Interview with Brooke Stone Jewelry

Wolf Rug

-Where are you from? Where do you live now?
Brooke: I was raised outside of Boston, spent a short while in Southern California as a young adult and came to Eugene in 1969 as a young mother. I was part of the "Back to the Land" movement, although I did not realize it at the time. Jim was raised in Eureka, California, in the redwood forest. He came to live in Oakridge in 1974. We have been working together manufacturing our line of animal totem jewelry since 1990.

-When did you first become interested in the arts and what mediums did you work with initially?
Brooke: As a child I started out working with blockprinting. An artist friend of the family gave me some tools and a piece of battleship linoleum. My first blockprint said "Noel" and much to my surprise, when I printed at, it said "leoN"! It was an important lesson....also, I have always worked with fiber. All the women in my family sewed, so I learned from them.

-What mediums do you work with now?
Brooke: I had a first career making wearable art which incorporated batik, applique of many different materials like felt, velvet, leather, fur, old buttons, etc. I made fitted vests and jackets, which I sold at Saturday Market, then at 5th Street Market and then I began doing the east coast shows organized by the American Crafts Council. I did wearable art for about 15 years, then switched over to metal. I got my metals education at LCC, in Dan White's program. (He was a fabulous teacher)! I have been making my living in jewelry-making since 1987. I work with animal totem images, using lost wax casting and many other processes. For a complete explanation of these processes, see the Studio Tour on my website: http://www.brookestonejewelry.com/studio-tour.php To see the jewelry which Jim and I make together, follow this link to our Art Gallery: http://www.brookestonejewelry.com/animal-totem-jewelry-online.php I have also been making hooked wool rugs since 1999; working with Dyed in the Wool Rug Hookers Guild here in Eugene. Like most hookers, I do not sell this work, but hook for the fun and the joy of it!

-How have you evolved as an artist?
Brooke: My vision has matured. I don't have any trouble thinking of new ideas. What I have found is that working with the medium brings ideas to the surface. You might say that the imagination and the medium are inextricably intertwined.

-What do you do if a work turns out differently than expected or you do not like how the piece is coming together?
Brooke: I think of designing a new piece as an exploration, so I expect the process to undergo many changes from beginning to end. I welcome problems as opportunities to "struggle creatively". I don't expect the process to be easy...

-What/who are your inspirations?
Brooke: Nature and its processes are my inspirations. I study natural history, botany, zoolology, mythology and anthropology to understand something about the animals I work with as subjects.

-When did the two of you first meet? How did your relationship impact your respective artistic careers?
Brooke: Jim and I met as students at LCC in the late 1980's. I would say that our lives as husband and wife and as working partners are completely inter-connected. I don't see any separation between the two parts. We have division of labor in the business, each working on parts that we feel comfortable with. We have our own small foundry on our land where Jim does all of the casting. I design new work and we both work in the manufacturing ....we do all of the processes ourselves in our shop.

-When did you start Brooke Stone Jewelry together? Why did you choose to name it after just Brooke?
Brooke: I already had a business called "Brooke Stone Jewelry" when Jim and I started working together in 1990 and the business already had name recognition. Also, when we first started working together, we weren't sure we could actually make a living that way. So we left the name that the business already had. As it turned out, we were able to make a living selling our jewelry and have been doing that since 1990.

-Has being a member of Oregon Arts Alliance helped you? How?
Brooke: I think it is necessary to support the arts in our community and OAA's mission is an important one. OAA has helped us gain exposure, even though we've been around for a long time. The facebook workshop recently taught by Diana Richardson was very helpful to me.

-What are your plans for the future, either personally or as artists?
Brooke: I plan to forge ahead and make art as long as I possibly can. I can't imagine life without art!

-Anything else you would like to add?
Brooke: For young artists planning to make a business of their art, I would advise: Take deadlines seriously. Never miss a deadline, no matter what! You might have 3 kids sick at home with nasty colds, but if you miss the deadline, you will lose the account!