Art & Life with Karla Hackman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karla Hackman.

Karla, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I have always been an artist, although it took me until my early 30s to realize that having a creative outlet was vital to my personal health and well being.

As a child and young adult, I pursued the performing arts while also excelling academically. Through a series of life choices, I ended up moving from the Midwest to New Mexico where I began my professional career in higher education. At that point, I had already let go of my creative outlet to focus on academia.

Later, after the end of a relationship, I began to pursue ceramics classes as a form of catharsis. After several years of throwing pots and then some dabbling with jewelry making, I began to get serious about my passion for 3D art. In 2011, while transitioning professionally from full-time college teaching to administration, I began taking metalsmithing classes.

After a few years working as a college administrator and taking jewelry classes on the side, I decided to make a leap of faith to pursue my passion for art and to let go of higher education. Of course, living in a place like Santa Fe gave me ample opportunities to participate in local and regional art festivals, to continue taking jewelry classes, and to identity boutiques and galleries that would be a fit for my jewelry.

Since 2013, I have been doing exactly that. I create jewelry that is organic, hand-finished, and beautiful. My work has continued to evolve and currently includes collections that are sculptural and botanical.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I create functional jewelry that is sculptural and organic.

My love of nature and living in the desert Southwest inform my work and are very much a part of my daily life. My regular hikes in the desert with my dogs and time outdoors are reflected in my use of branches, leaves, and flowers that become part of my designs.

At the same time, I love architectural elements and modern sculpture, which are also ever-present in my designs and often take on a geometric quality in my metal work.

My work is a marriage of modern and organic, contemporary form and natural beauty. My passion is to create beauty for others and to create unique, wearable art.

In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
One of the biggest challenges facing artists today in an era of increasing social media presence is having the time and expertise to market the work while also finding the time to create the one-of-a-kind work that people truly want to own and wear. As a small business owner and one woman show, finding the time to manage all aspects of the business is a challenge and one I continually try to improve upon.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I participate in approximately 20 art shows throughout the Southwest each year in Arizona (Carefree, Scottsdale, and Fountain Hills), New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas. A schedule of the current art shows and festivals I participate in are available on my website at karlahackman.com.

My website has several examples of current and one-of-kind past and present work as well. Current work is available for purchase.

For those interested in supporting my work, my work is available for purchase at the Houshang Gallery in Santa Fe and Jett Fine Jewelry Gallery in Santa Fe. In addition, you can contact me through my website or my Facebook page EarthandStoneJewelry.

Contact Info:

• Website: karlahackman.com
• Email: karlahackman@gmail.com
• Facebook: EarthandStoneJewelry

Image Credit:
Kerry Scherck Photography
Margot Geist @Geistlight Photography

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.