Moose Spotlight: A Father's Journey to Twenty Years of Jewelry-Making
We have a soft spot for great fathers. The way that they work hard to take care of their families, to make sure their children are able to live life comfortably, and the way they raise them to be better individuals... it simply makes our heart melt whenever we hear stories about such. Now that Father's Day is just around the corner, we checked in with a couple of fathers in the world of metalsmithing.
This is Steve Mashburn, also known as @urban_cherokee_ on Instagram. Based in Oklahoma, he has been making jewelry for twenty years now.
Artists have different processes when it comes to their craft. For Steve, what he does about his designs is actually start with the stone. In his own words, his initial direction is “Listen to it tell you what it wants to be.” He also mentioned drawing up a sketch and then working it up.
As a father and a jewelry artist, we figured how busy it can be. We asked Steve how he tries to balance time with family and work, and he simply stated that he works in the shop before daylight. That is some serious dedication, isn’t it?
He shared with us that he made a cuff for her daughter in law. It has a “one year” (clean) stamped on it to celebrate her success. We don’t know about you, but we find this extremely sweet! What a great way to show support to loved ones, right?
Steve has a daughter who loves to make jewelry as well. He fondly told us that she has a great sense of design and saws in a zen state. Hmm… we definitely think this is a case of like father, like daughter! We find it amazing.
Check out some of his work:
by Steve Mashburn of @urban_cherokee_
When we asked Steve for advice for his fellow artists, he said “If you’re good, make some money at it.” He also added that it isn’t all about money sometimes, saying “Always make things and give as gifts to elders or those who deserve it.”
Follow Steve on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Urban_cherokee_/
