So, What’s New?
24 July 2023
I am now half way through the market season with only 5 more pop-ups scheduled through September. The markets have been going smooth and it’s been so rewarding with all the turnouts and connections I’ve been able to make. This season, I’ve realized that I don’t only need to make product that I know will be popular, I can make product that makes me happy and curate a style that is one of a kind. The product doesn’t have to keep up with the latest trends, it can be whatever I feel is right . All the jewelry that I have made between now and the beginning of this season have all be passion pieces, things that I am truly in love with and pieces that I want to represent my brand.
I want the jewelry that I make to stand out and be the perfect representation of what I feel Kabenzie’s is. I want my jewelry to be funky, eclectic yet stylish enough to wear on a day to day basis. I also want people to see that you can make something out of anything, just like my upcycled record earrings or mismatch charm earrings decorated with found seashells and repurposed beads.
Within this month, I feel I have honed in on my style of art and jewelry. As I find inspiration for my work, I noticed I am attracted to things that that come from nature that carry soft earthy tones as well as pops of bright color. One thing I always bring attention to is the imperfections. For example, in my jewelry I have been obsessed with creating asymmetrical earrings. Each pair of earrings is unique and each individual earring will have different charms, not one set is perfectly matching.
In my paintings, I’ve been trying to let go of making everything look perfect and clean. I can sometimes get hung up on small details and then I won’t finish a piece. In some cases, the beginning painting won’t be exactly as I imagined. I’ll get frustrated and then I will quit the painting where I began instead of enjoying the process and seeing the final outcome. If you just give yourself time, enjoy the process of creating and let the imperfections slide, you will be pleasantly surprised with the outcome and will have a better relationship with the piece you created.
All in all, this year I am learning how to enjoy the process more, find and develop my own style and appreciating the imperfections in all I do. By practicing this, I feel I am much happier and more satisficed with the outcome of my art and jewelry.
On another note, this year I have also discovered my love for mural paintings! I have been able to do a total of three murals and I hope to continue to grow that number. I would love to dip my toes into more large scale paintings and develop my skills further. While continuing to make jewelry, I hope painting can take on a larger part of my life. I’ve always loved to paint, but along the way I haven’t done as much as I once did.
As I start to wrap up my summer markets, I hope to take on more painting projects through fall. I am hoping to find more down time to paint with the new season and then transitioning into more mural work as well. We shall see how it all goes! Here’s to more experiences and ideas to come!
Kabenzie :)