I’m really excited to start this section on my blog where I talk about other makers, creatives and artists. I’ve been wanting to do something like this for ages so I’ve decided this space is the perfect place for it.
These artists are people I follow on social media, or have met in real life, and I connect with their work. I love discovering artists so this is in hopes that you find new people who inspire you through this section of the blog.
The first person I wanted to talk about is my friend Zoe from ZoeZoe Jewelry. I first ‘met’ Zoe on Instagram and she would comment on my IG stories and process and we just connected. Then, incredibly enough, we met in person when I went to Florence, Italy to study with a jeweler and we hung out several times.
My visits with her left such an impression on me that I still think about them to this day (it’s been three years since we met). She was attending a jewelry school at the time and learning so much and shared with me a lot about her experience. I even met her instructor and visited his shop. I saw her studio space which she was sharing with other artists and she was just living this totally unique life in Florence.
I have since been thinking about her learning experience and what it must’ve been like to be surrounded by a city of goldsmiths. Not any goldsmith, but Florentine goldsmiths. Florentine goldsmiths are the creme de la creme when it comes to technique in the jewelry world. They still have the tradition of being a part of goldsmithing guilds which is something that is passed down from family to family, or requires rigorous studying just to be a part of. Her instructor came from a goldsmithing family and his work was exceptionally beautiful.
When I see her work and her path now, I get excited. I know she’s beginning in terms of selling and becoming more of a full-time business, but I can’t wait to see what unfolds in the next 5, 10, more years for her. She still lives in Italy, in the Tuscany region so she’s in the proximity of her Florence connections. I imagine her living and working out of her rural studio and taking a train every so often to Florence to see a museum, catch up with her colleagues and return to feel that goldsmithing energy which she works into every piece.
We’ve stayed in touch over the years and I hope to see her again. I recently treated myself to a pair of her earrings and I haven’t taken them off since they’ve arrived. I feel her love of the craft and if I pass a mirror, I look at them and smile. My time in Florence was defined in part by making a new friend and it’s rare to find someone who aligns so much with your love of art and creativity.
Tap on the links above to connect with her and to view her work.
Thanks so much for reading,
Caitlin