Meet the Team - Interview with Teresa Boland

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Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
I'm totaly obsessed with PMC, so usually if I have any free time I'm either making something or searching out info on the internet, reading something related, or looking at different publicationss for new inspiration.

What is your business name and website address?
I call my business Teresa Boland Designs. I've been trying to teach myself enough to get a website (or even just a page!) up, but that's taking me a lot of time. I have the domain TeresaBoland.com, and hopfully I'll be able to get something up soon!

Your shop address?
TeresaBoland.Etsy.com

Fall Leaf and Peridot
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Do you sell in any shops other than etsy?
I have several pieces in the Flint Gallery of Panoply in downtown Newnan, GA and Artisan Jewelry in Sharpsburg, GA, and some at the Gateway Museum Shop in Maysville, KY. I also do shows locally in GA and a few times a year in Northern VA.

How did you find out about metalclay and then start working with it?
I originally found out about metal clay when I went to a Bead and Button show in Milwaukee and saw Kelly Russell's amazing work. I started talking to her and she explained metal clay to me. It sounded SO cool, but I was the single mother of two boys (one special needs) at the time and could not find a way to get to her classes in Baltimore, so I searched and searched for someone more local who knew about it and finally a few years later, was able to take classes from Tiffany Scott of Holly
Lane Designs and later take my certification class with Tim McCreight. From my first class, I was hooked! I was fortunate enough that Tiffany became a good friend and let me start showing with her. I think it's been about 3 years since my first class.

What drives you to make jewelry?
I have always loved creating art, and I find I NEED some kind of creative outlet. Metal clay allows me the flexibility to create using a variety of artistic forms, and I find there is always a list of new things I want to try, ideas for new pieces I'd like to make.

Feminine Link Bracelet
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Are you disciplined or do you go with the flow and work when you feel like it?
I love doing something creative most days, but there are plenty of days when I have other things pressing in my life so that I
don't get to work in my studio every day.

Won any awards for your jewelry? for anything else?
Anytime someone expresses that they get joy from my pieces, really love them, or that my pieces "speak to them", I consider that an award! I love it when people enjoy my pieces as much as I enjoy making them!

Do you do any other type of art?
I dabble in other art forms, but nothing serious. I do a little bit of a lot of different things and would love to take classes in more traditional metalsmithing, glass, altered art, and other forms of jewelry making in order to incorporate new skills and artforms into my pieces.

What is your art sensibility - precise or organic?
I think that depends on my mood. I'm a very detail oriented person by nature, but sometimes I like getting that less precise, organic feel into a piece!

Golden Dragonfly Pendant
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What is your favorite tool for working with metalclay?
I love using leaves, flower buds, seashells -anything in nature. Most of my work is nature inspired and everywhere I go I am on the lookout for items to make molds of or inspirations from nature.

Where do you work?
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I have a studio above our garage. It doubles as my office and the guestroom, so on one side is my work triangle where I have some cabinets, a cabinet on wheels which I can move around, and a table where I do most of my work. I switch back and forth between my metal clay tools and all my jewelry assembly tools, beads, display cards, etc.

Do you ever add commercial components?
Yes, all the time- jump rings, chains, cords.

How do you work, and when? (for ex. assembly line or one at a time)
I tend to work in batches. I'll make metal clay pieces and collect them for a while before I switch over to my jewelry assembly mode and actually do something with them all!

Old Fashioned Floral Swirl Necklace
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How do you hold onto ideas that you don't have time to pursue NOW!
I have all kinds of notes and sketches floating around. Unfortunately, some of them get lost along the way. I've been trying to collect them all into a notebook but I'm not very disciplined at that!

Do you ever teach classes and where?
I do teach in my studio. It's actually not as big as the picture makes it look, so I teach mostly on an individual basis, but have had 3 people up here at once. Any more than that would be rather crowded!

Do you make a living at it?
I don't make a living- wouldn't that be wonderful! At this point I'm trying to "support my habit" and make enough to cover ordering more materials, a new tool occasionally, and more classes!

Do you do custom orders?
I do custom pieces for people all the time. A lot of people have something in mind that they would love to have, but they don't know how to make it!

Open Lentil with Blue Spinel
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What are you working on currently?
Right now I'm busy with a series of small local shows.

What's next on your agenda to make?
I can't wait to try BronzClay! I also have a long list of ideas I'm anxious to work on.

How do you make time for everything you want to do?
I don't. I just do what I can and TRY not let it bother me that it doesn't all get done!

Anything else you'd like to tell us about yourself?
I love being part of the EMC Team and getting to know you all!

Thank you,
It has been a pleasure getting to know you.