{"id":27245,"date":"2013-09-26T16:47:58","date_gmt":"2013-09-26T20:47:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.uncommongoods.pro\/?p=27245"},"modified":"2014-02-04T15:17:58","modified_gmt":"2014-02-04T20:17:58","slug":"judis-a-tree-grows-necklace-wins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/2013\/judis-a-tree-grows-necklace-wins\/","title":{"rendered":"Judi’s “A Tree Grows” Necklace is in Full Bloom"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"WorkingOnTreeGrowsx\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Haven\u2019t we all daydreamed about quitting a job to pursue a creative passion full-time? Some of us only take it as far as that, simply daydreaming, while others actually take that deep plunge into the scary, unknown abyss of no longer being on payroll. Judi Powers<\/a> was one of those people. She says, \u201cAfter September 11th I, like so many people, realized that life is too short not to live each day as fully as possible.” Judi had the courage to leave her stable career in publishing, yet she still had no idea where she was going in terms of making a living. She decided to dip her toes into different fields she felt like she\u2019d be passionate about until she finally met her dream career match: jewelry making. \u201cI love the stories individual pieces tell about specific moments in our lives. I still have my first piece of jewelry.\u201d When Judi realized that designing jewelry was her new calling, not once did she look back and regret her choice of leaving her first career.<\/em>
\n
\nInspired by the combination of nature and art history, Judi\u2019s stunning \u201cA Tree Grow\u201d necklace branched out to become our latest jewelry winning design. Read about what Judi did when she first heard the great news, her process of literally making her pieces stronger, and her advice for winning one of UncommonGoods\u2019 design challenges<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

What\u2019s an Uncommon fact about yourself and your jewelry?<\/strong><\/p>\n

An Uncommon fact about my jewelry is that much of\u00a0it is inspired by the paintings, sculptures, and architecture I studied as an art history student. For example, I\u2019m currently working on a series of midi rings inspired by Rogier van der Weyden\u2019s “Portrait of Isabella of Portugal”. And my “A Tree Grows” necklace is informed by nature as much as it is by Whistler\u2019s “Portrait of Mrs. Frederick R. Leyland”. An Uncommon fact about me is that the first time I saw Van Eyck\u2019s “Arnolfini Wedding Portrait”, about nine years ago, I burst into tears. I was overwhelmed by the intricate detail, the vivid color, and the rich texture. I\u2019d only ever seen it in books or presentations and it\u2019s even more spectacular in person. Totally geeky, yet totally true!<\/p>\n

\"atreegrows\"<\/a><\/p>\n

What were you doing before you decided to become a jewelry designer and what drove you into the jewelry field?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I had a wonderful first career in book publishing. I handled marketing and publicity for countless amazingly talented authors and illustrators. It was a great proving ground for learning about business, and it was also an incredible environment in which to forge lasting friendships.<\/p>\n

After September 11th<\/sup> I, like so many people, realized that life is too short not to live each day as fully as possible. So I started spending more time with friends and taking a variety of classes. We tried dancing (disaster!), flower arranging (wonderful, but too depressing once the flowers wilted), cooking (fabulous but fattening), and lastly, jewelry making.<\/p>\n

From my first class at 92Y <\/a>I was immediately hooked, though initially I took it slowly and took one class a semester or so over 10 years at the Y, SVA<\/a>, and Jewelry Arts Institute<\/a>. Once I decided that I wanted to become a professional jewelry maker I quit my publishing career and I attended FIT\u2019s one-year jewelry design program. What drew me to jewelry were the materials, especially metal. I love its malleability, how it can have a huge variety of textures, the way it feels, and that it\u2019s durable!<\/p>\n

I have\u00a0always loved jewelry. \u00a0I love the stories individual pieces tell about specific moments in our lives. I still have my first piece of jewelry\u2014a monogrammed silver locket my grandmother gave me for my fifth birthday. It\u2019s my hope that my jewelry will tell special stories for those who wear it. In this way my publishing and jewelry careers truly intersect.<\/p>\n

\"1167752_orig\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0What\u2019s the first thing you did after you found out you were the winner of the Jewelry Design Challenge?
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

I jumped around my apartment, hugged my dog, and then called my mother. My mom has been my biggest champion in pursuing a career as a jewelry maker, and there are no words to express how meaningful her encouragement and belief in me has been. \u00a0She and I had endless conversations about whether I should follow my heart and pursue a jewelry career, or whether I should stay in a career that I liked but was emotionally outgrowing. I had a real crisis of conscience while trying to decide. So many people I knew were unemployed and looking for jobs, while I had a good, stable one. I felt both guilty for wanting to walk away from security and terrified to try something new and unstable. \u00a0It was during that period that one of the characters on Mad Men said something like, \u201cStable is that step backwards between successful and failing.\u201d That really resonated with me. Soon after, I knew I would pursue a new career as a jewelry designer, risks and all.<\/p>\n

