Interviews Day 6!

Name: Michael Wright Johnson

Business Name: Silver Drops Jewelry Designs

Location: Bloomington Indiana

What do you make?
I make silver jewelry

How did you learn your art/craft?
I took some classes in College for fun and then took more classes in Chicago for a year in my spare time. I currently am doing my metal smithing in my spare time.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

My inspiration comes from many sources. The main drive is the idea of an asymmetrical piece that is designed in a way that the mind completes the symmetry. I always love playing with abstract designs that play with the mind. This can be seen in my cut outs i do in some of my pendents or behind the stone settings. I am big believer that all sides of a piece should be used, including the backside. The inspiration for my pieces and designs come from the natural world, fascination with different cultures and the general feeling I have at the time.

Do you have a "real world" job?

I am currently getting a masters’ in Library Science and work at the IU law library.

Your five favorite things:

Hiking, Remote Travel, Cooking, Mountains and Central Asian History

Who are your favorite artists/crafters?

Art Smith, Bill Volla, Robert Frost, Shakespeare and the countless Buddhist Artists that contributed to Bagan and Angkor Watt.

Where can we find you?
http://silverdrops.etsy.com/

Name: Jessica Wolf
Business Name: Paper Acorn

Location: Cincinnati, OH

What do you make? Paper goods for weddings, gifts and parties; favor boxes, garlands, luminaries, placecards...

How did you learn your art/craft? I have always been drawn to paper in my artwork and crafts, and ended up working in the package design industry for six years after graduating with a Bachelor or Fine Arts. Picked up plenty of knowledge and "tricks of the trade" while working with some super-talented structural engineer types.

Do you have a "real world" job? This is it! Stepped out of my full-time job last August to pursue Paper Acorn full time and have never been happier. (Oh, and still work a few times a month at a local art gallery/coffee shop as a barista.)

Where do you get your inspiration from? Isn't Nature the ultimate inspiration?! I love looking at the complex forms in nature and figuring out how to simplify them into functional pieces. (Also, hours and hours of browsing on Etsy can be both humbling and inspiring!)

Your five favorite things: 1. Sunny mornings when hubby and I are crowded in bed with our three cats 2. Getting re-energized in quiet times 3. A well-brewed and perfectly steamed latte 4. Admiring the work of others 5. Paper!!

Who are your favorite artists/crafters? Oh, I love the endless supply of crafting talent on Etsy! But as far as traditional artists, Anselm Kiefer, Joseph Beuys, Diane Arbus and Joseph Cornell have always been a few of my favorites.

Where can we find you? Find everything Paper Acorn at http://www.paperacorn.net/