Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Sannazzaro Peterson.
Hi Lauren Sannazzaro, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I always loved creating art ever since I was kid. I got really into drawing in High school and began taking art classes at the local community college in South Lake Tahoe. Once I transferred to Humboldt State University, I was able to take my first jewelry class and absolutely fell in love with everything about it. I learned all the basics and decided jewelry is the art form that I wanted to pursue as a career. After I graduated, I was involved in a jewelry apprenticeship in Sacramento, CA where I learned more skills and techniques that I still use today. In 2016 I had an opportunity to invest in a home studio where I was able to continually practice and build upon all the skills I already learned. Over the years I have worked hard to create more designs and inventory and started doing shows consistently in 2022. Today I am lucky enough to be working as a full time artist, traveling the country and selling my art online and at various markets.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
This life is one that I am incredibly grateful for but it can be quite challenging as well. All of the markets I attend, I have to apply for and there’s always that worry of whether I’ll get in or not. I have gotten as many rejections as I have acceptances but I keep trying to apply to as much as I can. And for all of the ones who do accept me, I am always so happy to join in.
Another challenge that I face, along with many artists who do what I do, is the not knowing how much I will be making at a show or how many sales I will have in a month. There’s no set income and it can vary from show to show. Sometimes they will be amazing beyond words and other times we’re lucky to break even. But the amazing shows and love and passion we put into our art are what keeps us coming back and trying again.
Then there’s the cost of doing what I do. I get a lot of people who say my work is expensive, and I agree that it can be, but at the same time I try to keep my pricing as reasonable as possible. There’s so much that go into each piece as far as materials and time. There’s the cost of precious metals, which fluctuates depending on the metal markets, the cost of stones, the hours that each piece takes to initially create, and then the hours to reproduce each and every piece over and over again. Then there is also traveling costs, overhead, taxes, booth fees, displays and so much more that goes into owning a small business and attending markets like I do. But for all the work that it takes and everything it costs to run a small business, I am incredibly grateful for each and every person who makes a purchase of any kind 🙂
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I create handcrafted sterling silver and bronze jewelry, art prints and stickers which I sell through my small business, Sanazar Rose. My work is inspired by life, love and death and explores the beauty, the magic and the darkness of being alive. Through symbolic design, I do my best to capture life’s complexities and create deep emotional connections through my art and jewelry. My style typically does best with the alternative crowds, but I do have a variety of pieces that can be attractive to anyone.
The majority of my jewelry uses traditional lost wax casting techniques- carving each original piece by hand out of wax, casting it in metal, molding it (so I can reproduce the designs), then injecting the molds with wax, casting those pieces and then finishing every piece by hand. I also use classic fabrication techniques by soldering pieces of metal together to form different designs.
I am most proud of the fact that I am able to make a living selling my art. While it can be difficult, being the sole owner and creator, and choosing which 80 hours a week to work lol, it is incredibly fulfilling going after my dreams of being an artist. I believe my unique and original designs are what sets me apart from others. I have had countless people tell me they’ve never seen anything like the pieces I create and it’s always an awesome comment to receive.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
For anyone just starting out I would check with local small business associations to get started with all of the legal things you need to do to sell your work. There are a lot of permits, licenses and taxes involved behind the scenes and places like these can offer mentors to help get you started.
Once I started doing markets and shows, I was able to talk with people who had been doing what I wanted to do for years. Most people are incredibly helpful and can introduce you to more people and events to apply for. This is where the networking comes in. Find something you want to do and be open to talking to others and taking advice. You can learn so much by seeing what others do and if they can do it, so can you, if you’re willing to work for it.
Pricing:
- $3 Stickers
- $15 Giclee Art Prints
- $115 Bronze Spider Face Ring
- $265 Mini Rose Pendant with Onyx
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sanazarrose.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sanazarrose/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanazarRose/
