Jewelry Designer Violet Drury
My name is Violet Drury and I am a jewelry designer.
As the youngest of nine siblings, I grew up in a house that was somewhat chaotic and very creative. As a child, I was always writing and thinking creatively, but did not experiment much with physical art. I always dreamed of being a writer or an actress—something to do with words.
Fresh Water Pearl and Chalcedony Necklace by Violet
My first major step into an artistic career was with photography. I took lessons from a small independent photographer, who also hired me to assist on commercial shoots. I enjoyed photography a great deal, but had some obstacles. I did not have a good darkroom to develop my photographs, and other resources were limited. Furthermore, when I moved to Santa Cruz, California in 1985, my camera was stolen. After that incident coupled with my previous obstacles, I decided that I would let go of photography. Despite this, my time in Santa Cruz was a great opportunity for me to explore my other creative passions. The seaside town has a very vibrant art community where I met lots of artistic friends. Together, we would gather for “culture nights” every few weeks where we would watch movies, drink wine, and work on our creative projects together. Everyone explored a variety of mediums from painting to knitting—we were brought together by our love and appreciation for art.
At that time, I was making artistic paper cards for my family that still lived on the east coast. I began to think about experimenting with jewelry when the holidays came around since I wanted to give my sisters something special and homemade. A few of my friends were talented beadworkers, and I reached out to them for some instruction. They taught me all the basic techniques for jewelry making. They were very kind and patient as I slowly began to learn the process, and incredibly encouraging and supportive of my new endeavour.
As I designed jewelry as a hobby, I began to work as a manager in an art gallery owned by a woman named Kate Nolan. Kate was incredibly influential in my artistic career, as she gave me the opportunity to sell my work for the first time. She often reminded me to not worry about having a formal education in art, and to instead pursue what I love and stay true to my craft. She is probably the biggest influence on my jewelry career, as she took me under her wing and helped me transition from creating jewelry as a hobby to a creative business.
My art style has changed a bit over my years of creating jewelry. When I first started designing, my work was very chunky and used lots of amber and turquoise—a style that was very popular during the eighties. Now, my work has evolved into more delicate wire wrapping. I try to create pieces that are elegant, yet also casual. Most of my work is inspired by nature; I like to capture and recreate the unique color combinations found in nature. I draw from my many experiences with the environment on both the east and west coast. While on the west coast, I am particularly drawn by the many shades of brown and green from the surrounding forests, and on the east coast, I find inspiration in the different blues and grays apparent on the icy days that keep everyone indoors. The variety of different color combinations in nature are expansive and timeless—something I wish to mimic and explore in my own art. Nature has always been important to me; it is a source of spiritual grounding and inspiration for all my work. When I see something beautiful in nature, I try to create a piece that touches the spirit, inspires creativity, and imbues a feeling of beauty.
Carnelian and Turquoise Display
While my jewelry is very delicate and dainty, my creation process is quite chaotic. My work area is incredibly messy, but I enjoy this chaotic process; it sometimes allows me to see a pattern that I had not thought of using before. The creation process itself can inspire me as well. After conceptualizing a design, I use pliers and hammers to flatten down the wire and secure it wrapped around the stones. I make sure to use stones that are formed and colored naturally, with which I can recreate the true feeling of earth and nature. Despite the spontaneous and messy creative process, I prefer to keep my area very quiet so I can fully focus on the piece I am working on. Yet on days that I have a set production schedule, I listen to a lot of upbeat music that helps energize me.
I have found that despite the freedoms of working as a jewelry designer, there have been a few limitations. Money has always been an obstacle for me, especially as COVID-19 has disrupted my supply chain. Ensuring that I have the resources available to continue creating my pieces has been a challenge. Additionally, when I was first starting to transition my jewelry designing from a hobby to a career, I struggled with the competitive aspect of designing. I used to feel like the market was too oversaturated and I could not compete. Yet with time, I learned there is not a limited supply or number of artists—there is enough room for everyone. I have since committed to focusing on myself and staying true to my own artistic style. I have also found it frustrating how little people seem to understand about owning your own business. Being a jewelry designer does not fit into one clearly labeled box within society. I often struggle to combat misconceptions and assumptions that others make about both my career and myself. People oftentimes continue to assume that jewelry is a hobby, not a self-sufficient career.
Despite the monetary struggles and social misconceptions around my career, I am motivated to continue expanding my business. I have a long term dream of having employees, a large work space, and a nice work environment for others to enjoy and be happy in.
I hope that my jewelry pieces are treasured by my customers. When they wear my pieces, I wish them to feel that same happiness and connection to nature that I felt when creating it. Ultimately, I believe that every person has the creative spirit within them. Hopefully, with my pieces, they are inspired to treasure and embrace their own artistic inclinations.
Be true to your artistic vision!
Peace and Love ,
Violet Drury