Conversations with Rosa Murillo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rosa Murillo. 

Rosa, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started my artistic career first as an Architect and then as a painter making mostly two-dimensional art. It wasn’t until learning metalsmithing techniques and applying my experience working with resins, paint, and wood architectural models, that my work evolved into three-dimensional wearable art. 

As a child, my mother had a little flower shop that helped sustain our family, but her true passion had always been painting. Since little I was drawn to the beautiful inspired work my mother did during the down times in the back of the store. I remember doodling with her oil paints and brushes. As a grown-up, I chose a career that would help me express my creativity in a functional way and decided to pursue an Architecture degree. However, just like my mother, my true passion has always been to be an artist. Years after working in architecture firms, I left my day job to become first, an amateur painter, and through exploration and training evolved to a jewelry maker. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Funny you ask this question, when you start, you think this journey will be a straight line, going from point A to point B to point C. The reality is that once you get on the roller coaster, you don’t see the twists and turns coming ahead. 

At the beginning, it was hard do leave my Architecture career, I liked it and also paid the bills. However, I always had the little voice in the back of my mind telling me to look for other ways to express my creativity. When I came to the US after getting married to support my husband’s career, I found out that Architecture requirements were different and basically, I would need to start from zero to continue on that track. This helped me make the jump, and with the support of my husband, I started exploring an artistic career. 

Becoming an artist and getting your work out there requires a lot of work and consistency and also being your own cheerleader. At the beginning, I took jobs in the Galleries where I was exhibiting and also started painting art on storefront windows to supplement my income. I learned a lot from fellow artists and Gallery owners. Little, by little I found my place as a creator and things started moving in the right direction. My work grew and had solo and group exhibits in Mexico, Maryland, DC, and in North Carolina. 

I started noticing the creativity some of my fellow artists were applying to make smaller pieces. My architecture and modeling experience kicked in and I started exploring making smaller pieces and turned them into 3D pieces. I started studying different techniques in metalsmithing and woodworking. My creative work slowly evolved from 2D paintings into wearable art. I integrated the use of reclaimed wood, eco-resin, and crushed stones to my work – lots of trial and error! I finally put out a few decent pieces and start selling at local Arts and Crafts shows. I was inspired by the response of people when wearing my pieces. I kept going and started attending fine art shows like the American Craft Council and VisArts Craft+Design shows. I have also grown my wholesale presence and I sell my work in fine art galleries and museums such as the Smithsonian Institution Stores, Strathmore Museum, Honolulu Museum of Modern Art, etc. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I make modern jewelry leveraging my background in architecture applied to the use of metals and organic materials like reclaimed wood, eco-resin, textiles, and crushed stones. I believe that everyday objects that are usually considered to be ordinary, can be completely transformed to beautiful and interesting wearable art. 

The impact my work has on the environment is one of my primary concerns and using natural and repurposed elements is a critical part of my process. For this reason, my work is done in small batches and is dependent on material sourcing and the quantity available to create my next collection. Sometimes my canvas is a discarded cigar box, other times is leftover burled maple wood from a friend. For coloring, I will crush and pulverize stones and mix it with mineral mica to create a beautiful rich color base that I will mix with an eco-resin to create a colorful base for a pendant. 

I strongly believe in meaningful connections through the objects I make and spend a good long time with each piece leaving thoughts, emotions, and a bit of me in each piece. Observing the reaction of my customers when they interact and wear my jewelry keeps me motivated and fuels my creativity to develop new pieces. 

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
Living surrounded by mountains, the freedom to walk anywhere without any concerns. Interacting with nature, the smells, and sounds – happy times! 

Contact Info:

• Website: murojewelry.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/murojewelry/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/murojewelry
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/murojewelry

Image Credits
Rosa Murillo