Today we’d like to introduce you to Nancy Rodriguez Rojas.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I’m a 29-year-old bicultural Jewelry Designer & Maker, or in other words, a creative border-girl. I was born in Tijuana and raised on both sides of the border, which has taught me so many things in different aspects and has also shaped my life into who I am and what I do today. As a child I was always embracing my creative side if I wasn’t crafting, then I was hand drawing cartoons and selling them to my classmates in elementary school. It was always clear in my mind that I was going to be some artist or designer, but I wasn’t sure what kind.
Briefly, I went to Southwestern College where I completed my transfer studies after years of trying to figure out what I really wanted to do, during this time I started making textile jewelry as a way to finance my tuition. This didn’t mean that I knew jewelry was my thing or even a thing to make a living out of. After that, I transfer to San Diego State University, took multidisciplinary courses in textiles, metalwork, ceramics, printmaking, etc. In 2014, I completed a B.A. in Applied Design with an emphasis in Woodworking and Furniture Design (I still didn’t know how much I loved metalwork). Throughout that time I worked several jobs, sometimes two at a time, that somehow had to do with art and design such as creative visuals coordinator for retail, art instructor for after-school programs, gallery and exhibition assistant for a museum, and finally jewelry production assistant. This last job mentioned is where I really started to think of Jewelry Design as a potential business, so I went back to SWC, took a metals class to refresh my vision and skills. I got enrolled in a woodworking class, just to access the shop. I must admit, with the intention to design and build my workbench as an excuse to find a studio shop for it. In 2017, I stopped overthinking, and that’s when things started aligning, found a tiny studio where I worked part-time for a year, and eventually, I quit my retail job to become full time at my small business. As of now, I am working on growing in all aspects such as collections, clientele, stockists, knowledge, skills and personal growth.
Please tell us about your art.
I love making all sorts of three-dimensional objects, but I knew that I needed to focus on one media, so I went for Jewelry Design. I’ve developed the capacity to appreciate the beauty in the most obsolete objects you can find, which enabled me to find inspiration for the jewelry I design. I started working with raw natural semi-precious stones that I collected from my trips around Mexico. Through my current jewelry collection, I’d like for people to value the simple things, to reconnect with nature and our Mother Earth through a piece of mineral, thinking about where it came from, the person who mined it and everything it took for it to be what it is now. In the same way, I would like for people to appreciate all handmade design and to understand that it takes years of training and a lot of work to have a successful finish product; therefore it is essential to recognize the real value of things and most importantly to support each other.
Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
I was the one always concern about money until I decided to believe in what I do and to embrace my talent. Don’t let financial concerns stop you from reaching your goals, not only in the art world but in any other fields. I’m still not sure how I am doing it but some advice I can share are: look for financial guidance, don’t be afraid to ask questions about money, apply for scholarships and grants, don’t spend what you don’t have (very important), start small; you don’t need a huge budget to launch a small business! Read books about it, watch videos, get creative on how to finance your dreams; everyone has a strength, be it knowledge on specific topics, handy to build certain things, coaching, you love exercising? Train someone, charge for it and eventually get certified and make a business out if it. It might sound easier than it actually is, but the key is to be proactive, disciplined and persistent.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Everyone is welcome to my studio! I love having visits and getting to know everyone who stops by. I am located in the heart of Barrio Logan, I encourage people to schedule visit appointments, but walk-ins are appreciated as well. You can also shop my jewelry online at Nance Jewelry, and at our favorite local shops: Simon Limon, Pigment, and La Loupe. Also, make sure to send some love and positive vibes through Instagram @nancejewelry.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2185 Logan Ave. Studio 17
- Website: www.nancejewelry.com
- Email: shop@nancejewelry.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancejewelry/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nancejewelry/
Image Credit:
Edgar Venado
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