¡Hola, hola!
Gracias a Chuyito <y me persino> the Summer is finally here! Time to celebrate the short summer months in Chi-Town with taquizas and micheladas. Pero antes, we are so happy that our cuata Angie Hernandez is having a fiesta to celebrate the launch of her Summer Collection.
Our girl Angie is one of the fabulous mujeres in Chicago expressing her cultura through fun accessories and art. We are muy excited and lucky that Angie calls Mestiza her casa and her fans can find her yummy wearable conchas, mugs, and playeras at our shop in Pilsen and very soon at mestizashop.com (ajua!).
Angie loves her fans con amor a la Mexicana! This is why she will be celebrating her launch with amazing discounts on some of her favorite items and gift bags for the first 15 people to stop by. Quien dijo yo? See los detalles below:
This is around la esquina! Join Us.
Saturday, June 29th, 2019 from 1pm - 4pm.
Mestiza
1523 West 18th Street
Chicago, IL 60608
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/442977343193286/
Get inspired by Angie Hernandez and her fabulous brand AngMir. Que disfrunten our fun chat!
Image provided by Angela Hernandez
We are so excited we finally have a chance to chat with you. Your jewelry and accessories reflect our culture in a fun and fashionable way. When did you start creating art and accessories? What was the catalyst that started your journey?
Thank you, Mestiza! Growing up in a family of creatives you pick up a few techniques and it becomes a part of your life. Making jewelry wasn’t part of the plan though.
Our oldest daughter got a jewelry making kit as a gift. We started working on it together and I think I ended up liking it more than she did. Lol! So, I started making jewelry for myself, then as gifts. Friends and family liked them so much they encouraged me to start selling them.
Seeing all the love and support we received we decided to take a chance on our little hobby. I left my corporate job to begin the next chapter in my life as a self-employed mama-preneur. I’m now able to spend more time with my family and work on my craft. It was a win-win decision.
Tell us, what have you learned about yourself through the creative process?
I’ve learned to create from the heart without fear. There is no right or wrong way and be open to endless possibilities.
In the beginning, I would make jewelry with whatever materials available to us. I felt it really wasn’t my style but still made it. Eventually, I realized something had to change and wow I realized the difference. It was a complete transformation from “making” jewelry, to now “designing and creating” it.
Our personal experiences and life events all influence what we create. I’m truly grateful that I can use art as an outlet for self-expression and that others have been able to relate to it and make a connection. That’s what helps motivate us. That there are others who “get it”.
As we all go through different stages in our lives so does our artwork. We know our pieces aren’t for everyone and that’s actually a good thing otherwise it wouldn’t be as unique as it is.
Images provided by Angela Hernandez
You use many materials for creating different pieces, what is your favorite medium to use for your accessories and art work?
Clay is definitely our favorite material. It started off as an experiment and now we use it all the time. Learning to use clay has helped me so much to get out of my comfort zone. Making our own beads and findings is something our pieces needed to help tell a story. It adds that extra personal touch (and some fingerprints too).
You are an inspiration to creative peeps everywhere. What would you advise other artists that want to create a business through creating their own products or artwork?
I would say, like many others have, to follow your heart and dreams. If it is truly your passion to create then you will succeed. Take a chance and set up shop at different events, show them what you got! Experiment and try new things out until you find the right one that fits you. Sometimes we’re our worst critic so never give up and be true to you.
We were fortunate to have been inspired by a few local artists. One of them being artist Diana Solis whom we met at Pilsen Open Studios where she had her colorful characters and artwork displayed. We had the opportunity to take one of Diana’s Día de Los Muertos workshops and remember thinking how great this was to have something like this available in the community.
We then had the pleasure of meeting artist Teresa Magaña at the Pilsen Community Market where she set up shop selling her unique artwork. I think that was when we realized “yes, this is for us!”
Being amongst other creatives has influenced us so much. Also, the fact that there were places you can share your artwork with others was so encouraging. We’ll never forget and be forever grateful to the owners of Round Two (in Pilsen). They were the first small business who took a chance on this newbie. This was in our beginning stages when we were making our little bottle cap and Calavera jewelry.
Images provided by Angela Hernandez. Bracelet image by Jessy Laubis.
Your fans love products from AngMir! Give them the inside scoop, what are you working on next? What can we expect from AngMir in the coming months?
We’re always so grateful for our collectors for always supporting our craft. They are our biggest motivator and keep us going.
We have so many new items coming out we’ll be sharing with you little by little. Soon to come are more statement pieces and of course more fun wearable art for all ages!
We’ll also be bringing back some of our retired pieces with a fresh new look so we’re really excited about that! You’ll have to stay tuned to find out more.
Images provided by Angela Hernandez
Gracias Angie! It was a pleasure chatting with you amiga.
You can follow Angie Hernandez and her creations here:
Website: https://angmir.com
Nos vemos el 29 the Junio en Mestiza!
Paz
- Señorita Martinez