Artist Profile: Kendra Renee Jewelry Design
Another in our series of artists profiles! This week, Kendra Lawrence…
Please tell us the name of your business and what you create.
The name of my business is Kendra Renee Jewelry Design.
I make sculptural, exciting jewelry using traditional metalsmithing and hand fabrication techniques. This basically means that I start out with flat sheets of metal and wire, and form each shape using saws, hammers, pliers, and countless other tools. I join piece together by soldering with a torch, and I finish them by hand. My goal as a jewelry artist is to make pieces that inspire confidence and happiness in the wearer.
Where do you live?
I am originally from Vermont, but I recently moved to San Francisco and I love, love, LOVE it here!
Give us a little history of how you got into the business. What inspires you? Do you have a day job?
I have always loved jewelry. I’ve made my own jewelry since I was six years old! In college, I learned how to work with metal from an artist in Boston, and I was hooked. I knew then that I wanted to make jewelry for the rest of my life. When I graduated, I moved to San Francisco to launch my business, and have been loving every second of it ever since.
I am inspired by the metal and the tools that I work with. I am constantly dreaming up new shapes that I can create from the tools that I have. I also find inspiration from the body- I create each piece to be a beautiful accent to the way we move in the world.
What do you enjoy most about your work? The least?
I really do love everything about my job. From dreaming up new designs, to hand-making each piece, to being my own bookkeeper and product photographer, to working on my website- I do it all myself and I love each of the hats that I wear as a business owner. My favorite part though, is when I create a new design in metal from an idea in my head. It’s so much fun to take an idea, problem solve the kinks out, and end up with something beautiful and fun to wear.
What have you learned along the way?
I am constantly learning. In fact, that’s one of the best parts about being an artist! I love learning new techniques that allow me to work metal in new ways. I’ve also learned a lot about business along the way- too many things to list!
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