Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristin Miller.
Kristin, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Art and making things have been my biggest passions for as long as I can remember. I’ve explored almost every artistic medium and have a soft spot in my heart for each of them. I have a degree in graphic design and pursued that for several years after college, but I could never shake the instant connection to metalsmithing that I formed during an elective in school. Without a whole lot of thought or planning, I started my jewelry business while still working part-time in graphic design, and then eventually made the transition to full-time.
For several years, I treated my jewelry design very much as a business and did everything the way I thought I “should” – pursuing wholesale clients, showrooms, tradeshows, etc. and modeling my strategy on huge names in the industry. Yet nothing ever flowed easily and I was overwhelmed by doing everything on my own. I burned out and took a break, temporarily going back to graphic design.
Eventually I made my way back to my business, but resolved to work on my own terms and treat it more like an art. I’m currently focusing on making primarily one-of-a-kind and limited-edition pieces that I sell directly to my customers, online and at shows. I’m still figuring out the business side, but my love for the creative side is always a sure thing.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
While metalsmithing first drew me to jewelry, I’ve spent the last several years honing the craft of wax carving under the guidance of a master carver. Rather than using torches to solder sheet metal, I sculpt my forms in wax and have them molded and cast in metal. I felt an immediate kinship to the wax carving process, which I find refreshingly meditative and oddly addictive.
I’ve always been fascinated by history and antiquity, so my forms are often inspired by Art Deco design, Egyptian ornamentation, Native American motifs, old world ironwork – so many things! I love how in the past, everything from fireplace pokers to sewing scissors was created by artisans and usually imbued with meaning and symbolism. Objects were made to last and be passed down, a sentiment that I want to continue with my own jewelry.
I’m also a rockhound at heart and grew up collecting crystals and other natural oddities. Yearly trips to my grandmother’s farm in the Ozarks encouraged this hobby and instilled in me a wonder for nature and its endless possibilities. I want the stones in my jewelry to reflect this sense of energy and mystery, and I’m working on future pieces that will coincide with the seasons to inspire people to live in sync with the earth.
What do you know now that you wished you had learned earlier?
Do what feels right for you and don’t get overly absorbed in what others in your field are doing or how they’re doing it. When consuming advice from media like podcasts, blogs, and “gurus”, do a gut check and listen to your intuition before implementing anything. It’s a slippery slope from being informed to analysis paralysis!
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
My work is available online at www.kristinmiller.com and I announce show dates on my Instagram account.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kristinmiller.com
- Instagram: @kristinmillertx
Image Credit:
Kristin Miller
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