Chainmail- the surprise success
Chainmail wasn't my first love.
Chainmail was something I picked up for a lark. As a second-generation sci-fi/fantasy geek, I pounced on chainmail-making classes when my college offered them. (Oberlin College is like that- Chainmail is not the weirdest academic credit I ever received) I thought of it as a 'break' from my large scale woodwork and the illustration work that I had always considered the core of my artistic identity.
Then I left College, and discovered how much storage space costs in the real world, and had to find a way to satisfy my urge to make three-dimensional art that was a little bit more feasible than artisianal wooden tables. I also discovered how very messy painting and even drawing can be when you don't have a dedicated studio space.
Suddenly, my chainmail was receiving a lot more of my artistic energy. And as I gave a little more, it started giving back: I found out just how deep the chainmail-weave rabbit hole goes. There was a world beyond the traditional 4-in-1 and byzantine construction I'd learned in my class. I also discovered how satisfying chainmail could be to my artistic needs: it appealed to my love of clean lines, involved processes, and exactitude. I loved the design stage and building stage, and unlike any of my other artistic products it seemed that there was also a selling stage- as soon as I started giving pieces as gifts to friends and family, I got a strong response: Did I have any for sale?
I began tentatively, because there was so much to learn! How to price, where to get my materials, what displays do and don't work, and how to set up a booth so it's attractive and sets up with just one person, and who to take great photographs of tiny shiny objects.
Mastering that last one is what allows me to now really begin making the most of my Etsy store. I've always had a great response in person, but online sales are still a bit arcane to me. However, I do know the first step. Showing my work to best effect!
As always, if you have any questions about how it's made, what it's made of, or have an idea for a commission piece, please contact me! I love talking chainmail.