Thursday, January 5, 2012

Guest Post - Ramshackle Studio

Hi!   We’re excited about guest blogging for Love My Art Jewelry Today.  I (Amber) guess I’ll start by introducing us... We are Ramshackle Studio (aka Amber and Joelle).  We make handmade jewelry and accessories of wood with accents of stone, metal, resin, or whatever else we find that we like.  Each of our pieces is one of a kind... we love that no two pieces of wood are ever the same and I guess we decided they all deserve their own place to shine.  
As we were going back in forth in the car about what we should write about for our guest post, I realized that one of the things that makes us unique is that there’s two of us.  Every piece of jewelry we create has been in some way touched by each of us, so I thought I’d write a bit about collaboration.  
The old adage that ‘Two heads are better than one’ describes us perfectly.  While we both had our own creative endeavors before, it wasn’t until we started thinking together that we found something that we both truly love and excel at.  We each have our own roles in the studio, our own space at the work bench, but without the constant feedback and input we give each other, none of our work would be what it is.  One of us needs to be reminded that odd numbers are good, one of us hates hand sanding, one of us can’t be bothered to check her email, one of us is scared of using color, neither of us particularly like dealing with people in person, one of us sucks at following through on an idea, one of us is all focus.  I can’t imagine either of us doing this on our own, but together, we balance... we look and nod and say, “add another circle, use the red wood, finish your sanding, call it a day”, and that’s what makes it work.
We’re really excited about our lockets right now, and they are a perfect example.  If you listened to us talk about them in person you’d think it was a competition (and maybe it is  a little).  We bicker and tease back and forth about who had what idea first, but we both know they wouldn’t exist without both of us.  We challenge each other and that makes the work better.
I realize that art is traditionally kind of a solitary endeavor, and we take the concept of collaboration to the extreme, but we would encourage anyone to make room for some kind of partnership in their artistic journey.  Find someone with a similar aesthetic who uses a different material and come up with a way to make something together, make friends on flickr and give feedback and encouragement, join a team of like-minded individuals to share ideas.  Step outside of your personal space and allow yourself to be challenged... We promise you’ll be pleased with the results.   


You can find the very talented duo at Ramshackle Studio over here www.ramshacklestudio.etsy.com and here www.ramshacklestudio.tumblr.com

14 comments:

Barbara said...

What a great post! I think you've nailed it! When I was in college, our professors always tried to prepare us for the solitary life that being an artist is and I reflect on that often over the years. I even had one professor who told us never, ever marry another artist....but I've found the opposite to be true for me. Being with another creative soul has brought a lot of creative growth for me and we understand each other's creative habits and needs. While we don't normally collaborate, it is vital to have someone to bounce ideas and criticisms off of.

gorgeous work! I love the lockets but my favorite piece that you showed was the pendant with the druzy set. So very organic but the prong setting gives it a great edge!

mairedodd said...

it was so nice to meet you - i just love the guest post blogs... thank you so much for sharing your work and process... it really must be nice to balance with another creative like that - and to be 'more' for it... your shop is filled with so many beautiful pieces... best of luck to you!

Alice said...

What gorgeous jewelry! I would love to have someone to create with, bounce ideas off of, share inspiration, get feedback--good or bad. Lucky you to have such a partner!

It was so nice to meet you!

SummersStudio said...

beautiful collaboration and beautiful work.

Izzy said...

I have been a fan of your work for quite a while and was so happy that you agreed to do this post! Thanks so much.

TesoriTrovati said...

So great to read your collaborative story! I think that there is a richness in any collaboration, whether you are just getting another set of eyes to help you edit and hone your art, or you are really hands on together like you are doing. I am working on a set of collaborations with different bead artists right now. So wonderful!
Enjoy the day.
Erin

Juliette said...

Really glad to meet you and to learn about your work! You have a beautiful eye for form and design, and your pieces are just lovely!!

Made By Tammy said...

What a fantastic post and jewelry! Collaboration sounds and looks like a great idea.

stacilouise said...

It's very cool that you work together. That takes something really special. Love your work, so unique!

Sally Anderson said...

I am happy to meet you two because your work is amazing and so appeals to my love of modern looking jewelry (although I made stuff w/ seed beads...go figure). I love that locket so much. And the pendant and the ring, well, actually all of these. Gorgeous!

Kelli said...

WOW!!! Love your work AND the team work. "One of us needs to be reminded that odd numbers are good, one of us hates hand sanding, one of us can’t be bothered to check her email, one of us is scared of using color, neither of us particularly like dealing with people in person, one of us sucks at following through on an idea, one of us is all focus." I LOVE THAT!!! I see myself in so much of that, and wonder where MY other half is to check e-mail, remind me to use more color, and FORCE myself to do the mundane stuff!! :) LOVE your post! Thanks SO much for joining us!!

SendingLoveGallery said...

great post - so cool that you work together so well! beautiful pieces~

Ramshackle Studio said...

Thanks so much everyone! We loved being your guest blogger - You made our day :)

Unknown said...

The article was really nice! The pieces are really awesome. Thanks for the post once again.

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