exhibitor spotlight
she’s just a radiant girl looking to tap into her inner chi of smithing, keeping it real
this is olympia
born in the greek heart of montreal, she’s her mothers daughter in learning the essence of her cultural cuisine by pure osmosis; while her beginnings of creativeness was found doodling in the corners of her schoolbooks, it was immediately put to a stop by traditional greek folks. luckily, taken up again thirty years later in the form of gold & silver on her own
december 2018
i hosted my seventh annual red barn artisan market, of which i featured each artist
interviewing myself wasn’t going to jive, so I asked my fellow exhibitors to shoot ME some questions and I’d go from there:
a little about your daily rituals
“my boys are my early bird alarms, they nudge me to get our bodies movin’ shakin’ and groovin’ out and about first thing. they are patient tho, because this yogismith goes no place without her morning stretches and her little espresso in hand, then I’m all theirs!”
“I teach yoga daily, some times multiple times a day. while I consider it a spiritual form of art, I would say offering movement is my ‘job’ and my passion is goldsmithing, it must be the reason as to why I enjoy it and never complain about hammering precious metal to create beauty
I can only smith when my schedule is free from teaching, and I have to admit the best times are evenings. I’m talkin, 9pm and onward into the early mornings! I dedicate two days a week of not teaching at all and this affords me the opportunity to head into granville island where my lovely mentor Jurgen has a workshop of 30 years (forge & form) and teaches me a thing or two about his traditional style of goldsmithing”
what do you prefer, working at your studio in fort langley or granville island?
“granville island is a space where I am invigorated and generally take the seat of the student, when I’m in forge & form - I’m a sponge, there to learn and possibly meet potential customers too”
“working in my home studio is my hub my sanctuary my zen with a killer ambiance, it’s where all my juices unravel and magic happens with no interruptions .. except the odd dog loving snuggles and espresso breaks! this is where i’d rather be”
silver or gold?
“gold is to silver like butter is to margarine, there is no comparison. I cannot express enough the pleasure and comfort working with gold, the glow, the lush feeling, the way it responds, but most importantly the alchemy behind each alloy (dark yellow, red orange, green .. its all about the recipe!)”
“there is one exception to silver that helps me appreciate it in a broader and fun aspect, the act of traditional silversmithing; in this case for example taking one coin and forging it out to a bowl, no gym can replace this workout!”
if you were given an opportunity to study your craft anywhere in the world, where would you go?
“I really like this question! my first instinct is goldsmithing in germany or silversmithing in sweden but its foolish to say that, as I have been gifted that rare opportunity here
Italia then! for two reasons, italians ooze passion and food is their fuel. coming from a mediterranean background it feels close to home, tossing love and passion with food into my work comes naturally, to immerse my senses into a life of a master italian goldsmith would be a dream”
what about your technique may differ you from others in your industry?
“although I admire the new tech world and what this industry has evolved in; I crave to stay in the true authentic form of goldsmithing by keeping it traditional with old world techniques just as jurgen has guided me. lets be honest I never began making jewellery this way, I learned it only years ago under his wings, and I vowed I would keep his legacy going and one day if the opportunity arises I would share my knowledge to someone that can appreciate the value in hand made. although these traditions are not lost, they are fading and I would like to keep them alive by passing them on”
is there a customer or a piece that stands out in because of how it resonated with them or felt for you?
“I am happy you asked this, I have two: personally for me learning to tension set a raw diamond was my extreme moment of accomplishment!”
“however it comes very close to this year’s pivotal time in my craft. It was an exceptional honor to be asked by a dear friend to create a channel set pink sapphire/gold ring that marked a new chapter/journey in her life ♥ the sentiment of trust & love is not often experienced through a tangible item, it did for me and this feeling I cherish xo
unbeknownst to me, this is the piece that my mentor referred to me as his “die Gesellin” and in german it refers to an apprentice or journeyman in a trade .. although he’s not an educational establishment (school) to offer me this paper work, his genuine acceptance and claim from his heart is all that matters to me, I was blown out of this world with gratitude and happiness!”
What is your secret for balancing all the creative things you undertake?
“ha! my secret weapon is called bilic (that’s my dude, my rock) he has taught me the single most important element about living, and that is living well (aka happy)
putting all your eggs in one basket may be a detrimental avenue for me, ‘be careful what you wish for’ he reminds me. therefore multiple streams of revenue keeps my interests alive and curiosity flowing happily. hence yoga, goldsmithing, & pet hydrotherapy mingle well together
none have anything to do with each other, yet for some reason they all seem to blend into my world as if they were meant to be together, they complement each other
this all takes place at my home, my home is my heart and nothing beats a happy heart“
ok olympia .. beer, wine, scotch?
“haha! if you were talking to my 20 year old self, beer all the way and I could drink you under the table! now I’ve refined my tastes to ice water. but if I had to pick, I’d say 1/2 bottle of beer and I’m loaded!”
thank you for the love poured out from each of my goddess exhibitors, these several months have been a delight sharing your passion and your interest in me too! I appreciate the genuine love xo O
♥
december 2018
