Creatives

Lockdown has allowed an abundance of creativity - new and existing hobbies have flourished, whilst existing business owners have come up with new ways to market and sell their products. Here are six inspiring women and their businesses.

Laura Butlin-Policarpo Studio by Her

Laura Butlin-Policarpo is a photographer, graphic designer and digital content creator. She founded Studio by Her in 2019.

“You could say I’m a seeker of beautiful things; no matter where in the world I am, or what in the world I’m doing, you can bet I’ll be noticing the little details, the hidden moments, the unspoken language; all the elements that create an alluring aesthetic.”

Over the years, having a curious mind has helped Laura to define her creative style and experiment with different mediums such as photography and illustration. “I am now able to offer my clients a sophisticated mix of creative services to develop covetable brand content that goes behind the design to tell a brand’s narrative.”

You will usually find Laura surrounded by papers, props and products as she photographs and designs for brands in beauty, lifestyle, travel and wellness. When she isn’t working, Laura enjoys going for walks with her husband and their Cockapoo, Darcy, as well as attempting to grow vegetables - she has had success with lettuce!

Visit

Danni Coates Artisan

There are two very different sides to Danni’s working life, having worked in dentistry for 10 years as a qualified Dental Nurse and Treatment Coordinator, she is now at the start of a new business journey supplying dental finance to the island.

When she is not in a clinical environment or stuck with her head in her laptop, she gets crafty. Danni has always been creative, attending college doing art and design and working in retail as visual merchandiser before getting into dentistry.

“I kept up my creative passion by drawing, pebble and sea glass art, as well as a new hobby called Pyrography. Long walks along the beach and around the island gives me my creative energy, collecting all sorts of interesting bits like sea glass and unusual looking items to craft with.”

Danni has always made gifts for friends and family but had never thought about selling her products until recently being given the opportunity to have a stand within Jersey Post on Broad Street.

“Friends and family had always encouraged me to sell my art so I felt confident enough giving it a go. It has surprised me how popular all my quirky bits have been and have had multiple requests for commissioning pieces since setting up within the post office. It’s something I have always enjoyed as a hobby and is a great feeling getting lovely messages from customers who have loved their purchases as much as I love making them.”

Danni's products are available to purchase at Jersey Post, Broad Street. For custom pieces, you can email loveandsmilesjersey@gmail.com

Tori Orchard Artist & Illustrator

If you’ve been reading this magazine for the last few issues, you will be familiar with Tori’s work as a fashion illustrator. Her rich paintings of designer handbags and heels, ranging from Michael Kors to Kate Spade, have acted as an attention-drawing frontispiece for Manner magazine.

However, Tori isn’t just a fashion illustrator but is also making a name for herself as a versatile fine-artist. With a base at Westmount Studios, her work ranges from her bold, unusual fashion illustrations, to nature-inspired colourscapes, and raw, expressive Indian Ink sketches.

“My work is really quite emotionally driven – what I create depends on my mood at the time, which is why my work varies so much. I’ve toyed with the idea of having a ‘theme’, but I just can’t do it, it feels too contrived.”

Tori’s journey as an artist really started to flourish a few years back when she decided to keep a sketchbook with her at all times, sitting in coffee shops sketching people or places. Using only pen, no pencil and rubber, this formed the basis of her confidence in creating art – commit to the drawing and embrace the imperfections.

Building on that, Tori has studied with the London-based ‘Addictive Sketcher’ Adebanji Alade in London on several occasions to really hone her craft.

“Adebanji really inspired me when I saw a piece he did on the BBC’s The One Show, where he went out with just a pen and paper and sketched people. So, I got in touch and he’s been an amazing mentor ever since –he still is incredibly supportive of me, I’m very lucky. Sketching is still my true love and is the thing I come back to as much as possible – it’s amazing to be able to capture a moment in time, in a way that is truly unique to you.”

While Tori enjoys a variety of styles, one thing that has remained constant is her looseness of line. It’s evident in her ink-sketches and minimal line drawings that her art often manifests itself in an instance of expression.

“I enjoy keeping my lines loose for a number of reasons – it’s a great combat for perfectionism, which I think can totally ruin a piece of art, and it also gives the art a life of its own. I find the unexpected direction of line can really speak for itself in a way that I couldn’t possibly think up myself.”

Keep up with Tori’s work at www.toriorchard.co.uk

Jennifer Velazco

Jennifer Velazco, originally from Ireland, first visited Jersey 23 years ago for a holiday. She loved the island and it’s the slow-paced way of life so much that she decided to stay. Jennifer discovered her passion for jewellery working at a local jewellers as a buyer, but after 10 years in her role, she wanted to be involved in the creative process too. In 2015 she fulfilled her dream and opened Aqua with a view to designing a collection which included the island’s iconic Jersey granite.

