Inspired by...

  • Jazmine Andrews Inspired by

    Jazmine Andrews Inspired by
         
                                                                                                   LTJ Muse, Artist Jazmine Andrews The Hebe Print
    talks about her journey in to Lino printing, Jewellery, and the creative processes in her prints.
      
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
      
      
     
        How did you find your passions for Lino Printing?
     
     
    I studied graphics at university and have always been a creative person since I was little, but I honed in on Lino printing during lockdown, Born out of boredom and a need to have some mental outlet, I started printing and sharing on Instagram and to my surprise people actually wanted to buy my work! It’s just continued to grow from there, and I’ve tried to explore and find my own style over the last couple of years.
      
     Jazmine Andrews and her prints    
     
     
    Your designs are so bold and emotive, where do you draw your inspiration from?
     
     
    I make stuff that I want to hang on my own walls, I’m very into interiors so I choose colours that I know will work with most interior styles, keeping the designs minimal yet bold. 
    A lot of my inspiration comes from women - the female form is so beautiful and inspiring to me so you’ll often see nude silhouettes within my work. I also always loved Greek mythology so would create work inspired by goddesses and what they represent. 
    Lately I’ve been really inspired by the table setting trend and experimenting with sketches of picnics and dinner parties - an ode to celebrating summer evenings with friends. 
      
      
    Sisters In Arms 
      
    What Is your favourite piece of jewellery that you own?
     
    My Liv Thurlwell gold hoop earrings are by far my most treasured and most-worn piece, I honestly never take them off. They go with anything, they’re the perfect size and I love the minimal shape with small details. 
    I’ve also recently got a Bleue Burnham silver ring for my birthday which I’m obsessed with, its so fun and colourful and is a great statement piece for my hands.
     
     

    What rituals do you practice to calm your mind after a long day/week
     
    I find that Lino printing has always been a kind of therapy for me. Listening to a podcast and keeping my hands busy is the best form of meditation. That goes for any creative practice! Otherwise a walk with my doggo does the trick.  
      
       
     
     
    A word of advice for someone new to creating art? 
    Don’t be afraid to share it! You can’t worry about what people with think. Just create the art that you want to make, and then share it with the world. It doesn’t need to be perfect. 
      

      
    Are you a gold or Silver Girl? Or do you love to mix it up? 
    I’m a gold girl at heart but I do like to mix my metals occasionally


     
     
    We are big pup lovers here at LTJ, how do you find it having fury assistant? 
    He’s a bit cheeky but gets the job done! Otis is my little quality control pup, makes sure every print I send out is perfect in its own way, and keeps me company (usually on my lap) when I’m doing all the admin/content creation. 
     
     
      
     
    Check out the lovely Jazmine Andrews Prints at 
    https://jazminejoyeprints.com/
     
     
     
     
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    Posted in Art Artist creative Inspiration jewellery muse News photography

  • Inspired by| Edouard Burgeat



    LTJ Muse, French Artist Edouard Burgeat
    talks about travel, his connection to nature, spirituality, and creative inspirations found along the way. 
     
      
      
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
      
     When are you most inspired?
     
     
     I’m the most inspired during my expeditions around the planet. These are the moments when I really have time to write, draw, collect relics and take pictures that I then use/conceptualise back in my atelier.
      
      Travel
     
    We know you love to travel, where is a place you think everyone should visit?
     
    Nepal is a place I would recommend to anyone. You will never feel as free, small and alive as in the Himalayas. I have been there several times already; it was a breathtaking, physical and sensory experience each time. The nature, the culture, the architecture, the smells, the people, etc. It's a simple trip to a place full of myths and spirituality. I recommend Vipassana in Pokhara if you want to educate/exploit your soul.
     
    Edouard Burgeat Installations
     
     What advice do you have for someone starting out in the creative world?
     
     
    Well, I would say it’s a mixture of one's experiences of life and art in a significant sense. From my expeditions, the connection to nature, cities I’ve lived in, my loves, my friends and artist I admire. 

    For example, I did an outdoor installation in Slovenia with the Goethe Institute. I cast resin letters that my great-grandfather sent to my great-grandmother during the Second WW. I then use these to create a wall as a symbol against the reminiscences of borders in our world. 

    There you have my experiences of travel as an artist resident in Ljubljana, the installation was exhibited in Tivolly Park in the nature, the letters are my family history, and the use of metal and resin comes from my inspiration & my London time at Central Saint Martins.

     

      

     What is your favourite piece of jewellery and why? 

       

    First, I got a ring in a Tibetan refuge close to Pokhara a simple metallic circle with two sections, one of turquoise and the other of Lapis Lazuli. The other piece of jewellery is a necklace I found in Colombia, a traditional geometrical shape and full of colour necklace, made by a Colombian tribe.
      

