Exihibt: Beachside Inspiration

I've tried to leave southern California, but something keeps me from ever getting too far away. 6 years in La Jolla, 3 months in Huntington Beach and a little over a year in Santa Monica. A lot of people would tell me I'm nuts for wanting to leave, and while I do love being able to walk to the beach and feel the ocean breeze, I really want to try something new. However, I owe my jewelry line to the beach, all three cities and Jon Chan. Without the beach I would not have a lot of my materials. Without the cities I would never have found stores that sell the materials nor have experiences to help stimulate new designs. Without Jon I never would have been as comfortable showcasing my pieces; a good photographer can really help you sell anything.Ah, La Jolla. This photo was taken from a spot in downtown La Jolla where I spent many hours walking with people or just walking alone. Although this isn't exactly a beach, there is a really nice walking path which can be extremely quiet during the week and great for thinking.

I remember standing here one morning, making the decision to try to create a jewelry line. What did I really have to lose?

When I first moved to Huntington Beach for work I didn't know anyone except my roommates who I had found on Craigslist. Before our friendships blossomed, I poured a lot of my time into making jewelry. I also found an amazing bead store in Huntington Beach that helped me hone in on what I wanted my jewelry line to encompass. Anything and everything having to do with the ocean, and of course the Japanese flair!
Instantly the ideas started flowing. My room was so small at the time that I had no room for a desk so I made my queen bed my workspace. Bad for my posture, good for the right side of my brain.

Now who is this Jon Chan? We went to high school together. We went to college together in La Jolla. We were the same major in college (electrical engineering) but were never in the same classes. We rarely saw each other all those years but when I moved to Huntington Beach, I happened to be in San Diego supporting a seminar that my company was hosting and ran into Jon. He told me he's doing wedding photography on the side! We quickly bonded over being engineers with artsy hobbies, an outlet for dealing with the cubicle life. Oh, by the way it helps that he lives in San Diego and I can go down there when I want him to take some photographs for me. =)

These two photos were some of the first creations I made and the first ones Jon shot. I like them because they are very raw. Nothing fancy, but capture the sea, the Japanese flair, and still a nice piece of jewelry! In the photo of La Jolla, there is nothing overly man-made about the area. Yes, property was built and a few fences placed but for the most part the ocean is the ocean, the rocks are the rocks, and the wildlife comes in and out.

Jon's photography expertise really helped. Once he saw my collection and heard about how I design each piece, he helped me capture that in the photos. He chose black background because it would help the colors pop out and focus the viewer. I never saw my designs in such detail and I was worried about the imperfections but Jon reminded me that the imperfections (like the detail in the off-white bamboo coral) were a part of what made my jewelry unique. Much like the way our own imperfections are a part of what make us who we are.

I am far from perfect. My jewelry is quite often far from perfect. I have flops. I have a lot of designs I end up taking apart. I can't force a good design, it just has to happen when the time is right. It's all trial and error but the key thing I remind myself of is I love to make jewelry. Life is never that bad when you enjoy what you're doing or have something to look forward to. =)

Check out Jon's photography!! He's great inspiration!!