I had only dabbled in jewelry making, but truly appreciated and collected pieces from various artisans. I spent my time finding unique pieces, from unique people, and prided myself as a collector of all things handmade…most of which were lost in Hurricane Katrina. I found myself with nothing... no home, a displaced family, lost jobs, all art work and collectables destroyed, no photos, no cars, and list goes on. I had once surrounded myself with things I loved, and in an instant they were gone.
Being a painter that used found objects, my husband Sergio went to our destroyed home in New Orleans and began taking off door hinges, knobs, armoire remnants, broken fragments of jewelry, old beads, glass and anything metal. He rented a truck and drove it to my parent’s home in Little Rock, where we were staying, and unloaded this truck full of junk. I wanted it all gone, but under the advice of my family, we cleaned and stored what we could.
Three years later I was ready to go through those stored boxes and create again. I had been painting but wanted to do something different. In an effort to regain some of what I had lost, including my sanity, I decided to refurbish my jewelry collection. One for therapy, and the other for lack of being able to replace what was lost. I entered my studio in Nashville with a totally new direction, and a new love began. I made a necklace, then another and another, and then earrings and bracelets. I couldn’t stop. I felt like me again, something I had also lost with the storm. I made so many that I gave all my friends and family pieces to wear. All of a sudden, I began receiving calls from people wanting to purchase my work. Gallery showings happened after that.
As things started to progress, my husband began helping with items that required special tools or lengthy processes so I could concentrate on the design aspect. We noticed that each of our artistic abilities complimented each other and decided to work as a team and Chimney Fish Designs was born. We decided on Chimney Fish because it best describes us right after the storm…smoking like chimneys and drinking like fish.
I hope those who wear our work will feel, as corny as it sounds, the soul we put into each piece. Each piece has a story. One you might never know, but can imagine and feel good knowing it has a happy ending. We all have a story, this one is ours.
Being a painter that used found objects, my husband Sergio went to our destroyed home in New Orleans and began taking off door hinges, knobs, armoire remnants, broken fragments of jewelry, old beads, glass and anything metal. He rented a truck and drove it to my parent’s home in Little Rock, where we were staying, and unloaded this truck full of junk. I wanted it all gone, but under the advice of my family, we cleaned and stored what we could.
Three years later I was ready to go through those stored boxes and create again. I had been painting but wanted to do something different. In an effort to regain some of what I had lost, including my sanity, I decided to refurbish my jewelry collection. One for therapy, and the other for lack of being able to replace what was lost. I entered my studio in Nashville with a totally new direction, and a new love began. I made a necklace, then another and another, and then earrings and bracelets. I couldn’t stop. I felt like me again, something I had also lost with the storm. I made so many that I gave all my friends and family pieces to wear. All of a sudden, I began receiving calls from people wanting to purchase my work. Gallery showings happened after that.
As things started to progress, my husband began helping with items that required special tools or lengthy processes so I could concentrate on the design aspect. We noticed that each of our artistic abilities complimented each other and decided to work as a team and Chimney Fish Designs was born. We decided on Chimney Fish because it best describes us right after the storm…smoking like chimneys and drinking like fish.
I hope those who wear our work will feel, as corny as it sounds, the soul we put into each piece. Each piece has a story. One you might never know, but can imagine and feel good knowing it has a happy ending. We all have a story, this one is ours.
