At The Rust Belt Market: Earthen Wood Studio

The offers a unique experience for patrons as well as vendors. The new market hosts more than 60 artists every weekend. Each week, Ferndale Patch will feature one artist and get a closer view of what the heck each does.

Ferndale Patch: Who are you and what do you do?

Melanie Brooks: My name is Melanie Brooks and I am a ceramic artist specializing in jewelry components like pendants and beads. At my booth at the Rust Belt Market, I carry a wide variety of my ceramic pendants in all sorts of designs and colors. I also have other fine jewelry crafting supplies like recycled sari silk ribbon, U.S. made pewter and brass charms and vintage keys. I offer a unique experience to my customers, who can create their own mix and matched stacked pendant from my many available items. This allows them to customize a necklace with their favorite symbols, colors and designs.

Ferndale Patch: How did you get your start?

Brooks: I studied ceramics and jewelry making at (the Center for Creative Studies) in Detroit, where I got my BFA degree in 1996. Since then, I have used my degree to teach, do art fairs and bead trade shows, sell in galleries, write articles for books and magazines, and set up my own website and blog. I have been a full time artist for several years now.

Ferndale Patch: What inspires you?

Brooks: I am often inspired by nature and art history. I am also inspired by geek culture, using imagery from Steampunk, Sci-Fi and Fantasy and other geeky things. I also love toys and Japanese animation and am inspired by them as well.

Ferndale Patch: What is it about the Rust Belt that attracted you to it?

Brooks: I love the indie spirit and the encouragement of the owners for the vendors to follow their dreams of supporting themselves with their artwork and businesses. I also love the aesthetic of the Rust Belt and have incorporated the upcycled, vintage, industrial look into my own work.

Ferndale Patch: Tell us one thing about your work that would surprise us.

Brooks: I make all of my ceramic pendants by hand, rolling the clay through a slab roller, using rubber stamps that I have made from drawings that I create. The clay is fired to over 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit. People always seem surprised that I am able to make so many pendants and that I have so much involvement in the entire process.

If you are interested in checking out more of Earthen Wood’s pendants and beads, stop by . Earthen Wood will be at the market every weekend until Christmas. Select designs are also available on esty, visit http://www.earthenwood.etsy.com. Or stop by the website at: http://www.earthenwoodstudio.com.