     Edouard Burgeat and Travel

    What scents remind you of home?
      

    To me home is where I feel good in the present, it is not really one location. But I guess my atelier is what’s the closest to home for me. Then the smell of warm metal, burning steel that you just weld or cut will be that smell. 

     


       

     
     
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  • Inspired by| Charlotte J Ward

    Charlotte J Ward
    Inspired by


    LTJ Muse, Ecosomatic artist and photographer @charlotte.jward
    talks about her connection to nature, drawing inspiration from the body, earth, women and the menstrual cycle. 

      

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

      Your photography is so beautiful! What made you pick up the camera?
     
     My initial inspiration to pick up the camera came from my late grandfather Michael Ward, who was a very talented portrait and documentary photographer, who worked for The Sunday Times for many years. I was always fascinated with his practice from a very young age, until I eventually started capturing my own photographs at the age of 12. I used to only shoot documentary photography, until everything changed during the Spring of 2020… which happened to coincide with the first Covid lockdown, a very painful breakup and my Saturn return. My work now revolves around the body - human and Earth - women and the menstrual cycle.
      
     

      

    When are you most inspired?
     
    I feel most inspired when I find myself in nature or when I’m on the first two days of my bleed - a time when my creative juices tend to bubble up to the surface and visions start pouring through.
     
     

     

     What is your favorite piece of jewellery and why?

     
    I think my favourite piece of jewellery at the moment is the pendant I mentioned above. Aside from being utterly gorgeous and beautifully crafted, it also has a sentimental value, as it has been passed down from mother to daughter for many generations before me.
     
     
     What brings you joy?  

      

    Seeing flowers bloom and bumble bees dance between them in Spring time. Feeling the Sun warm my skin and hearing the ocean waves breath into my ears. Sharing a nourishing meal with loved ones. Laughing. Moving my body to the sound of music. Feeling traversed by a flash of inspiration, creating photographs and that moment I know I’ve got a good one. 

     

     Silver or Gold & why? 

     

    Ah the eternal question! I was always more into silver - throughout my twenties, all I would wear was silver earrings, silver bracelets and necklaces. Always silver silver silver and the older I got, the more my Mum would encourage me to make the switch to gold, telling me it was more “woman-like”. But I disagreed and resisted the change, until she gave me a very special yellow gold pendant for my 30th birthday and I must say that I was seduced, on many levels… I’m now 31 and after going through a phase of replacing all my silver earrings for yellow gold ones, (feeling it had to be either one or the other), I’ve come to a more balanced place of wearing both at the same time. All my rings are currently silver and my earrings and necklaces tend to alternate between silver and yellow gold.   

    SHOP DOME RINGS

     

     

     

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    Posted in Art beauty creative culture fashion Inspiration jewellery photography

  • Inspired by|Susana Cárdenas

    Susana Cárdenas
    Inspired by



    LTJ Muse, Model and Wellness advocate
         @susanacardenas 
    talks about her passion for health & well-being, family and her cultural jewellery inspiration.

     

     

     

      

      

      

         

                         

    What are your favourite things to do in Vancouver?
       

    My favourite things to do is soaking up the sun with a beach walk, eat delicious vegan treats in a picnic spot, and exploring all the local stores on Main St. Vancouver is known for its coffee culture, and I love discovering new coffee shops throughout the city, I’m amazed at how many coffee shops we have here! When the weather's warm, you'll find me at the farmers market or Granville Island with the family, enjoying the fresh produce, pastries and live music.

    We also have an abundance of lakes, forest parks and beaches so in summer I love spending time in bodies of water.

       

     

     

      Which piece in your jewellery collection is most special to you?

      
          

    My most special piece of jewellery is this beautiful set of gold earrings, necklace and bracelet that belonged to my grandmother, it has roman numbers on them (they were trendy back in the day). It’s a family tradition that the jewellery gets passed from woman to woman, generation to generation. My mom carries jewellery from my grandma, my great-grandma and great grandma.

    Every time I wear my grandma's gold set I feel like she’s with me, guiding me through my day. I usually wear it when I have a big photoshoot that I’m nervous about or when I feel like I need guidance in my life.

         

      

    Jewellery inspiration

       

      How has your personal style evolved and where do you draw your
    inspiration?
     
          
    As I've grown and gone through different phases in my life, I think my personal style has evolved to reflect those changes. My family and cultural background played a big role in shaping my style, but when I moved from México to Vancouver and began interacting with people from different backgrounds my style begin to change.

         

      

    Susana Cárdenas

     

         

     We know you are a Silver girl! How does it make you feel to be adorned in Silver?
     
