» Kathleen Whitaker: Jewelry Designer

My A-list

Kathleen Whitaker: Jewelry Designer

An A-Plus Artist Round-Up

ELAINE SAYS: Incredible discoveries are my favorite part of what I do and KATHLEEN WHITAKER falls right in that pocket. Some time ago, past lister and founder of the blog, Fashion Intel, Natalie James, introduced me to a Santa Barbara boutique called The Supply Room. So, naturally, I made it a point to visit the shop last time I was in town. I fell in love with a subtle and sophisticated line of earrings that Kenny, the owner of the shop, informed me were by jewelry designer, Kathleen Whitaker....her simple and graphic dots and dashes making big impression on me. Ironically, this visit led me back home to LA...Echo Park, to be exact....where Kathleen lives with hubby, cinematographer, Bradford Whitaker. It took about a minute of knowing Kathleen to recognize her generous spirit, her genuine love for art and her appreciation for all the incredible the talent around her from fine artists to local crafters. This is a world she knows, she loves and she supports. I admire that so much and couldn't wait to meet her and tell her so. Cut to this post, where I finally get the chance to gush about her jewelry and she gets the chance to do the same for a handful of artists and artisans who she thinks we should all know. Explore, enjoy and be sure to visit her blog, where you'll be as inspired as I was!

Textile Treasures: Ruth Laskey BROWSE RUTH LASKEY DEISGNSThis San Francisco artist weaves paintngs with her own hand-dyed threads.
A Nest For Your Nest: Heather Levine BROWSE HEATHER LEVINE DESIGNSHeather Levine makes gorgeous porcelain nests and wall hangings that seem to have made it into the home of nearly every stylish [LA] Eastsider. Her work is enviably exquisite.
Lighting Up The Design Scene: Ana Kras BROWSE ANA KRAS DESIGNSThis Serbian furniture designer has recently turned her talent to lighting with the "Bonbon" lamps -- brightly colored knit lampshades over geometric forms.
Local Discovery: Margaret-Anne Smith BROWSE MARGARET-ANNE SMITH [For Inquiries or a Studio Tour: 323.367.7742]Margaret-Anne Smith is a favorite painter of mine in LA. Monochromatic works using slowly, slowly dried "skins" of paint, often an intense cobalt yellow. They are amazing!
Depth of Work: Maria Walker BROWSE MARIA WALKERMaria Walker is making really beautiful pieces that walk the line between 2 and 3 dimensional paintings.
An Inspired Brush Stroke: Hadley Holiday BROWSE HADLEY HOLIDAYHadley is a Highland park painter and CalArts grad whose large-scale acrylics have a wonderful joyful buoyancy. She balances repetitive, structured geometric patterns with seemingly spontaneous brushstrokes and dreamy color palates. Some works also take inspiration from dyed textiles and others have unexpected glints of silver and gold leaf.
New Take On A Storied Craft: Kim Eichler-Messmer BROWSE KIMEM QUILTSKim makes quilts inspired by the midwest sky where she was raised and currently works.
Incredible Works Of Indigo: Rowland Ricketts BROWSE ROLAND RICKETSAn artist working in Bloomington, Indiana is making amazing things with indigo.
Serene Ceramics: Stan Bitters BROWSE STAN BITTERS VIA KATHLEEN'S BLOG OR HIS WEBSITESince the 1960s Bitters’ large-scale ceramics have been a presence in California’s architectural landscape and more recently his iconic wall murals, fountains and sculptures have appeared in the residential projects of design firm, Commune. His light fixtures, crafted from terracotta and fired with signature glazes Bitters calls “Happenings,” are available in three sizes at Ten10 in Los Angeles.
Multi-faceted and Fabulous: Sandeep Mukherjee BROWSE SUNDEEP MUKHERJEEI first came across the work of Sandeep Mukherjee at the Outpost Art's Monster Drawing Rally. He made a small drawing using multi-colored pencils on folded black Duralene. I later discovered all of his pieces aim to be a hybrid object — part painting, part drawing, part sculpture and part environment.