Jeweler Robin Westbrook is excited about showing off her hip new line of leather wrap bracelets.
They are part of her Urban Tribal line of jewelry and they work on both planes: They are chic while holding on to that organic tribal look awash in earthy colors.
The pieces are lightweight for a “person who doesn’t wear jewelry” and versatile enough for a pair of jeans and a walk with the dog or an elegant night out, Westbrook said.
Westbrook knows her jewelry and knows what has appeal. Her 40 years of working at the Macy’s flagship Seattle shop in visual merchandising gave her all the experience she needed.
Now she’s got her own studio, shows her works in galleries and shops from Napa, Calif., to Bellevue and is one of the 43 artists showing their work at the Edmonds Studio Tour this Saturday and Sunday.
The Edmonds Art Studio Tour opens the doors of 23 private studios where the public can meet 43 artists and see where and how they work. It’s a free self-guided tour.
Westbrook happens to be showing her jewelry at one of the new shops on the tour this year: ARTspot. This new addition to Main Street is a full-blown artist supply store, studio and a place to see contemporary art. ARTspot is associated with Cole Gallery, who has been on the tour since its inception in 2006.
“I felt we needed some artist quality materials available in the area, as there is nothing else around for the artists in our community” owner Denise Cole said.
The space that is now ARTspot, 408 Main St., has been a traditional jewelry store for years. The original cases are now filled with Westbrook’s jewelry and pottery from Mike O’Day and Barbara Wyatt.
The art of Sue Robertson, Darlene Gentry Lucas, Kim Brayman, and Mona Smiley-Fairbanks hang on the walls.
Westbrook said that after 40 years working Macy’s goal of fashion trending where you get customers to buy one style by offering 45 of the same thing, today her style is personal.
“I realized I could do my own jewelry and most of my accounts have come from people who have seen my jewelry,” said Westbrook, of Lynnbrook.
Though she’s featuring her leather wrap bracelets, Westbrook will also be showing her line of jewelry hilariously named “nOt Junes Jewelry” based on the opposite of what June Cleaver always wore, a plain pearl necklace.
“nOt Junes Jewelry” originals consists of hand beaded bracelets and necklaces that are on the funky side, using buttons as closures. Beads are glass, stone and Swarovski crystals.
For her Urban Tribal line, Westbrook uses hand-beaded tubes of mixed metals and glass, along with 24K plated white and yellow hammered gold, coppers and hematite.
Each bead is hand sewn.
“I then float them on chain, or neck cables,” Westbrook said.
Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com.
The Edmonds Art Studio Tour 2012
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, downtown Edmonds.
Go to EdmondsArtStudioTour.com to preview artists and their work, download a free map of participating studios and galleries and find links to artists’ individual websites.
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