jewelry

I was recently introduced to the work of jewelry designer Angelyn Pass of Glāk Love. Angelyn is an Atlanta based artist who developed what she calls Celluloidic Artistry™, a unique process for creating pieces using vintage exposed film negatives as a medium. I caught up with Angelyn to learn more about her work and what inspires her.

Tell me a little about yourself and your work.
I’m an artist and jewelry designer based out of Atlanta. I make all of my original works out of vintage exposed film negatives. I cut film and use it as my medium to create designs. For my jewelry line, I focus on simple, whimsical images, anything that makes me smile. For my fine art work, I like to focus on very intricate designs that look deceptively simple from a distance, and I use subjects from the original negatives (friends, places, etc.) to tell a story that makes up the larger image.

How did you get started making things?
I actually started playing with film as an actress. I was (still am) an actress in Atlanta, and a couple years ago was going through quite a rough time. I was struggling with getting enough work in acting and finally decided I needed to leave it behind and get a full time job. While the job was great and I was able to make ends meet, I became depressed without my creative outlet. One night I took out an old film reel and decided that if I could no longer be in film, then I’d cut film up and make it do what I wanted it to do. I cut out a simple city landscape and laid it between glass then held it up to the light, and completely fell in love with the medium all over again. Less than a year later the whole idea took off and I was able to leave my job, form a company and make things full time.

What inspires your work?
For my jewelry, I like to create designs that are delightful and make me feel happier just by wearing them. Like dinosaurs. For my fine art light boxes, a lot of my inspiration has come from the subjects themselves in the negatives, and the whole idea of transformation from one thing into something else.

Outside of your creative business, what are your other hobbies and interests?
I still love acting, and play a bit in independent film. I also enjoy making anything with my hands, because at the end of the day it’s something tangible that you can touch and say “yep, I did that.” So I’ve started dabbling in a lot of things…just enough to make me very dangerous with a Skill Saw.

Do you have a favorite piece that you’ve made?
I have a light box called “You Give Me Butterflies” that is very close to my heart, and I’m currently working on a companion piece for it called “Letting Go”. My favorite necklace hands down is “Rawr”, it features a T-Rex and Brachiosaurus that have fallen in love despite their differences in food choices.

Where do you see your company in 2 years?
I’m just starting to branch out of Atlanta and get my jewelry in stores in different cities, and it’s really exhilarating when I hear a boutique in Boston or Columbus, OH decides to carry my line. I hope to just keep the momentum going and be represented coast to coast (fingers crossed!), travel to more festivals around the country during the year, and keep making a living doing what I love to do. For my fine art, one of my biggest dreams is to have an installation during the Sundance Film Festival, and it’s a goal I like to focus on whenever I get frustrated while cutting out 600 birds for a piece. (smile)

What advice would you give to someone just getting started in pursuing their creative dreams?
Just keep doing, Just keep doing, Just keep doing.

Thanks to Angelyn for this fantastic interview! (And Angelyn, I love your last piece of advice – it’s the same I would give to anyone too!!!) Check out more of Angelyn’s work at her website, Glāk Love, or in her Etsy shop.

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