          
    Yes! I’ve been loving silver for the past few years! I think silver shines beautifully on my skin whether I have sun-kissed skin or a winter pale-like complexion. Silver is bold, elegant, modern and chic. I still wear my gold pieces once in a while but I am loving my silver accessories.

       

     Molten Pendant Silver

    SHOP NOW

          
    What are your favourite ways to practice self-care alongside being a
    busy mother to little Eli, A health & Wellness consultant and a fashion
    model?
        
          
    My self-care routine is all about finding balance in different ways. I prioritise my physical health by working out four times a week and having my green glow drink - A four-core supplement into one delicious drink: greens, pre/probiotics, vegan collagen builder and energy fizz. To unwind in the evening, I spend 30 minutes reading self-development books before bedtime. Connecting with nature through walks and dressing up is also part of my self-care routine.
    However, I've learned that an easy and important self-love practice is simply "being present." In our fast-paced world, taking a moment to slow down and bring awareness to the present moment is a precious gift that I give to myself and those around me. Spending quality time with my loved ones, like my son Eli, and focusing on the Now is a powerful act of self-care."
      
    THE GREEN GLOW DRINK
    SHOP GREEN GLOW DRINK BY SUSANA
      
      
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    Posted in Art beauty creative culture fashion Inspiration jewellery muse News silver jewellery welness

  • Inspired by| Valentina Green

     Valentina Cristaldi
    Inspired by

     

    LTJ Muse, Italian Gardener and botanical photographer @Valentina Cristaldi
    talks about her connection to nature, photography and her love of jewellery. 

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

      

      What is your favorite place that you have travelled to?
     
     Bali. It's absolutely my favourite destination so far. The nature is stunning, flowers and plants everywhere. I usually love northern places but on my trip to Bali I discovered a wonderful, unique culture full of kindness.
     
     
     Silver or Gold & why?
     
    I love gold! Especially rings, I think it is more elegant and I prefer it for my skin colour.
     
    SHOP TWIST RING
     
    Your photography is so beautiful! Where do you draw your inspiration from?
     
     I love nature and it inspires me every day, wherever I go.
    I work in a magical garden in East Sussex and love capturing new blooms, different leaves and I especially love showing every detail on my photos even when they are not perfect.
      
     
    What song always brings you joy? 
     
    ‘Welcome Home’ , by Radical Face.
    It reminds me of beautiful moments with my husband and I love listening to it in the car on long journeys.
        
      
    Tell us about your passion for gardening/nature and how you got there?
     
    I have always loved being surrounded by nature, one of my dreams was to be in it as much as possible, because it gives me joy and peace. I started with botanical photography and with it I became more and more interested in the structure of flowers, plants and how to grow them. What I love the most is sowing seeds and see the growing process.
     
     
    What is your favorite piece of jewellery and why? 
     
    My Liv Thurlwell Verde Ring! It is exactly the ring I always wanted, not only because it combines green and gold, which I love together, but also because of its shape and unique details! Stylish and fabulous!
     
    SHOP VERDE DIVINUS RING
     
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  • Inspired by | Evangeline Armstrong

     

    Evangeline Armstrong
    Inspired by

    LTJ Muse and Artist @evangeline.armstrong talks her processes, favorite jewellery and the inspiration for her incredible work
     
     
     
      
      
         
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
      
    What is your favorite medium to work with and why?
     
     
     Stone. I mean - your making history with history. It’s ancient! 

    Charcoal, Moulding, adding, blending and subtracting with this wonderful material in life drawing classes. Ephemeral. 

    Lastly, oils- but I struggle. Sometimes it feels as though I’m wrestling a piece into being. 

     

    How do you practice self care? 

      
     

    I am an over-thinker, so for the most part my self care is getting into the studio, creative writing, movement, gratitude with my dear friend Yashodha (who shared a gratitude practice with me via email for 3 years daily!) life drawing, dancing or swimming. 

     

    What is your favorite piece of jewellery and why?

     

    LTJ rings! I always wear a spacey-silver ring on my left thumb that my sister made. I believe it's a good luck charm for our family.

     

    SHOP NOW

     

    What scents bring you joy?
     
     

    I have a weird one with cigarettes! (I don’t smoke). My auntie Julia used to bring hand-me-down clothes and cookies when I was little; She was fun and cool, cookies were good.. and smoked a bunch. 

     

     

    A word of advice for someone new to creating artwork?
      
      

    It’s frustrating, then exhilarating, then frustrating again… then it wins you back with a little bliss. Whatever happens, don’t give up: You will learn a lot more about yourself and your mind if you persist.

     

     

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    Posted in Art creative Inspiration jewellery muse News