Meet the AJE Team: Interview with Kristi Bowman

Next up in the Meet the AJE team is the wonderful and talented Kristi Bowman. 

Please describe the kind of components and designs you create and give some basic info about your process:

I think I'm all over the board with this at times. For the most part I use my PMC components as my focal in my jewelry creations, and I adore pairing my pieces with other art beads. Glass, ceramic, polymer clay, I love them all!! I've been using Sari silk in my work lately and it's been fun and challenging. I'm enjoying adding another dimension to my work!

I tend to go for textures from nature, I use alot of Ammonite and Sea Urchin and people seem to love it as much as I do. Also Paisley is a big favorite of mine! I've transitioned from mostly Silver and Bronze to Copper over the last year and I love it. Being able to torch the copper after it's fired to get a wide range of colors is so much fun!

How did you get started making components?

I spent the first couple of years making components only for myself and I decided it would be a great business plan to provide them for other Artisans to use in their work and it's been a wonderful adventure. At first I was not sure how I would feel seeing my work used by others but I love it and I've never looked back!

Describe a bit about your studio. Is it clean and well organized? Or chaotic?

Chaotic describes it pretty well, messy is another word that comes to mind. I think creative chaos is the norm for most artists. When it gets to the point it hinders the process you just spend part of a day cleaning and re-organizing a bit and then off you go again! 

What is your favorite thing about your studio?

It's all mine!! No matter how messy it is I have no responsibility to clean it up and make it look nice. I love spending time in here, it's my home!

What is your favorite color? Is it also your favorite color to work with when designing?

Probably Purple, and yes I use it alot in my designs. I also love Turquoise, the color and the stone! I try to stretch beyond those boundaries as much as possible though cause not everybody is as in love with purple as I am.

What is on your nightstand right now?

Books that I never have a chance to read. I've been trying to take at least 15-30 minutes before bed each night to get a little reading in. 

What is the last book you read? Would you recommend it?

The Pleasure Trap by Douglas J. Lisle and Alan Goldhamer I would recommend it. It's a very interesting and insightful book about our instincts for eating and how it controls many of us in our world today.

If you won 20 million dollars, what would you do with the money?

Retire from my day job, make a bigger studio space and have fun!! I'm sure I'd travel a bit more too, even though I am quite the homebody!

What is something you have never done that you would love to do or learn?

There are tons of Jewelry techniques I'd love to learn, pretty much you name it and I'd love to learn it! But beyond learning them the challenge is finding the time to actually do them!

Where was your favorite vacation?

It has to be Mexico, I've been lucky enough to go to Puerto Vallarta 2 years in a row! Besides jewelry I have a bit of an obsession with birds and both years I had amazing and very different experiences with Pelicans. I'm wondering how next years trip can top them, it'll be fun to find out!

What is one of your goals of being part of AJE?

Being in a group of very talented and like minded ladies can only be a good thing! I hope I learn from the experience and maybe along the way share some of what I know and of course meet more new and fantastic friends!

Thanks Kristi!

And people, let me tell you, I had a VERY difficult time not spending money when I was trying to decide which photos to include. You can find everything seen above in Kristi's Etsy shop.