Where are you from?
I grew up in Southern California, but I’ve been living in Oregon for 6 years now. It has become my home, and my natural surroundings are physically a part of everything I make.
Do you have any pets?
I have one cat named Ramsey.
Do you have any hidden talents?
It’s not exactly hidden, but I’m a violinist and I play in a few symphonies across Oregon.
What is one unique thing or detail about you?
I’m super tall! Nearly 6 feet.
How did you get into resin jewelry?
I’ve always collected pressed flowers in books I was reading, as a way to leave a record of that time in my life. One day I was in a gift shop and I came across an aspen leaf preserved in resin. I couldn’t stop thinking about it! The second I got home I went on Pinterest and read all about resin. Here I am years later, still thinking about it and working with it myself.
Have you always done flowers, or did you begin with something different?
The flowers were always the most important part of the art to me. Nothing I dream up could compare to the beauty of nature, so I think of my work as just preserving and showcasing something that’s already valuable.
How long have you been making your jewelry?
It’s been 5 years since I started making jewelry.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
Nature, naturally! If you’ve ever seen or read Jurassic Park, you’re familiar with the concept of tiny creatures being trapped in amber--which is fossilized tree sap. You could think of resin as a sort of synthetic equivalent: you surround an object in clear liquid that hardens into a kind of stone, and it’s preserved forever. If you google it you can find pictures of the most amazing plants and animals preserved in amber for millions of years. I find it really fascinating to emulate that process with pieces of my own garden.
What was your favorite piece to create? What are your favorite flowers to work with?
Forget-me-nots are my favorite flowers, because they’re the perfect sky blue color and they look so good with both gold and silver. They’re also small enough to include in dainty designs. You’ll notice most of my work is very small in scale. They’re one of the few flowers small enough to fit in a tiny pendant or a ring.
What is the process like to create a piece of resin jewelry? How long does it take you to make something new?
I start by creating the metal frames (“bezels”) in my metalworking studio. I form the shapes out of various kinds of wire and then solder them into shape, followed by lots of grinding, sanding, and polishing. Next I add the resin and flowers in many thin layers. This can take up to a week, since each layer takes up to a whole day to cure. It’s hard to estimate how long it takes to make a single piece, but if you figure in the gardening and drying of the flowers, each piece technically takes weeks or months to complete!
Do you have a "day" job?
My other job has always been playing music. Due to the pandemic, that part of my life is on hold indefinitely. I miss it a lot.
Do you listen to anything while you work? (podcasts, tv, movies, etc)
I listen to podcasts and music nonstop! I love comedy podcasts, because I can usually fade in and out of paying attention without missing anything important. My favorite music to work to is Tchaikovsky’s ballets.
What is your favorite part of creating a new piece?
I definitely love the metalworking stage the most. Resin can be a frustrating medium, since there are a thousand ways to mess up. There are bubbles and spills to deal with, and once you mix it up you have to work fast before it starts to harden. Metal is a lot more solid in your hands. You can be patient and take your time with it. I frequently lose track of time when I’m working with metal because I really get in the zone.
What has been the biggest impact on you creatively?
This may sound totally unrelated, but I credit my musical training for any amount of success I’ve had as a creator. Spending thousands of hours alone in a practice room could be hard at times, it taught me the skills that are absolutely necessary for any artist: discipline, the ability to teach yourself, and the urge to play with a pre-existing concept until it becomes uniquely yours. Also, I have to give a big shout out to Pinterest and the internet in general. We take it for granted sometimes that it has become absurdly easy to find any information your heart desire. This includes exposure to new art forms and visual inspiration from all over the world.
Do you have any other hobbies? (crafting or otherwise)
I love photography and gardening and any other activity that takes me outdoors. I’ve also spent an embarrassing amount of time playing Animal Crossing.
Who are artists you admire and are inspired by? (name as many as you want)
Lately I’ve been really inspired by a photographer named Anastasiya Dobrovolskaya. She takes these dreamlike photos of women and wild animals that bring to mind Russian fairy tales. Her Instagram is @anastasiya_dobrovolskaya.
Where can people find your work if they want to purchase it?
All my work is on my website www.affinityfloralarts.com.
What are some of your favorite small businesses? (crafting or otherwise, bonus points if you have an Instagram handle for them)
Here are some of my favorites, all art or photography based:
@hannahroseillustrations beautiful paintings
@kilianschoenberger landscape photography based in Germany
@kathrin_marchenko stunningly original embroidery
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