Today we’d like to introduce you to Rae Towne
Rae, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Growing up, I always felt a pull towards art in some form or another. As a young child I grew up in a household where art, music and the like were very prevalent. My mom is an artist and much of my family has a background in various creative fields. That early exposure really helped shape me.
As a child and into my teens, I dabbled in painting, photography and whatever I could get my hands on that allowed me to express myself and explore the process of creating things. Although I enjoyed all of those explorations, I found myself always searching and longing for the one thing that would stick.
When I was in my 20s I was living in Seattle going to cosmetology school and working as a bartender and barista. I needed to supplement my income a bit so I started making simple earrings and necklaces with beads and other elements. I sold them for $20 a piece to my classmates, coworkers and friends. It turned out to be a fairly successful little venture! It felt so refreshing to have found a creative outlet during an otherwise stressful time being a full time student. I felt a true sense of self and pride from the positive response I got. I made these pieces sitting on my living room floor at night listening to music. It was the thing I looked forward to the most at the end of my long days.
Having the strong desire to keep the momentum going and progress further, I felt like I needed more of a challenge and started incorporating metal into my designs. At first I bought pre-cut blanks and stamped them with words and phrases, and soon after, I taught myself how to cut my own metal. I added more tools and supplies to my work area and continued experimenting with new ideas. I developed more refined skills, working with stones and other elements. I mostly worked with brass and copper, cutting and hammering each piece by hand. All of my jewelry then was what is referred to as ‘cold form’, which means no heat was used in the process.
I started vending at various markets and pop ups around Seattle and found that I loved that world. I had also started selling vintage clothing and goods as well. I always had a deep love for thrifting and the thrill of the treasure hunt. I was still bartending to ensure I could pay my bills, but my main focus was on building my business.
In 2015 my love for Seattle had dwindled after living there for 13 years and I decided it was time to leave. I briefly lived in Tennessee, Florida, and California, continuing to work on jewelry and collecting vintage in addition to various jobs in the service industry.
In Oakland, California, where I got a temporary job as a nanny for my best friend’s baby, I worked on jewelry in my spare time where I lived in a tiny one-car garage which had been converted into a studio. I had grown passionate about vending markets and pop ups, and decided to try to start my own. I curated a monthly night market in the neighborhood I was living in and it ended up being a great success. It was such a pivotal point for me: not only creating my art and honing in on my unique style, but also connecting with other artists and vintage collectors to create a platform that showcased their work and help them get more exposure and support. It truly felt like my path was becoming more refined and meaningful than I had imagined when I was making $20 earrings on my living room floor years prior.
After about a year in Oakland, my job was nearing an end and I had to decide if I would stay in the Bay Area or move on elsewhere. My uncle, a very talented woodworker just outside of Tucson, invited me to come work for him for a few weeks at the annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. Prior to that experience, my knowledge of Tucson was limited. I had no idea how thriving the arts community was there. I found myself surprised and compelled to relocate to Arizona. I briefly moved to my uncle’s property outside of Tucson. The property had previously been my grandfather’s and some of my earliest memories are from visiting there as a child. It felt special and inspiring to me to plant my feet there for a little while. I lived in a Quonset hut on the property and worked for my uncle on various wood projects while continuing my own work as a jeweler. I began taking regular trips into Tucson and in the spring of 2018 I rented a tiny casita downtown and moved there.
I embedded myself in this incredible community of artists and creators and immersed myself even more into my work. I eventually ended up collaborating and starting another market. It was an amazing experience that pushed me to ask myself what else was possible. As I kept moving forward with my jewelry journey, I once again felt the need to challenge myself further.
I finally began to learn how to be a silversmith, something I had wanted to do for years. It was scary and intimidating at first. I felt like I had no clue what I was doing. It was the beginning of 2020 and with COVID hitting hard, I suddenly found myself unemployed, in the lockdown, with more time on my hands than I had ever had. I had two amazing mentors who helped me immensely, dropping off care packages of used tools, supplies and my first torch, and sending me videos and detailed texts explaining techniques. I was so grateful for them. It was certainly a trial-and-error process which came with its frustrations. Trying to understand how metal and soldering worked took time and patience. I melted many pieces by accident the first few weeks. Slowly with practice things started to make more sense. I made my first ring. That was an unforgettable feeling. As more time passed I shifted into only silversmithing and moved away from my old designs. I rebranded and changed my business name to something that resonated and felt meaningful. I started marketing my new work and the feedback was very positive. I felt so supported and lifted by my friends, family, and fellow artists.
Later, through a turn of life events, I found myself renting a shop space and living in a school bus on my friend’s property on the outskirts of Tucson. That period of time was a perfect transition into what was ahead. I had loved living in the desert and was so grateful for my experience in Tucson, but after over 3 years, in mid-2021, I packed my car and a U-Haul and made the move to Austin. I rented 2 rooms in a shared house, one as my bedroom and the other as my jewelry and vintage studio. I hit the ground running, getting involved in local markets and pop ups and continuing to develop my artistic style and refine my skills as a silversmith.
Three years later, I’ve continued to build my business and immerse myself in creative pockets. Austin has truly become my home. I’m surrounded by like minded peers and a wonderful community. I presently continue to vend at multiple events as well as occasionally coordinating events to bring artists and vendors together.
Currently I work at home in my garage turned shop that I share with my partner who is also a metal artist. I’m continuing to learn new techniques and advance my skill level as an artist and small business owner. I still have a lot of goals ahead of me and I’m incredibly excited and grateful to keep on this journey.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I certainly wouldn’t call this journey smooth. Every time I’ve challenged myself to further refine my skills there have been frustrations and learning curves. I’ve had to be very patient with the process. When I was learning to work with a torch, there were instances where I had spent hours working on a piece, only to hold my flame there a little too long and melt the work I had done. That felt discouraging. Learning patience has been my biggest lesson and sometimes the hardest thing I have to continually practice.
Later on, as I began to take this more seriously and focus on building it into more, a lot of my struggles are rooted in my own lack of knowledge on the business and marketing side. There’s so much more to being full time artist than just creating the work. That part still continues to be a struggle for me, but as time goes on I get more and more knowledge and understanding of how things work on that end. There’s a lot to learn it turns out!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a silversmith, specifically specializing in jewelry. I work with sterling silver and various stones using traditional silversmithing techniques to create my designs, some more traditional and some contemporary. I would hope that I’m known for the quality of my work and that what sets me aside from others is the true handmade aspect of my pieces and my designs. Everything I do is completely hand fabricated. There are no 2 pieces exactly alike. That, and how much I’ve learned and continue to learn since the beginning are the things I’m most proud of on this journey.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My mentors came to me by circumstance. They were employees at the supplier I used for my materials and both of them were also very talented silversmiths. Sometimes the right mentor comes organically and sometimes they have to be sought after. In my case, I feel very lucky. My advice to someone looking for a mentor is to surround themselves with like minded people. Ask questions, and be willing to be vulnerable and teachable. Having humility during a time of learning is key. Mistakes are good tools. I continue to have regular conversations with my mentor when I feel stuck. The learning never stops.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hylophora.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hylophora/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hylophora/
