We had the good fortune of connecting with Heather Rosso and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Heather, how do you think about risk?
I strongly believe that taking risks plays a big role in mapping out one’s life and career paths. Taking risks is what makes us grow. It pushes us out of our comfort zone and forces us to rise to the occasion. My first big risk was moving 3,000 miles away from my small hometown to start a life in San Diego where I did not know a soul! It set the stage for my career path, and eventually lead me to my passions of silversmithing and travel. In my career, I entered a field in which I had no experience. I excelled, and I found that the time off (I was working in a school district) lent itself easily to traveling abroad for weeks at a time. Taking risks to travel by myself fueled my lust for life as I pushed myself to learn self-reliance. My travel adventures turned from tourism-driven to purpose-driven as I eventually sought out countries such as Bali and South Africa to learn more about silversmithing techniques. Taking risks by pushing the boundaries of my art and expression has allowed me to explore new techniques and designs. Taking a risk to put my art out to the world has given me confidence and has allowed me to feel and accept my worth as an artist. So, I would say that taking risks in my life has brought me to this point, and it will continue to forge my paths. It is always fascinating to see it play out.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
At Heather Bee Jewelry, I create handmade pieces that are primarily nature-based inspirations. I love creating pieces around natural healing stones, celestial themed concepts, and whimsical make-it-up-as-I-go designs that take on their own organic shapes. I have absolutely loved integrating jewelry fabrication with my other passion of travel! I have carved Maori symbols from bones in New Zealand, harvested my own pearls from oysters in China, and made my own granulation paste from grinding up plant seeds in Bali. I have textured pieces with woven tea bags from Nepal and with pink sands from the ancient dunes of Namibia. I have integrated beautiful pieces of sea glass gifted to me from the Oregon Coast. I have used sands from our beautiful San Diego beaches. I am excited to start to integrate simpler designs into my collections. My raindrop earrings are created from silver and gold wire, and they are so versatile. They are elegant enough to be dressed up and simple enough for everyday wear. I am starting to integrate rose gold into my work as well. My rose gold infinity symbol band and my simple stacker bands have been very popular. I used to be a bit intimidated to work with gold, but I took a leap and discovered that it is such a fun metal to work with! I got to where I am today professionally through a steady flow of diligence and perseverance. I have realized I am the type of person who does better with smaller goals reached at a more consistent pace rather than trying to push things fast and hard until I burn out. By taking a calm, steady approach to my goals, I am able to stoke my professional fire to keep it alive. It has been challenging to learn the patience for this approach, but I am trying! Another lesson I learned through this process is to be kind to myself rather than “should-ing” myself about my art and what I feel I “should” be doing with my small business. While social media can be a fantastic tool for artists and entrepreneurs, it can also serve as a place where we can trudge down the dark rabbit hole of comparing ourselves to others by thinking about all the things we “should be doing” to be better, to get more exposure, to get more money…the list goes on. I have learned to take a step back when that energy creeps in, and to practice letting that sh*t go! Haha. That is a mantra on of my best selling bracelets. Those are words to live by! The important things for folks to know about my journey to become Heather Bee Jewelry is that the vision was born of following a passion. I am self-taught. I loved that I have pieced together my skills from various teachers here and abroad. My teachers have ranged from a formally taught goldsmith of 50 years to a newbie silversmith who I shared a bench with in a class. My art is more free-form and an “organic flow” that often takes shape as I work with my metal rather than from a drawing on paper. It makes many of my pieces one-of-a-kind. My designs and style are evolving as I grow. I suppose in a way, my art is a representation of my life; spontaneous, inspired by travel, open to change, and filled with love.

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
If one of my close friends was visiting the area and I wanted to show her the best time ever, we would focus our visit on food, drink, and adventures. Notwithstanding the ways the pandemic has changed how we socialize and engage in entertainment in this city right now, we would do our best to follow rules and enjoy San Diego as close to this vision as possible. She would arrive on a Monday. From the airport, we would take a ride through Hillcrest to take a peek at Whaley Studios, where I create my art. We would grab delicious sandwiches from The Deli Llama or the Hillcrest Sandwich Shop. After settling in at home, we would throw on some walking shoes and take the 5 miles walk around Lake Miramar to take in the beauty of the reservoir. We would hit up the local cider house Newtopia. In the evening, we would enjoy home-cooking and cocktails hanging out with my partner, kids, and two hilarious cats Mike and Bagel. Tuesday, we would head out to Torrey Pine State Park with coffee and water in hand from Bird Rock Coffee Roasters. After a long walk and a few hours at the beach, we would have worked up an appetite to grab some Old Bay wings from Dirty Birds, a Baltimore Ravens fans bar. Being from Baltimore, I love my Old Bay seasoning! On Wednesday, we would spend the day exploring Ocean Beach (OB). We would grab coffee at Tiki Port, take in the ocean view from the rooftop of OB Brewery and then wander through the Farmer’s Market, one of my all-time fave things to do! An evening stroll on Sunset Cliffs at sunset (hah) followed by dinner at OB Noodle House would complete the day. Thursday, we would go to Pacific Beach (PB), grab coffee at Kona Coffee and enjoy the boardwalk. We would stop at the quintessential beach bar La Heina and then grab a burger at Woody’s. The evening would be spent on some paddleboards in Mission Beach. On Friday, we would pack up a picnic, music, and two of my beloved OneWheels (self-balancing electric boards) to spend the afternoon at Liberty Station. Happy Hour(s) would be spent in the outdoor beer garden at Stone Brewery. Saturday would be spent imbibing on mimosas and brunch yummies at Café 21. In the evening, we would head out to Little Italy for dinner at Monella (tableside cheese wheel pasta? yes please!) and drinks wherever the night carried us. Finally, Sunday brunch would be enjoyed at Waypoint Public in North Park. We would make our final stop at DiTorr Store, a gift and home décor shop that features handmade local artists’ work, including Heather Bee Jewelry. There, she would be able to pick up any last minute gifts, cards, or San Diego mementos before heading back home.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have many people to whom I would like to dedicate my Shoutout! I would love to give a shoutout to my parents. No matter the risk, if I wanted to pursue a path that was going to make me happy, they have always supported my choices. My brothers and extended family have been supportive with anything from consultation regarding marketing and finances to supporting me by purchasing my pieces. I would like to shoutout to my “San Diego family”. This family is my network of friends, artists, and colleagues who have seen me through the blood, sweat, and tears; who have showed up at art events, who have showed support online and in-person, who have seen me through my “artist’s block”; who have encouraged me during my creative flow; who have brainstormed, encouraged, and taught me things that have helped me grow as a person and as an artist…you all know who you are! I want to give huge shoutout to Jay Whaley, my teacher and my mentor, in my silversmith journey. His knowledge and expertise has shaped much of my skill set. I was honored to be a Teacher’s Assistant (TA) at Whaley Studios for silversmithing classes for nearly 3 years. His one-of-a-kind studio in Hillcrest has been my sanctuary and my beehive for my art. Finally, with so much love, I want to shoutout to my partner in life and love, Tim. He is my constant cheerleader and my endless source of inspiration. I am grateful for having such a bounty of people that love and support me.

Website: https://www.heatherbeejewelry.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherbeejewelry/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherBeeJewelry/
Other: Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HeatherBeeJewelry