ABOUT THE ARTIST
Kristi Ruth is a self taught Metal Smith specializing in hand forged adornments in Silver and Stone. Drawing inspiration from Nature, Alchemy and Medieval Weaponry to create wearable talismans of everyday protection. Each piece is meticulously hand crafted in their Richmond VA studio.
How it started…
This journey began by taking a simple ring making class in Austin TX back in 2015. It was a birthday present to myself and I instantly fell head over heels with everything that had to do with working with metal and manipulating the flames. The class was only a few weeks long, but I immediately signed up for open studios, spending as much time as I possibly could at an open bench there. Pretty shortly after I was able to throw my first collection release, which was at Coco Coquette and dedicated to the Greek Goddess Nyx, incorporating Black Onyx and Tourmaline. I was still working full time at a barber shop, while also running Foxtrot Studio (a small one chair hair studio I built to focus on vibrant colors) which soon had a wall featuring my jewels I fabricated in my spare time. I started selling my work around Austin TX at markets and pop-ups, meeting fellow artists I had the pleasure of vending alongside, whose work still adorns my workshop. After a few years of working 3 full time jobs I made the decision to pursue metal-smithing full time, and I am still in awe that I get to make wearable art for a living.