\"Judi-Mother\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s unanimous here at UncommonGoods that your “A Tree Grows” necklace is stunning. How did you come up with the idea to design such a realistic branch design for jewelry wear?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank you! I’ve always loved trees and branches: their lines are so graceful and elegant and they\u2019re also a bit wild. In my second semester at FIT I took an amazing casting class. I learned that you can cast almost anything only if you can truly envision the outcome in metal and only if you can make the object thick enough to be sturdy. \u00a0Years ago, I had tried to model a tree branch in wax but it didn’t have the level of detail that an actual branch has. It just didn’t work. So when I took the casting class, I told my professor that I really wanted to cast a small tree branch and she said: \u201cGo for it! Just be sure you reinforce it and make it durable.\u201d I took her advice, found a small branch in my Brooklyn neighborhood, reinforced it with Mod-Podge, and took it to my caster. When I picked up the piece I was completely amazed! \u00a0All of the detail from nature was perfectly preserved. I had this delicate sterling silver branch that looked like the real thing. I actually choked up when I saw it.
\n\"57582_zoom2\"<\/a>
\nYou actually submitted your jewelry into one of our past jewelry design challenges and\u00a0didn’t\u00a0make it into the semi-finalist round. You decided to not be discouraged, and submitted an entry again after joining one of our design events<\/a>. Do you believe winning the challenge the second try was much more satisfying than if you were to win the first time?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first time I submitted I was hoping to be selected but I didn’t expect it. The design challenge was the first competition outside of school that I\u2019d entered, and I knew there\u2019d be serious competition, both from my FIT classmates and \u00a0from countless talented designers whose work I\u2019m still getting to know. After attending the design event, I learned the single-most valuable lesson: submit an image of someone wearing your piece! Winning the challenge was really satisfying, of course, but also really humbling because I was getting both positive and constructive feedback during the voting. I was competing against some extraordinarily beautiful pieces, all of which were so different and so special.<\/p>\n

\"8411513_orig\"<\/a><\/p>\n

What\u2019s the biggest advice you can give to our future design contestants after that specific experience?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Attend UncommonGoods\u2019 design event<\/a>s. If you can\u2019t get to them, attend any local events where you can meet professionals and peers. Take notes on what the speakers are saying because their advice will come in handy. Don\u2019t be shy and ask questions! Be open to feedback because it\u2019s all helpful. Take photos of your pieces on a person. Follow up, even if it\u2019s just to say a very simple thank you. Always, and I really mean always<\/em>, wear a piece of jewelry you’ve made. If you don\u2019t want to wear your work, I think it\u2019s a little unreasonable to expect someone else to want to wear it.<\/p>\n

\"Lulu\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Do you have any silly trick or habits you do to keep yourself motivated?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I\u2019m struggling to focus, I know it\u2019s time to step away from what I\u2019m doing. Literally. I get up and take my puppy for a nice long walk around my Brooklyn neighborhood and clear my head. In the warmer months, I stop and look at plants and trees for design ideas and in the cooler months I look at architecture and snowflakes for inspiration. I’ve learned the hard way that whenever I try to force something that it just doesn’t work, and jewelry really has to work. I also drink lots of water!<\/p>\n

Can you describe the process of what you do to make your necklaces better, stronger, and more wearable.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m so glad you asked this question! Some of the comments I received during the voting were concerns that my necklace looked like it might scratch the skin or bend. I\u2019m glad people brought that up. \u00a0For every “A Tree Grows” necklace \u00a0I cast, I actually break off the more fragile parts and re-attach them onto the central line of the branch. By doing this I reinforce the structure of the necklace and build on it with a bit of additional solder. \u00a0After the branch is reassembled I tumble it first with stainless steel shot. Then I use soft pumice pellets to harden the metal and soften the edges of the leaves and branch ends. I believe jewelry has to be pleasing to wear and I personally road test every piece to make sure it\u2019s both comfortable and has structural integrity. There is a bit of springiness to the metal in the finished piece, which enhances the organic nature of the necklace.<\/p>\n

\"BKMW\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0Do you mind describing your studio to us and the materials that you use?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I work out of Brooklyn Metal Works, a wonderful, collaborative creative space for jewelers and metal smiths. \u00a0The owners, Erin Daley and Brian Weissman, are building a fantastic community there. They have regular exhibits, artists\u2019 lectures, and classes. My personal jewelry education continues to grow there. I love being around other jewelers and artists because we bounce ideas off of one another, brainstorm about construction, \u00a0share new tricks and techniques we’ve learned, and we all respect each other. And there\u2019s always great music in the background!<\/p>\n

When I\u2019m sketching and designing, I work from home at my father\u2019s antique drafting table. It\u2019s scarred with hundreds of pin holes where old blueprints had once been tacked. I’ve added a few more holes to it, as well as some paint splotches and ink stains! I love that it\u2019s a piece that he, I, and others have used as a tool to support creativity. And he\u2019s really proud that I\u2019m using it, too.<\/p>\n

In terms of materials, I use recycled metals in all my cast pieces and I source as much recycled material as possible for the pieces I fabricate. \u00a0I\u2019m happy that I\u2019m a professional jeweler now because I have ready access to recycled material. Ten years ago when I was first starting, that just wasn’t the case. \u00a0I save every shaving, filing, and sprue and recycle all of my scrap metals.<\/p>\n

\"DadsDraftingTable\"<\/a><\/p>\n

What\u2019s one of your all-time favorite inspirational quotes?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have so many of them! It\u2019s too difficult to pick only one, so here are two:<\/p>\n

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.\u201d -Paulo Coehlo<\/p>\n

And this one by Rabindranath Tagore always resonates with me:\u00a0\u201cYou can\u2019t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"coelho\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0What does your jewelry illustrate about yourself?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My jewelry mirrors my two great loves: art and nature. I don\u2019t have a specific philosophy per se, but I do want every piece to be wearable and beautiful. And because my own jewelry stories give me such joy, I sincerely hope that my customers will have their own happy stories to tell about my pieces for years, even decades, to come!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Judi Powers is our latest Jewelry Design Challenge winner with her stunning “A Tree Grows” necklace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":27247,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[743],"tags":[253,499,37,1337,486,223,350,80,31],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27245"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/73"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27245"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27245\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27245"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}