Daily Inspiration: Meet Julia Adams

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Adams. 

Hi Julia, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
The styles of the Southwest have always been a major inspiration in my art. As a native of Colorado, I grew up surrounded by & immersed in our incredible natural world, & a large portion of the materials I make art out of are collected from walkabouts in the surrounding area– Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah. 

I love to create low-impact work that I feel good about wearing & sharing with others. 

While studying Fine Art in Gunnison at Western State Colorado University, I found my home in Crested Butte. I started metal-smithing 4 years ago & have been creating jewelry for 15 years plus. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s a struggle for me to focus on one medium for all that extended of a time. I feel a regular push & pull leading to continual excitement & distraction by new ideas & inspiration. My flow has always been this way. A scattering of energy led to almost finishing 4 different degrees in college; my education spanned ski & snowboard business, sociology, geology & art. My extended art education never really reached a distinct apex, conducting me from one medium to the next until I graduated with a “general” art degree. Some may call it a lack of direction & it’s true I fall into frustration over this feeling of attention insufficiency sometimes. Mastery requires such focus, precision & dedication. Lately, I have decided to look at it as an affinity for resilience. I remind myself that there are very beautiful aspects of being a “jack of all trades,” & I feel that my path was carved to be a connoisseur of many mediums. I love creating, I love using my hands, I love making beautiful pieces out of things others might not see immediate beauty in. 

Learning any new trade or starting a new endeavor is a massive feat. I began my ‘jewelry career’ making & selling beaded jewelry at local craft fairs in Pagosa Springs, CO when I was in middle school. I went on to study art in college & have since carved out a life for myself as an artist. But making the leap from comfortable jobs working for other people, to full-time working for yourself is very scary! I still supplement my art income with serving & bartending jobs. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Inspired by nature & constructed with love, “Moonrise Designs” by Julia Adams specializes in unique metal & natural media jewelry, wood jewelry, stone inlay, antler art, & bone art. 

I use many materials I collect on hikes around the area such as quartz & other crystals in my jewelry. Antler is one of my main mediums, which I mix primarily with sterling silver or copper to create unique & beautiful jewelry. My body of work also includes extravagantly colorful feather clips for hats, & exotic hardwood which I hand shape into earrings or pendants & inlay with patterns of stone, (such as turquoise & lapis lazuli.) 

Other than wearable art, I collect animal skulls ranging from small raccoons or fox to large deer, elk & bulls & everything in between. With these skulls, I clean, sanitize, & paint them, then mosaic them with brightly colored glass patterns. A mentor of mine once expressed that he believes bright colors on weather bleached bone is a complement to the animal’s spirit. I honor these creatures by giving their memory a new & different form of life. 

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Just trust the process! When doubt creeps in, put it in your back pocket & continue looking forward. You are not going to get where you want to go overnight, it takes years & years of dedication, but it all starts with that first flair of inspiration, that first idea, that first step. 

Contact Info:

• Email: moonrisedesigns.cb@gmail.com
• Website: www.moonrise-designs.com
• Instagram: @moonrisedesigns

Image Credits
Julia Adams
Joey Weber