Art & Life with Angela Henrie

Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Henrie.

Angela, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
Ever since Junior High, I have sold my creations: homemade suckers, cookies, beaded safety pin bracelets… And ever since Junior high, I have known I wanted to be a jewelry artist. I started out as a young Mom of four, painting children’s furniture and started selling it in Neiman Marcus, Las Vegas. I started making jewelry for my little girls because It just wasn’t available anywhere. Some people making beaded jewelry back in the nineties and I knew I wanted to make something really unique. I found jewelry classes at my local art center and took a beginning class. I took it TWO TIMES before I got the courage to buy my own torch and acetylene tank. I just kept taking classes… I believe the more knowledge you have, the more creative freedom you’ll have. I began selling my children’s jewelry to retailers, including Fred Segal, Melrose. (Madonna even bought a piece! And that got me into Instyle magazine!). Back then we didn’t have social media, so getting into a publication was HUGE and got your name out there. I then started making more women’s jewelry as well and sold it in Saks Fifth Avenue, Phoenix. I continue to make jewelry now. It is my love and my creative outlet. I can’t imagine not doing it. Ever.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I make wearable art: Jewelry. Jewelry is such a personal expression of yourself. Your mood. I like to make pieces that are unique and not trendy. I want the person wearing it to feel like they stand out in the crowd. That they are wearing something just a little different than what everyone else is wearing. That they don’t follow the trends…they make the trends. (I guess this is the way I’ve always felt about what wear!)

I have a garage studio where I do my silversmith work: I fabricate pendants, rings, bracelets, and chains using various silver sheet and wires. I love the process of taking something simple, like sheet and wire, and hammering, cutting, filing, shaping it into something unexpected…like a rose. I love turquoise and use it most of the time in my pieces. When we travelled, my dad would buy me little rings from the Native Americans when we’d stop and visit their stands on the reservations. My grandparents wore a lot of turquoise jewelry. Turquoise is very sentimental to me.

I like to mix the unexpected; like punk and classical. I don’t like predictable. And I ABHORE matchy-matchy. I cringe just a little bit when a customer requests a matching set. I would much prefer a “coordinating” set. Or a “complimenting” set. So, that’s what I usually end up doing.

What’s my message?
BE YOURSELF.
Wear what YOU love.
Do your own thing.
Ok, my three messages.

Artists rarely, if ever pursue art for the money. Nonetheless, we all have bills and responsibilities and many aspiring artists are discouraged from pursuing art due to financial reasons. Any advice or thoughts you’d like to share with prospective artists?
If you believe in yourself, others follow. Put your heart and soul into your work and always stay true to yourself. Don’t follow the trends. If you love what you do, it shows in your work. Take a chance on yourself. Put yourself out there. That can be scary. I know! It can be difficult because you’re putting a piece of your soul out there for the world to criticize or reject, utilize all of the free social media we have out there at our fingertips. Study and learn about it so you know how to use these amazing tools. Just ask. Make the call. When I walked into Neiman Marcus with my little hand painted box full of photos of my work, I instantly felt intimidated and doubtful. I thought, “what am I doing!” I wanted to turn around and go home. But then I thought to myself, “what’s the worst that can happen? They’ll say ‘no thank you.’ “So, I marched in there with my photos and they loved my work and immediately put it in the store.
What if I hadn’t tried?

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I am on Instagram: @helloangelahenrie. People can contact me direct by messaging me there. I also have a link to my website/shop. That’s where I sell pieces that I reproduce several of. My one-of-A-kinds are going to be found on Instagram.

Contact Info:

• Address:
  Website coming soon!
• Website: angelahenrie.bigcartel.com
• Email: angelahenrie@gmail.com
• Instagram: @helloangelahenrie
• Facebook: Angelahenriedesigns

 Image Credit:
Amy kroff
Riley Johnson

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