draw from my art is from custom orders.  I seem to have a knack for understanding what a client wants; and I really appreciate the trust they have in me.   Aside from that, I am constantly creating hats for events and competitions that wind up on my site for sale or rent, to whomever’s fancy they may strike.

AS: How do you find all of the animals that you work with?

BB: I make a point of stressing to inquiring minds (especially those on the fence about taxidermy) that I source all my specimen as ethically as possible.  This means using roadkill when legal, domestic pets, anything which has expired naturally, or buying hunted game from my local butcher.  I just adore Sonny D’angelo on 9th street, he’s an absolute peach and gets me some choice rabbits, pheasants and quail, which I skin and then make delicious meals out of.  I also buy squirrels and starlings from hunting taxidermy buddies, the meat of which goes into cat food.

AS: What is the most interesting or weirdest thing someone has commissioned you to make?

BB: Right this moment I am working on a cat for my #1 client.  It was her pet, and she loved this creature dearly.  I am well aware of the mixed feelings that go along with preserving pets, and I understand both sides.  I see it as an honor and a challenge though, and as a lifelong cat person this has been the most emotionally stirring project for me yet.  It’s nowhere near done; thankfully she is a very patient client because I refuse to rush these things.

AS: Are you able to focus on Diamond Tooth full time or do you have a day job?

BB: I moonlight as a performer at local events; you may have seen me twirling in my hoop as an aerialist or perhaps I have even poured your champagne while hanging upside down from a large chandelier rig. I also work as a warranty technician on cruise ships.  The list goes on but for the sake of time lets just say I’m a hustler.  My goal is to support myself off Diamond Tooth but I never want to stop performing.  I think it keeps one healthy to have each hand in a couple different pots, so to speak.

AS: Do you have any interns/employees?

BB: I would LOVE to have a personal assistant and some nimble fingered crafters on my team, but at this time I am flying solo.  When I open up my storefront perhaps I’ll be ready to employ someone.

AS: Where do you see Diamond Tooth in the next few years?

BB: On the head of every stylish woman from Montauk to Bangkok.

AS: What can shoppers expect to see at your table at our upcoming bazaar?

BB: Shoppers are in for a treat; I’m sharing a space with Maria Eife and we are having a ball designing the displays.  My inventory will consist of many feathered combs like the ones seen on my etsy shop, brooches, jawbone earrings, fur bangle bracelets and some higher end pieces like one of a kind hats and fascinators.

Want to learn more about Diamond Tooth?  Visit Beth’s blog and check out these great videos of her at work in her studio.
Video 1 (Beth makes a rooster headpiece)
Video 2 (Beth makes a bear skin rug)