Jill Gave Me Permission

When I first began making jewelry in 2007, I followed all the "rules". Then in 2013 I came across Jill Herlands, and all I can say is WOW! You'll see that her aesthetic is very different than mine, but what she gave me was the permission (and encouragement) to color outside the lines and break all the rules.

I had a gallery of local art at the time and was doing a charity event. Seeing the post online she reached out to me asking if she could donate a piece. You read that right; she reached out to me. She is a kind, generous and amazing soul as well as an astounding artist who creates jaw-dropping jewelry.  

Javits did an interview with her during her first appearance at the New York JA show in 2016. Here's a little snippet:

"Many times, I don’t have an exact design in mind and will start playing with the metal until a design unveils itself to me.... I get immense pleasure by experimenting with patina formulas and taking traditional metalwork techniques and tweaking them to find a new and exciting way to create!"