Ornament is the leading magazine celebrating wearable art. Explore jewelry, fashion, beads; contemporary, ancient and ethnographic.
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40 ORNAMENT 36.2.2012 and Illustrator, he eventually realized the necessity of freeing himself from this work and passed its responsibility to his assistant Erin Beckman. "Erin is very good at graphics, and with releasing myself from the feeling that I didn't have to have control over everything, she's gained confidence and her work has gotten much better in terms of communicating." With his rolling oral style, flowing through topics of interest, Reyes delivers his often pragmatic wisdom. For those owning a small business, one must be familiar with the potential agony of delegating to others and the worry of letting something integral to the enterprise be placed in someone else's hands. But, as he points out, it is preferable to forcing yourself to do something for which there is a lack of both knowledge and passion. "So I'll stick to what I enjoy best, and I think everybody benefits from fitting into their roles," he summarizes. He tiers his jewelry according to his audience with varying pricing levels. Simply Wood Rings deals only with rings and is attractive to younger buyers. This is where many of his wedding customers come to him. Some of his limited-edition bracelets, necklaces and brooches, for instance, have a higher price point, and are likely to resonate with an older audience. This concept is not new to business, but simply how Reyes employs it in his own life. "I think you do need to," he says. "When I first started I wanted to do one thing, and I was still basing my work off of the belief that the world was one way, and it's not one way. And you don't fit yourself into the world working like that; you fit yourself into the world the way you're comfortable." Over time he has found that having a few lines going is the comfortable balance for him. And while his Simply Wood Rings makes work that sells at a lower price point, he proudly proclaims his audience for it as some of the best customers an artist could wish for. As a self-taught artisan, Reyes has many opinions about the craft artist's dilemma, namely the importance of having self-respect. Especially for those first starting out, there is a tremendous pressure in having to make a living from one's creations. The urge to just "do work that sells" is really a fear-based reaction, bringing the proverbial walls and ceiling closer. Resisting takes courage, endurance and, in practical terms, 'the big break' that recognition brings. However, having gone through several levels of experience, Reyes is stalwart in his support of artists who are in that more uncertain intermediate stage of growth. "I get excited by being able to show young artists work and by encouraging them to continue, because so many artists think of what they do as a second job or something that they can't do as a primary living, and they can!" His own story of success began with his involvement with Etsy, the online do-it-yourself (DIY) craft store. Reyes joined Etsy when it was only five months old, certainly a different creature than what it is today. "I couldn't pay the mortgage; I was borrowing money," Reyes says. "I put a couple of things on Etsy, sold them, and then the owner emailed me. His name was Rob Kalin, and he says, 'Hey, how would you like to be Top: TREFOIL NOT of cherry wood, Limited Edition Bracelet Collection, 8.25 x 8.25 x 1.9 centimeters, 2012. ORGANIC COIL of hickory, Limited Edition Bracelet Collection, 7.62 x 12.7 x 7.62 centimeters, 2010. Photographs: Erin Beckman. TURQUOISE EARRING of walnut, turquoise, sterling silver, 6.35 x 3.81 x .635 centimeters, 2011. Photograph: Parveer Sohal.