Meet the Maker - Arita Ghedini

Today we chat with Arita Ghedini of  Arita Ghedini Jewellery in Hobart, Tasmania

Arita tells us about your passions and interests?
Aside from creating I love visiting art galleries, travelling, bush walking and good coffee!
 
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your art or product
I am a self representing jeweller and artist. I live with my husband, daughter and our affectionate, lazy old cat, in a sweet weatherboard cottage about 10 minutes out of the capital city.
My arts practice spans jewellery and object creation for exhibition, limited edition production and commissions. My current jewellery work is an exploration of the relationship between nature and memory and the interconnection of the two. My work incorporates botanical motifs and textures referenced from nature coupled with gemstones and pearls. All purposefully chosen to invite the wearer to recall a memory or moment and draw a personal connection.
 
How long have you been an Etsy seller?
Approximately 6 years.
 
What inspired you to begin creating or collecting?
I came to jewellery-making in a very unorthodox way. On leaving college I initially completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts (UTAS) however my adventurous spirit saw me pursue a career in the Emergency Services, as a Paramedic.
During the course of my Ambulance career, as a welcome distraction I began to dabble in the arts again. Some beads, wire, a crème brulee torch (to teach myself soldering) and suddenly a new jewellery making hobby was born.
As the years passed my enthusiasm for making jewellery and objects grew as did my desire to dedicate the majority of my time to my arts practice. I was graciously given extended leave from my job as a Paramedic to formalise my jewellery/arts education, with the completion of a Diploma in Visual Arts, Jewellery. The course was a huge turning point in my learning and the progression of my business. Today my arts practice is my full-time occupation and I need to pinch myself everyday that I get to call my passion my career.

Give us a brief idea of your creative or curating process
My creative process always starts with sketches, then mock-ups/prototypes and experiments. I'm quite methodical in my practice. I keep journals and visual diaries for reference and inspiration.
 
Where do you want to see your business in the future?
I would love to eventually own my own contemporary art/jewellery gallery. A business with an exhibition/display space and a fully operational workshop for artists. You've got to dream big right!?
 
What do you like about being an Etsy seller?
I love being able to reach an attentive global audience that appreciates the time and effort that goes into creating a unique product.
 
Where do you work on your pieces?
I work from my own home studio, which is located downstairs under the main house. The space has been purposefully fitted out to accommodate my jeweller’s bench and the many tools of the trade. I'm very lucky to have a studio, in such an inspirational location. As I look out the windows I'm surrounded by vast bush land, native animals and birds and in winter, snow. It is truly my happy place, where time seems to stand still and I'm lost in the process of making.
 

It's been great chatting with you Arita. Where can you be found?
You can find me on:
Etsy
Facebook
Instagram