Artisan Spotlight
Artisan Feature – Rebecca Sower
It is fun to follow along on a journey of an artist. Creativity doesn’t stay still and Rebecca Sower embodies that fully.
I came to know of Rebecca years ago when she had a full line of scrapbooking and art journaling supplies that she licensed through several companies within the Craft & Hobby Association. As the trends changed, so did Rebecca.
I’m grateful that Rebecca took some time to talk to us about her creative life. I caught up with her in her studio on Main Street in Springfield, Tennessee.
Becky: What are your earliest memories of being creative?
Rebecca: When I was very young, I spent a lot of time at my maternal grandmother’s home. She was a professional seamstress. I remember being fascinated by all the fabrics and trims and patterns. She would let me play with the scraps, and I would ‘create’ designs and artwork with those pieces. Her sewing room was so inspiring!
Becky: Did you have certain people in your life that helped nurture your interest in art and creativity?
Rebecca: Honestly, I don’t remember receiving a lot of encouragement. I was never discouraged from following my creative tendencies, but it wasn’t something that was openly and enthusiastically supported.
Becky: You have many mediums that you create in. Did you have formal training in any of these art forms?
Rebecca: Yes and no. The summer after I graduated from college with a business degree, I signed up for a drawing course at a local community college. I was working a corporate job in downtown Nashville, and eventually the drawing classes got set aside. I stayed fairly creative through the years of raising children, etc., but it wasn’t until about 3 years ago that I signed up to study art more intensively at a local art center. My instructor at the art center was a very skilled fine art oil painter, so that was incredibly helpful. But I also have pushed myself incredibly hard for these past few years. Art became my passion and I’ve dedicated a huge amount of time, energy and attention to it.
Becky: I have watched you evolve as an artist over the years. My first awareness of you came through your work with EK Success in the Craft & Hobby Industry. Can you tell us a little about that experience and what you learned as a designer and creator?
Rebecca: Yes, I designed product for the scrapbooking industry for several years in the early 2000’s. It wasn’t something I ever expected to do, but it came my way and I was very grateful for the opportunity. I learned a great deal about the process of getting a product to the consumer, from the initial idea and design to the finished piece. Those were very eye-opening and rewarding experiences for me.
Becky: The mission at Nunn Design is; through collaborative relationships, Nunn Design inspires and nurtures creativity. It seems like you too have a deep commitment to inspiring and nurturing creativity in others. Is that true?
Rebecca: Yes absolutely! I can’t think of anything that is more rewarding than seeing a person tap into creativity they didn’t even know they had. That’s so fun! I’ve seen firsthand, many times over, how art and being creative is healing and uplifting and therapeutic on so many levels.
Becky: You have taught for years. Is there any particular class that you love to teach?
Rebecca: Yes, I have been teaching creative workshops and classes for a very long time. I’ve been able to travel to so many amazing places and I have loved every one of them. It’s been an honor. I think my favorite thing to teach is more of a concept than a specific class, and that is relaxing and loosening up in your painting, drawing, anything really. I think it’s imperative to do the work of learning the skills of drawing, value, etc. Then once they’re learned, get comfortable! Relax and stop fretting over every line and brushstroke. I would say 90% of the people who sign up for one of my workshops or classes say “Can you teach me to loosen up?” It’s funny, but it’s true!
Becky: You have a little shop now on Main Street in Springfield. How has that been for you?
Rebecca: Yes, I do. And I love it so much. I’m convinced it’s exactly where I’m supposed to be right now. Through all my years of traveling, selling online, teaching here and there, I’ve had a little dream in the back of my mind to pull back from all of that and open up a real brick and mortar store. In our current retail environment, it sounds a bit crazy and backwards for me to have done that. And if that weren’t enough to discourage me, I live in a rural, farming community where art isn’t exactly at the forefront. But it’s going really, really well. I’ve been welcomed with open arms in the little downtown historic district where my shop is located, and it’s been fantastic to get to know so many people and be in on all that is happening in our little up-and-coming town. And being just 40 minutes up the road from the boom in Nashville has been helpful too.
Becky: Do you still create in your old farmhouse studio as well?
Rebecca: Well, my initial dream was to move my studio to town and have shop set up in front of store. My shop space is really small and it has made it necessary for me to continue to paint at home. But that’s okay for now. Eventually though, I’d like to have a bigger space on the Square in town to also accommodate my studio.
Becky: How did you navigate being an artist and a mother? Do you have any funny stories about managing both worlds?
Rebecca: Oh boy, good question. Honestly, the one that comes to mind was from years ago when I was creating books and magazine features for the scrapbooking industry. I was always under a tight deadline and feeling pressure. One day one of my kids came in my studio when I was intently working on a layout and asked me a question. I remember getting snappy with my child, as in ‘leave me alone so I can create this scrapbook layout about how much I love you’. Yikes! I put everything down, picked up my kid and starting saying ‘no’ to some of those deadlines.
Becky: Thank you for using Nunn Design Findings in your jewelry making. Why do you trust your jewelry to Nunn Design?
Rebecca: Consistency and quality, for sure. A lot of my jewelry begins with a vintage piece, or sometimes one of my daughter’s handmade ceramic pendants or maybe a natural stone. So the jewelry components that come alongside these elements need to be beautiful and durable as Nunn Design findings definitely are. I really don’t use any other findings with my jewelry pieces. It’s also a bonus that I get to hear actual feedback from women as they are looking at the jewelry in my shop. I often hear ‘nice quality’ or ‘unique’ or ‘love this design’, and I know the Nunn Design components contribute to that in a big way. Also, your customer service has always been very reliable and prompt. I’ve never had that slightest issue with an order.
Thank you Rebecca. It has been a delight to get to know the artist behind such beauty. I especially loved your answer to the “artist and mother” question. I know I can relate to your experience!
Follow Rebecca!
- Visit Rebecca’s Website www.rebeccasower.com/blog
- Follow on Instagram @rebeccasower
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