Jewelry Artist, Robin Humphrey

RobinCharlotte by Robin Humphrey

Tell us about yourself?
My name is Robin Humphrey, crafting under the name of RobinCharlotte. I graduated from RISD with a major in apparel design and have been working in different aspects of the fashion industry since. I currently design a line of jewelry and related products that feature real recycled fish and other found objects inside of resin.

What kind of craft or sewing projects are you currently working on?
I probably always have at least 20 started projects in my studio. I make the rounds letting each one kind of dictate when it is ready to be worked on or not. Recently I have been on a kick of incorporating photography with stitching, precious gems & feathers.

Is there something new that you are really excited to work on?
I just got the most amazing collection of bird skulls that came from an elder teacher who preserved and identified each one in a tattered old journal! I have been looking for bird skulls for a long time and they couldn't have come to me in a more perfect way. I am fascinated with obsessive people and their collections. This was her life’s work, her passion, it tells a tale of her personal history. It’s just so meticulous. So, I am going to be taking her collection of skulls into the metal studio and will cast them in order in precious metals. Then they can assert themselves as the treasures they truly are.

Where do you find your daily inspiration?
I am very visual, so everything that I see through out the day inspires me. I try and read lots of blogs, always check the side walks for lost treasures and just really take the time to study everything around me. I also enjoy waking up early on the weekends and going to estate sales. I love browsing through a lifetime of treasures in beautiful old homes.

Is there any recent craft adictions you have?
Parrot feathers – its turned into a full-blown addiction in less than a few months and there are some amazing (and really expensive ones out there). I could potentially go broke if I don't start to show a little restraint!

Do you ever get in a craft rut? I do. If I find myself stuck in an uncreative environment or energy-sucking situation for too long I end up feeling creatively depleted. Which can become a rut that infiltrates all aspects of my life. So I am now much more conscious about not staying in those situations when I recognize it since being uninspired and being unhappy are one in the same for me.

What is your workspace or artist studio like? I actually just gave my studio an overhaul. I have large bins I keep all my supplies and projects in on shelves on the wall. I recently took on the task of painting every bin with chalkboard paint and now on the front I can update the revolving door of projects. I can get messy very quick, I start whipping things out of here and there, so my new bin system keeps me more organized, or maybe just makes me appear somewhat organized. I love being surrounded by stuff I am inspired by too, so I have a vintage taxidermy butterfly collection, my grandmother’s antique spoon collection in a case my grandfather built her & lots of things in jars. I am always picking things up off the ground wherever I go and then sorting them into jars.

Are there any art or craft projects from your childhood that you still remember well?
I loved all craft projects – I would get so excited and work on them obsessively. One day in 4th grade we made piggy banks in art class and for the rest of that year I was making piggy banks at home everyday. I even made a pigpen from popsicle sticks to corral them in. The next year in 5th grade I remember sewing a huge candy bar for a school project from my old Girl Scout brownie uniform because that was the only thing brown I could find in the house. That was the first time I realized creating went beyond what was sold Michaels. The idea that I could repurpose something I already owned blew my little mind – there was no turning back from that point on!

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