A Place: Kreeger Museum

I moved to Washington, D.C. this winter and could not be happier. Today I came upon a treasure, The Kreeger Museum. I grew up in the nation's capital but somehow never made it into one of the cities best-kept museums. If you want to get swept off your feet by Picasso, Monet, and Kandinsky this place is your new sanctuary. Built-in 1963 by Philip Johnson this space was formerly the private residence/art collection of David and Carmen Kreeger. In 1994 the building opened for everyone to enjoy. 

Kreeger Museum
2401 Foxhall Road, NW
Washington D.C. 20007

Episode 2: Woldy Reyes

Woldy Reyes started out with a career in Fashion and as an outlet he began sharing his passion for food with his friends and colleagues. After discovering the likes of healthy natural foods he decided to take the leap of faith and end his fashion career and pursue catering full time. During this interview Woldy walks us through his journey into food, where it all began and how food ultimately is the key to everyones heart. 

For more information about Woldy, and to get in contact with him please visit woldyskusina.com.

You can listen to A.M. Thorne Conversations podcast here or subscribe to it on iTunes! More interviews with artist and designers is to come so stay tuned!

Episode 1: Shino Takeda

Shino Takeda is a ceramicist in Brooklyn, NY. Her work is fun and colorful. She is inspired by nature and all that surrounds her, she is able to capture a sense of life in each piece which is all one of a kind. I got to sit down with Shino for an interview and talk to her about her journey into ceramics, what makes her most happy and whats next for her ceramic career. For more information about Shino, and to see/purchase her work visit shinotakeda.com.

You can listen to A.M. Thorne Conversations podcast here or subscribe to it on iTunes! More interviews with artist and designers is to come so stay tuned!

Shino + Ryuta Fukumura collaboration

Shino + Kemuri serries

Classic Shino spoons/chopstick rest

Wood Fire Guinomi pieces

Engagement Ring w/ Ariel + Patrick

Name: Ariel Clay / Patrick Gerety
Occupation: Furniture / Film & TV
What is your sign?:  Gemini / Cancer
Where is your home town?: Sonoma, CA / Sherman Oaks, CA

Please share what the overall experience was like for you.
All we knew going in was that we wanted to make a ring together from a family heirloom stone, but we didn't know how comfortable and fun the process would be until our first meeting with Ashley. She immediately put any uncertainty at ease with her warm, relaxed, and professional demeanor. She made the whole experience so simple and enjoyable! She really listened to what we wanted and continually presented thoughtful options that we loved.

How is the ring? 
It is the best. 

What do you love about it? 
 The sparkle of the diamond setting and the color and size of the band. We wanted to contemporize Ariel's grandmother's setting, but keep the sense of classic elegance and delicate beauty - Ashley nailed it!

Did you have any concerns going into the process? 
In some ways you are putting a lot of trust into the designer, especially when handing over a family heirloom (Ariel's paternal grandmother's ring), so we were concerned about leaving the ring in good hands that we felt shared our values and aesthetic.

Ashley put us at ease - she really understood what we wanted, and always checked with us throughout the process about every little detail to make sure we were absolutely comfortable and happy with it and we are!

What was your favorite part of the experience?
When we started looking for designers we checked out all the usual hip jewelry designers in Brooklyn, but then Ariel's mom just happened to come across Ashley on Instagram and suggested we check her out. We were quickly won over not just by Ashley's work, but by her incredible good vibes, and were thrilled we found her. We wanted to have an experience making this ring together, so to work with a designer like Ashley allowed us to have a direct relationship with her, and to connect to the finished ring in a more personal way. We love looking at the ring now and knowing we were part of the experience of creating it. 

What drew you to A.M. Thorne?
Simple and extremely delicate aesthetic! The design in every piece is so minimal, thoughtful and well executed.

The First One At The Party

I am rarely the first one at a party other than my own, if you are just now tuning in I hope you stay along with me during this journey. One week post election I have been inspired to look at myself as a member in this country. I think this is such a crucial time to share and start conversations with one another, but most importantly share self expression. 

Brass + Bone Tube Necklace / Packaging 2012

I stumbled into jewelry shortly after graduating art school in 2009. Remember 2009? The midst of the financial crisis, it was such a tough time finding this job I dreamt about since I was 17. I woke up in a reality that in order to get back to that cozy dream I'd have to start taking on Freelance, which didn't seem so bad, I get to work for my self! Except "working for your self" for me meant also having a part-time job. I felt my creativity depleting and my eye's were sore from staring at Adobe world. My gift in life, my kindness is number 1 but second place are my hands. One day I was in a hardware store and bright pink and yellow neon rope popped out at me. I bought it thinking it be something cool to work with, not completely realizing it be jewelry. A friend of my introduced me to a place called Metalliferous the home to a bunch of brass objects some for jewelry others that I am still discovering may serve a purpose I will never know. I started mixing things together until I came up with these necklaces and bracelets from found pieces I was attracted to, mostly triangles and circles.  I deepened my craft by learning how to naturally dye fibers to create my own color pallets, it was fun, it was a perfect outlet so I didn't lose my mind. The minute I realized "wow, I love creating beautiful miniature pieces with my hands" I became addicted. I began taking formal jewelry classes and learning the Ancient technique of silversmithing at The Jewelry Arts Inc. and Liloveve. People started commenting on pieces I wore and I remember how happy it made me feel that strangers were attracted to my work. I stopped calling my self a Graphic Designer when introducing my self because quite frankly I didn't like it anymore, it just took time for me to really admit that to my self. It felt strange telling people "I'm a jewelry designer" though I quite in fact was.

I proudly tell the world what I do now. I am always fascinated by the world of jewelry and I am always challenged and ready for it! I spend most of my time navigating the ins and outs of the jewelry district in Manhattan and I know people who see me for the first time are thinking to them selves "is she really in the industry?" I am not the typical person you would see, I am a African American young female.  I embrace it because though I have found my passion I hope to pave the way and inspire others to not only go for their passion but realize when times may seem tough it is all part of a larger picture you may not be able to see yet. Do what feels right, don't stay in something that feel stagnant. Surround yourself with supportive, loving people. Spend time with the things you love doing it will lead to more smiles which leads to more happiness. 

The beginnings of A.M. Thorne work from 2012