FK chats to Sarah of wonderful jewellery label, Colour Hop. Colour Hop is debuting at the upcoming Melbourne Markets.
Tell us a bit about Colour Hop and what products we can expect to discover?
Colour Hop’s label is all about the love of colour, texture, form & individuality. It’s about making art that people can wear and about each piece being different – no 2 pieces of Colour Hop will ever be the same. I make ‘one of a kind’, unique jewellery pieces for individuals to fall in love with and wear!
What was the motivation behind starting your label?
After working as a graphic designer for the past 6 years, I was eager to create something that I love doing, creating a craft that can be shared with many people. I love illustration, printmaking & creating objects, and I wanted to make beautiful pieces of jewellery that could connect all these art forms together. I bought some polymer clay, started playing around… and here it is!
How has your creative style developed over time? and what inspires your work?
My creative style develops constantly, with practice, making mistakes & propelled by inspiration. I am also very interested in patterns & textures as illustrations & how they can be symbolic, so my style has really revolved around this & developed more and more over time.
The natural environment around us inspires me everyday. I love looking at shape, colour, texture, patterns & forms of so many natural wonders. I love the seasons, and how they can influence us greatly; so the colour I create, is inspired by these. I explore parks, the sea side, the country, galleries, op shops, blogs (and the list goes on & on) for constant inspiration.
What is your workspace like? and what is your creative process?
I have a small desk I work mostly from, with many beautiful little objects around me, to give constant inspiration – like a table cloth from my recent trip to Iran, a little globe of the world, sprigs & twigs found on walks, a picture of an amazing glacier I saw in a distant land, a screen print about the bottom of the earth & many little handmade vessels.
My creative process is usually begun with a lot of sketching, playing around with ideas, evolving them until I am happy with the final outcome. Constant playing around occurs!
What challenges have you faced starting your own label, and what are some things you love about it?
Starting from scratch, and working a whole lot out by yourself. You are many different people when starting your own label, artist, bookkeeper, marketing manager, organiser, project manager, graphic designer – juggling all these aspects can be quite tricky, but it is also so amazing, learning something new each day.
I love most of all, the ability to have the opportunity to be making and creating. I am fulfilling my dream of creating pieces of art that people will love to wear! Art & design is something that makes me so completely happy, and when I am doing this – everything seems amazing.
What can we expect to see from Colour Hop at the upcoming Melbourne Markets?
A lot of colour & many new designs. I have recently been playing with new tones of more earthy & subtle colours, so you will see quite a few pieces of this at the markets. Also drop down earrings are an item I am working on at the moment – and they are evolving nicely.