“I have always been creative and Jersey’s beautiful coastlines have provided me with great inspiration. I have designed almost everything in the shop which all includes unique materials that are a big part of the island’s heritage, such as Jersey ormer shell and pink Jersey granite.”

Every piece of granite has been handpicked from the north of the island and carefully chosen to maximize the depth of colour used. Each piece is truly unique because of its markings. The Jersey granite range is designed on the premises, the stones are polished by hand and then lovingly set in sterling silver.

The collection includes simple but elegant and innovative designs to suit everyone. Some of the most popular designs include the Island Map and the Jersey Bean. “I couldn’t use a local stone without using the island itself, so I have designed and introduced a Jersey island-shaped bead, keyring, cufflinks, stud earrings and necklace. Another islandinspired piece is the 'Jersey Bean', designed for true islanders to cherish. The latest piece is inspired by my favourite place in Jersey - Corbière Lighthouse. I wanted to capture all the striking detail of this iconic landmark and, after months of careful design, this exquisite pendant and charm can be your perfect keepsake." 

Visit Aqua at 24 Queen Street, St Helier. View the full collection online at www.aquajersey.com

Jade Conneely Made by a Hun

Having studied fine art at a university in London and working in an art gallery in Berlin, Jade subsequently spent many years since graduating, not creating.

Moving back to Jersey from Berlin was a bit of a struggle for Jade, especially as she was starting out in a new career and direction entirely.

"I’d always really liked the idea of pottery and thought it might help to get my creative juices flowing again, and honey, it worked! A short time after, I went to get some food with my partner and I saw someone selling handmade jewellery and I got so giddy, because as you can imagine I’m an earring addict. This really was the eureka moment for me and was when I realised making earrings was something I wanted to do."

After that moment (c.Sept 2019), it’s been a kind of non-stop hobby. Jade works a full 9-5 so Made by a Hun is a real labour of love.

"I can’t tell you how good the response has made me feel. I’m so flattered that there’s an audience of Huns out there eager to wear my creations. The best thing is that, honestly, on such a tiny island it’s allowed me to make and meet new friends and creatives, which is such a huge bonus. It’s something I wanted in London and Berlin, but felt it never fitted as interactions were mostly contrived or pretentious."

I saw a gap in the market for bold, wearable fashion earrings in Jersey and loved the versatility of polymer clay. Each pair really is one of a kind, even if a collection is restocked it will never be exactly the same.

"I also create custom earrings on request and you can find such exclusive collections at House of Mane, #shelikes and ChiChi Lifestyle Boutique. I plan to get into silversmithing and I’ve already started experimenting making vegan friendly bags - so stay tuned!" 

Follow Jade's journey online @madebyahun www.madebyahun.com

Harriet Rouse

www.harrietandrose.co.uk

Harriet Rouse launched her online gift shop and gift finder service www. harrietandrose.co.uk in Spring 2019. With a focus on thoughtful and ethical gifts, the website continues to go from strength to strength. Based in Jersey, and only delivering on island, it was launched to make thoughtful gifting in Jersey, simple. All the pieces on the website are here on the island, ready to deliver, so there is no need to worry about delays or anything being held up by customs.

Originally from a creative background, Harriet has carefully sourced all the items on her website personally, and nearly all are from small, independent creators, including several from Jersey.

From traditionally block-printed kaftans, tablecloths and dressing gowns, to natural soy wax candles from a company that donate a percentage of profits to mental health charities, Harriet, was keen to ensure that she was enabling people to send thoughtful and original gifts even if they had left things to the last minute. There’s even a section on the website dedicated to gifts for living by the sea.

“When I moved to Jersey four years ago, I realised that my last-minute online panic buys that I could get delivered the next day were gone. I had sold my business when I relocated here and knew that I wanted to start up something again. I was lucky enough to know a network of independent creative businesses and had the confidence that I could offer something different that wasn’t already available in the island – an online only gift shop and gift finder.

“When you start to plan for your year ahead, you can’t factor in things like a global pandemic, and it’s definitely been a case of adapting to fit demand and what my customers are looking for this year. Whilst our office has been closed to collections, we’ve been able to offer free island-wide delivery. It’s been so wonderful to see and write out all the gift messages that have accompanied our deliveries across the island. I’ve seen a real move away from sending big statement gifts, to sending out care packages – so lots of small things all packaged up together. Our customers have been able to create something quite bespoke, and tailor what they are sending to the recipient. I possibly chose the wrong year to launch our bespoke bridal service, but we have some fantastic launches coming up, including a brilliant local collaboration that will be exclusive to the website. The last few months have taught us all the importance of shopping local, and we will continue to deliver across the island, and work with local creatives.”