About the Artist

Symphony Jewels is the creation of artist Kim Falat. Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, Kim excelled in fine arts throughout her childhood and her ambition drove her to explore many creative opportunities in life. In high school she studied performing arts and has spent much of her adulthood as a contemporary vocalist. She has been writing poetry and short stories since she was 8 years old and is currently working on publishing her first book. Her lifelong hobby collecting model horses evolved into the art of hand-painting and airbrushing horses. Her talents also include charcoal and pencil sketching, scrapbooking, and interior design.

Kim fell in love with the art of jewelry making and began making pieces for herself, family and friends. In 2003 she opened Symphony Jewels which has grown rapidly and now features over 300 unique and beautiful pieces. She is starting to incorporate wirework and metal clay into her designs and is embarking on her metalsmithing education in March 2008. She sells at local art fairs, boutiques & art galleries and the internet. Her talents have made her a favorite jewelry designer in the Chicagoland area.

"Compliments are forever flattering. The greatest compliment to me is when my customers constantly tell me they get stopped in public by strangers telling them how beautiful their jewelry is. I design my jewelry to be simple and elegant and rich in design and color, able to be worn with a pair of jeans, a suit, or a dress. My designs are versatile and flattering. I want each creation to be remarkable!"

Artist profile interview featured in the Bead Blog, October 2007.

How do you describe your work? Why did you pick the name of your company?

My jewelry is elegant and feminine. Most of my designs are finer and more delicate. I'm not a huge fan of the big chunky jewelry out there, although I have incorporated some of those designs to cater to the people who love that style. But I really like my jewelry to just be pretty. I want it to be versatile also. Today, I'm wearing a pink and black necklace, with black onyx, pink chalcedony, sparkly Swarovski crystals, and sterling silver accents. It has a nice long dangly pendant. This necklace looks perfect with my black pants and pink tank top. This necklace would also look gorgeous with a black evening gown. I want all of my designs to represent me and my style, but I also want people to have a huge variety. Someone can walk into my booth or go to my website and find hundreds of different designs. It's not just a handful of designs in different colors and the same pattern over and over. Every piece is different, new and fresh.

In a way I chose my name for the same reason. I wanted a pretty name, something that conveyed a certain level of elegance. The neat thing about symphonies, if you've ever listened to one, is all the amazing different elements that combine to create one piece. In pop music, you have a verse, a chorus, and a bridge. In a symphony, it's like a dozen different bridges coming together and all working together beautifully. It's not just drums, a guitar and a keyboard... it's a whole orchestra. I think that represents my jewelry designs and how my overall inventory works together. Plus, I've been involved with music for quite some time, so "symphony" helped tie in another little aspect of me.

What is your creative process like?

Because I have so many other things filling up my life (a "day job", husband with his own company, dog training and all those fun household chores and errands), I don't always have a lot of time for the jewelry business. I often have to make time to sit down for jewelry. But once I do, I've missed it so much, and as soon as my brain starts working I just keep creating! Then it becomes a day or two of jewelry bliss! I can pump out 30 or 40 new things in a couple days when I'm that inspired and that motivated. I usually have an audio book or music playing while I’m making jewelry. Since I have such a busy lifestyle, I need to find every way I can to multitask. It helps if I can make jewelry AND practice my vocals, or read a book I just haven't found the time for yet.

I rarely sketch anything out, except when using PMC. It's too hard to "redo" with PMC. So I make sure I have a solid idea of what I'm making beforehand. With my other jewelry, I usually have a color scheme or a certain style in mind, I go to my supply boxes and start grouping things together to see how the pieces fit. If I don't like the end result, I can just take it a part and redo it.

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?

I've always been an artist... I started writing poetry and short stories at 8 years old, I drew and painted throughout grade school and high school, pursued a professional singing career, started airbrushing in my 20's, scrapbooked, made cards, painted glass and wood, and then I stumbled upon jewelry a few years ago. I never took classes to learn how to make jewelry, I just asked a few questions here and there and found some wonderful internet resources. I've always been able to put things together... whether it's words, colors, or textures... and my designs for my jewelry just come to me. Sometimes I'll actually pull out an outfit and try to make something for it, but mostly I just sit down at my table and sift through my supplies, and my inventory, and try to figure out what I want to make next. I have recently taken a couple PMC classes to learn a new medium and evolve my designs and eventually I will take some metalsmithing classes. I don't want to pick up a torch and some metal without knowing what to do with those!

Is there a tool or material that you can't imagine living without?

I love to use Swarovski crystals, gemstones, and sterling silver in my designs. I love how the materials interact together and the outcome can be amazing.

What inspires you to create?

Anything and everything. New clothes fashions help inspire certain designs. A picture in an interior design magazine can show beautiful color combinations. Looking out into my gorgeous landscaped backyard calms me and helps me think. Sifting through my gemstones always triggers a flood of ideas.

What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?

That I have so much money invested in this, I better make some back! No, seriously, I've always loved art, and have dabbled in a million things, and found a passion for the jewelry. When I started, I couldn't get enough! I couldn't go to sleep at night until I made all my ideas! And now, I'm still so inspired by each new piece I create. One design usually leads me right into the next. I prefer to make one-of-a-kind pieces and I'm always proud of each new creation. And when things get really bad, just hearing the wonderful compliments from people keeps my heart in it.

What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in
their level of artistry?

My advice is to always master what you do, and you'll never second-guess yourself.

I'm a perfectionist, and I always demand a lot from myself. And if I don't get something right the 1st, 2nd or 20th time I do it, I get very frustrated. But perfection takes practice and perseverence. I do see my progress over time, I see everything become better. I know how long it took my designs to become what I wanted from them, and I know any new techniques will take time too. I am confident of my designs and know what I wanted out of each and every piece. When you finally get that level of confidence, it helps you know where you stand in this crazy art world, and it helps balance the artist with the professional in you.

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?

Training dogs. I have a Shetland Sheepdog that I train in agility. I also have a German Shepherd from champion bloodlines whom I want to show in conformation and the sport of Schutzhund, which involves protection work, tracking and obedience. It's HARD!!! Seriously!! Look up Schutzhund videos on youtube.com and you'll see how HARD this is!!!

What's your favorite comfort food... Or book, or color, or other hobby...

Oooh, I love Italian food... and chocolate... and potato chips! And I love to read fantasy adventure books. When I really want to relax, I throw in an audio book and make jewelry. I also have a few “comfort” movies (Goonies, Ghostbusters and Raiders of the Lost Ark) that have the ability to just take me away to a happy quiet place and help me forget the concerns of the world (and vacuuming, and dishes, and laundry, and litter boxes…!).

Enchanted evenings, whispered words, an adventure through the mountains, a night at the opera, a hot day at the beach, lunch with friends, dinner with romance, your favorite song, an elegant evening at a posh downtown restaurant, holidays with family, sifting through photo albums, alone at the cafe sipping a hot mocha reading your favorite book, a long drive on an open road, movies with popcorn, listening to your favorite song, sharing a few drinks and a lot of laughs, napping with your newborn, your child’s first school play, a sunny day at the park, hot tea on a cold day…

Your life is your masterpiece.