Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kathleen Krucoff. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kathleen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I took private lessons from a metalsmith who had seen my glass art jewelry and told me she would help me to take my work to the next level. She gave me a solid foundation in metalsmithing. However, knowing what I know now, I think going to a university with a metal art program probably would have given me a more diverse knowledge. I think if I had been able to explore a wider variety of techniques in a college curriculum, I may have been able to make better decisions about which techniques I would focus on to refine.

Fortunately, after my private lessons, I did explore other aspects of working with metal with a wide variety of instructors. That was very helpful. I was able to figure out my style and do things that I loved.

I believe essential skills are do everything with safety in mind, practice foundational skills of sawing and soldering, and the correct sequence for fabricating a piece.

The only obstacle is the one you allow. For me, I felt that I needed to continue to learn from as many people as I could because I find that helps keep the creative juices flowing. Challenges help me to improve. As long as I continue to push myself, I can learn from my mistakes and continue to improve on my process. One of the best pieces of advice I received in a class was “Stay curious”.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My mother encouraged my artistic abilities from an early age. Just like any child, coloring was a favorite, although I did find it hard to stay within the lines.

Back in the day, I made all my own clothes. I found it a great way to express myself and not look like everyone else. Today I find I draw upon the skills I learned from sewing; everything has to be put together in the correct sequence or it won’t work.

I dabbled in a number of mediums, from macrame to painting, from knitting and crocheting to rug making, but things really started to blossom for me with glass. I loved making stained glass windows. Eventually, I got caught up in the fused glass scene and that’s when I started to wire wrap the fused glass cabochons I made. It was great fun and that work was well received.

At that point, I met the woman who offered to teach me metalsmithing. There was something about the tactile feel of working with metal, moving it, texturing it, testing its limits. The possibilities seemed endless and they still seem that way today. It has given me a way to really express myself.

My current focus is the ancient art Chasing & Repoussé. Nothing has captured my imagination like that method. I was fortunate to learn this technique from the Italian Master, Fabrizio Acquafresca.

The work that I do is earthy and organic. I am drawn to flowers and leaves. You will see me returning to those elements again and again in my Chasing & Repoussé work. My father was a landscaper. There were times when I was able to watch him work as he shaped landscapes so I feel those experiences gave me a deep respect and love of nature.

During the pandemic, I was asked to start making jewelry from WWII airplane artifacts. These bits and pieces of metal that came from planes that flew during that war in 1943. It was and still is an honor to create art from history. Those pieces are only available at the gift shop for The National Museum of WWII Aviation in Colorado Springs, CO.

I’m a solo artist, entrepreneur, and craftsman. Everything I make is one of a kind. I love to experiment, yet I tend to return to those themes that still resonate with me. My husband is so important in helping me overcome any hurdles I encounter. He is someone I count on for support.

When you are blessed with the gift to create, it becomes as necessary to life as the air we breath.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I left the corporate world in 2019. I was looking forward to pursuing a third career, this time as a full time artist. Well, we all know what’s coming in this part of the story, yes, COVID-19. The great pandemic of 2020. Business were no longer open. Stores that carried my work were coming up with creative ways for clients to make purchases. But let’s face it, with access so limited to almost everything, things came to a serious stop.

At this point, I wasn’t sure what I could do. Then the thought came to me to diversify more by trying several different avenues. I reworked my website and set up a storefront there so collectors could buy directly from me. I was accepted on wholesale markets so stores could set up wholesale accounts with me. I worked harder on social medial like Instagram and Facebook. Eventually it turned around and I developed a new client base.

Persistence is important. I event took some workshops to develop new skills. I found you just have to keep trying things to see what might work. The important thing is to never give up.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, one of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is that freedom to continually learn new things. Maybe I’m just a perpetual student, but I love to learn. Sure I make plenty of mistakes in the process, but that’s what helps trigger new ideas and possibilities. One of my favorite quotes from Star Wars is from Master Yoda and that is “The greatest teacher failure is”. It’s so true. It can be frustrating too, yet I have found that I am a much better artist when I keep trying and working to be better with every piece I make.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kathleenkrucoff.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathleen.krucoff.jewelry/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KathleenKrucoffArtJewelry

Image Credits
Daniel Krucoff