Queenthings Interview
Jenny Vorwaller is an amazing jewelry designer and the brains behind Queenthings. Her website showcases her stunning pieces as well as shares her photos and adventures in her new home in South America. In this interview of sorts she tells us all about her new line of jewelry! Chapter One was recently released only to find HUGE success! Jenny was kind enough to answer some questions about her ideas, inspirations, and vision for her new lines!!
Your photos are all so beautiful, and the flow of your first Chapter in the collection is sublime! Please tell us more about telling stories.
With my own personal jewelry collection, I found that each piece I owned told a story; from travels, gifts that I had received from special people in my life, heirlooms, and so on. I wanted my work to have the same meaning and I also wanted to create some room for me to grow as a designer. So the whole idea for creating chapters and stories for my collections came to me as a way to help me focus. Though I've seen artists create wonders being fed with just one source, I felt too confined to limit myself with one genre. Being an avid reader, somehow the idea of each collection that I put out being a story made sense. It has a beginning (the concept) a middle (the creating) and a happy ending (others enjoying what I put out there.) With painting, most ideas seem to communicate more strongly when worked as a series, and I see "stories" being told in fashion all the time, why not in jewelry?
You recently made a huge move to South America. Can you tell us a little bit more about your new surroundings?
I step out of my home here and into a new world. Everyday I am in awe at this beautiful world, the places yet undiscovered, how people live and their way of life. Travel truly transforms. Picture old ornate architecture, lively fruit and vegetable stands, panaderias (tasty bakeries), antique cars, miles and miles of beautiful beaches, a rich political past that is deeply sad at times, wonderful artisan feiras, the most tranquil people on earth, the breeze cooling the summer from the rio de la plata...
Are you a full time artist, or do you have a day job? If so, how does one effect the other?
I am a full time artist, though I don't work full hour days at the moment. When I am not working directly at my studio desk, I am usually out exploring and immersing myself in other creative activities and recharging. I'm so grateful to be doing what I love, after having worked uninspiring jobs, I can't take this for granted!
Are there other artists, musicians, actors (creatives in general) that are really influencing you right now?
Oh! There are so many, too many to list! Also, I kind of like to keep my influences for the next collection to myself until it is launched, it just seems more exciting to me that way.
What's next?
Well, I don't have a very scheduled timetable for putting out each collection, I think they will come as I can fit them between current travels. This allows me to carve out time to really go inside myself and see what I feel like exploring. I love researching, and I feel the next set of jewelry will be a total departure from the first secret garden pieces. I'm sensing something more modern. Contemporary studio jewelry is fascinating to me, with the way it crosses boundaries. Maybe I'm leaning more to this style because I just returned from viewing Calatrava's beautiful bridge here in Buenos Aires. Architecture has always always inspired me immensely, ever since my art history class in college, I've been enchanted. So I would love to incorporate that into jewelry. Right now i have a special collaboration piece that is completely inspired by one of my favorite gothic cathedrals. I'm really excited to see it progress, and I'm working with an amazing designer.
What about the photos on your site? Are there prints for sale?
The photos I created on my site were there to support my idea, to have both worlds collide. I hadn't even thought of making them available for purchase! But I'm so glad that you ask, because when i finally decided to *gulp* buckle down and choose a medium to express myself in (I'm what you would call a multidisciplinary artist you see) I had a lot of fear that I wouldn't be able to ignore photography, painting, everything else! But I realized that they all work together, beautifully. So there may be some original artwork with the next jewelry story...stay tuned.
Where can we purchase your work?
You can see each story unfold at my website, www.queenthings.com and by clicking on any image in the series, you will be led to my etsy shop. If you would like to be in the know about future projects, collaborations, and the like, please subscribe to my mailing list! Just send me a little note to my email, which you can also find on my website.
