Meet Amber Ruston

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amber Ruston. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Amber, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

Growing up, my purpose was just as unclear to me as it was clear. Clear, because I’ve known since the first time that I was asked the question, “what do you want to do when you grow up” that I wanted to create. The reason it was unclear, however, was that “Artist” was the only form of creation I really knew at such a young age. I thought “art” was only painting and drawing, and when I couldn’t quite grasp these skills, I abandoned the idea entirely. My desire to create after that came slowly to me in many forms, mainly in photography and writing. Eventually, when deciding on a college, I applied to several schools for English, and just because I could, one school for photography. The plan was not actually to go to art school, but it didn’t hurt to apply and take a tour. I don’t even remember making the decision, one second I was walking the building and the next I was signing my enrollment forms.
It took one month to realize photography wasn’t the right fit for me.
And you’d think that I’d have a huge dilemma, deciding that a single month in after I chose it over a different degree. But I didn’t, and just as easily as I decided to go to art school, I decided to switch art paths. All it took was a few classes of metalsmithing. Making jewelry finally felt like the creating I was supposed to do, like I was becoming the artist I had declared I’d be in kindergarten. It didn’t come easy, per se, but it did come naturally. Whatever I’m making with metal, whether it be my personal kinetic work or engagement rings, I feel a much deeper sense of purpose.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My work focuses on encouraging curiosity and exploration through kinetic jewelry pieces. I completed a BFA in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design at Maine College of Art & Design as of May 2023. During my time there, I worked teaching teens basic metalsmithing techniques at Camp Fernwood, learned jewelry repair as an intern at Day’s Jewelers, and worked part-time as a gallery sales consultant at Maine Craft Portland, immersed within Maine’s craft community.
In my personal practice, I work with brass most often, using powder coating to bring color into the work and fiber elements to bring comfort and approachability. I use my work as a grounding point, both for myself with the physical making of the pieces, as well as for the wearer.
Today, I am mostly focused on building my career as a bench jeweler and work towards building a studio for myself. I find immense beauty in being able to be a part of someone’s love story in the form of engagement rings and wedding bands that they’ll wear and cherish daily.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

To be an artist, I find these three qualities help the most:
First, you have to be open to the possibilities. Sometimes, your work dictates what it will be, listen to it. I find fighting it into submission is harder than seeing what it can turn into. This might feel a little messy. Let it be a little messy.
Similarly, you have to know how and when to take a critique. Learn who you trust to give you honest feedback that will genuinely improve your work. Some people feel obligated to say something, even if the change they suggest won’t impact the perception or quality of the work. Take every critique, never brush it off, but always think it over critically,
Finally, accept that no art piece is truly ever finished, but that there is a time and stage that it must be presented. If we are overly critical, and spend too much energy on perceived mistakes, we’ll never find the end. Sometimes mistakes end up being the best part of a piece, but most of the time somebody else will have to see it in order for you to see it as well.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

Most of my friends from school and I have one big thing in common: we’re all struggling to create. Or at least, have been since college ended. The burn out from spending 4 years doing nothing but creating, with every project seeming to be the most important for our final grade, has created an anxiety and inability to create that I have personally felt and seen among my fellow classmates. I’ve noticed, however, an uptick recently in work being posted to social media and among our group chats. It feels as if two years must have been enough to get us all back on track, or some other phenomenon I’m not aware of. Luckily for them, most of them are illustrators or in fields that are relatively easy do without many tools or with tools they already own. I, on the other hand, have slowly been building up pieces of my own studio, but it takes many (Expensive) tools to create with metal. So in the meantime, I’ve been focusing my creativity on other, more accessible, mediums such as sewing, drawing, and writing. My job keeps my hands working with metal so I don’t forget all of the skills I’ve learned. This is the most important part of getting through post art school block, keep creating in whatever small ways you can, and eventually you’ll get back to where you were, even if it takes awhile.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: ruston_metals