Meet Ann Finley | Artist/Owner – Ann Finley Jewelry

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

Hi Ann, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
I was working full time at Emory University and taking an accounting class. At the same time, I started learning how to weld, and was resentful of the amount of time class and assignments took away from my artwork. I made a deal with myself – I could take one semester off and focus on the artwork and see if it led to anything. As you may guess, there were no more accounting books in my future.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My wholesale successes led me to cut my hours back from my professional position at Emory until I finally made the decision to leave higher education, altogether. I participated in wholesale trade shows and art festivals, selling my steel sculpture creations. While satisfying, I felt a bit like a construction worker. Steel is heavy and dirty. My supply deliveries took two people to haul inside, and I would return from my studio every day, covered in metal dust.

While at shows, I was drawn to jewelry booths. I noticed the similarities in working with sterling silver and steel, and was envious of the jewelers whose inventory could be carried in one hand, who could work in climate controlled studios, and who seemed to always have people flocking to their booths. I began taking jewelry classes and made the decision to sell IronCraft Folk Art to concentrate on jewelry.

Many people warned me how competitive the jewelry field is – with both bona fide artists, those purchasing jewelry and simply reselling it, and the imports from you know where. I reasoned that the good artists could always make it, and there is always room for one more. If I knew then what I know now, I may have been discouraged, but youth is a wonderful thing, and off I went!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Steve Wertz – Steve was working at the Napp Deady showroom in the Atlanta Mart, which is where my artwork got national attention. Steve coached me in developing a wholesale line. I remember being at Steve’s house after we both finished our day job, and he would gave me a crash course in the business of wholesaling.

Tom Newbury – He and his business partner’s display were next to me in the Napp Deady showroom. They were successful entrepreneurs, also working in metal. The show was 10 days long. We would pick a different topic each day, like shipping, extending credit, sourcing materials – and each day, in between customers, Tom would share his knowledge with me.

These mentors helped me take the learning curves fast – which I needed, since Steve was instrumental in having a major catalog (Sundance) select my work for the cover of their catalog at my very first show.

Website: https://annfinley.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finleyann/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnFinleyJewelry/

Image Credits
Cole Rodger (Jewelry Images)
Jan Zislin (Picture of me welding)
Don Finley (Picture of me soldering)