April 6, 2011
Jewellery Designer Cheek Pinchy Makes By Hand Desireable Pieces
Artist Interview : Cheek Pinchy
Kirsten Turnbull is the creative Auckland artist behind Cheek Pinchy jewellery. A regular at plenty of the Auckland markets, her work is certainly unique and one of a kind with many of her pieces one off’s that can’t be reproduced. Her work includes brooches, earrings, necklaces, bands and art-cards. We are truly happy to have her join us for the very first Fair!
How long have you been creating jewellery? From a young age I thought that the only folk who were artistic could draw an ideal horse out of their heads. Therefore , I lived lots of my life believing I didn’t have a creative bone in my body! I’ve attempted various tiny projects over the years but never with much success. I certainly had no intention that others would see them let alone want to own any! Concepts have always bubbled about in me though and that was about 2 years back that I started the very beginnings of Cheek Pinchy. Was just the right time I think!
How did Cheek Pinchy jewellery start? It was about two years back when I was full time at home with my beautiful daughter and I wished to have a creative outlet. I had been collecting vintage fabric and bits for years and thought I would like to have a go at stitching but my skills are Terribly limited! I was finding it too frustrating and realized my enthusiasm lay with putting color and pattern together instead of with stitching. The concept to start one off collage cards using vintage images was born! Within just a few months Toggle had started selling the cards and Esther Lamb inspired me into the market scene. Over the last two years I have experimented with all kinds of projects including wall blocks and snow globes and now have a full jewelry range. I would never have assumed 2 years back that I’d be doing what I am doing now! It has certainly been a private expansion journey and I’m slowly getting over my embarrassment and underconfidence!
Describe what you create? A lot of what I create now is the Cheek pinchy jewelry range. It is a full range that includes brooches, rings, earrings, necklaces and bands. The photographs all spring from vintage books and have been set onto a beech plywood base. I’ve a choice of jewelry that uses limited numbered reproduction photographs and also some one off items. The latest reproduction range is made of mainly bird, floral and botanical photographs. When I get time I love continuing to create one off cards and wall blocks in a collage style.
What provokes you? I am inspired by the support of my family, the grace of creation and the legacy of my grandmother who always talked about the 1950′s and 60′s as ‘the twilight days ‘. I have a love of all things vintage and a selected obsession with all things related to deer, birds, army and nautical themes! I am also inspired by color combinations and the way that different colours stimulate robust emotional reaction in folk.
What are your favourite materials to use? Why are they your favourite? My favorite material to use is vintage books particularly children’s books. I love opening them up to learn the decayed, earthy smells, the yellowed and stained pages, the front cover inscriptions and ‘extra ‘ illustrations their kid owners have given them over the years.
What would you say is your biggest achievement to date? I believe the last few years have seen my biggest achievements that being tackling the role of parenthood, coming to terms with issues of my own youth and following my passions thru establishing Cheek Pinchy. Apart from all that I was a bit of a whizz at jazzercise in the 80′s. Complete with my hot pink lycra tights, leotard and leg heaters, I was a force to be reckoned with!
Do you have any future plans for your jewellery? I find making future plans for Cheek Pinchy a little frightening as I’m astonished by what’s happened in the last few years already. I definitely have some other product concepts floating around but am going to let things grow organically at this point.
Where are your favorite places on-line? I expert all over the place online principally blog jumping but I mostly check in on the newest secrets on Post Secret and tantalizing finds on Etsy.
What kind of music do you like listening to while you work, if any? I’ve got a terribly eclectic musical taste but my favorite music to work to is super kitsch 80′s pop! Nothing truly gets you going like Spandau ballet, Wham!, Cyndi Lauper, David Bowie, Culture Club, Duran Duran…did I mention Jazzercise earlier.. ?
Buy Cheek Pinchy Jewellery on Toggle.