Get to Know... Lauren Wimmer

Brooklyn-based jewelry artist Lauren Wimmer (with her son above) chats with One of a Kind about what inspires her and what she'll be bringing to the Spring show.

One of a Kind:  Describe your work.

Lauren:  I work in a variety of media, but the three main groups are "Wrapped", "Cast" and "Beaded". My “Wrapped” collection features hand-dyed silk ribbon wrapped around hollow tube rings to form bibs, chains and convertible pieces. The “Cast” collection explores the line between organic and geometric. The shapes and textiles are redolent of actual objects and beings found in nature, but with a compelling abstraction that defies the literal and allows the wearer to define them in their own style. The models are all made in wax and cast in sterling silver and/or heavy plated in 18K gold. My “Strung” collection of beaded jewelry features prominently with clusters of fresh water pearls and rock crystal clusters accented with semi precious stones, sterling silver, 14-karat gold, bone, wood, horn and glass in unusual and variant colors and shapes.

From Lauren's "Wrapped" Collection.

One of a Kind:  What are you bringing to the Spring show?

Lauren:  I will bring a smattering of each group to the show. Each season I refresh each collection with a few new styles and colors to keep things fresh. This spring I will have bright ribbons and beads and some neutral cast pieces.

One of a Kind:  How did you get started?

Lauren:  I have beaded since I was a little girl. In college we had an amazing foundry and I fell in love with created clay models and pouring bronze. When I moved to New York after graduation, I had to scale down my sculpture so I started taking a wax carving jewelry workshop. That dovetailed with my lifelong compunction to make beaded pieces and at that point jewelry chose me. I began selling pieces to keep "fueling the habit" until I decided to take the leap and make my business a full time enterprise.

From Lauren's "Cast" Collection

One of a Kind:  What makes you happy? 

Lauren:  As a human, gnawing my sons cheeks and generating a deep laugh is the best thing in the world. As an artist, sitting down with a wax block, a plan, some carving tools, a new book on audible and a marathon number of hours ahead of me in the studio. As a tourist, spending time exploring bustling coral reefs.

One of a Kind:  What makes you mad?

Lauren:  Inefficiency and sun dried tomatoes.

One of a Kind:  If you weren't an artist, what would you be?

Lauren:  I would strive to be a veterinarian in a country where I could scuba dive constantly.