Home & Garden
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Nov
1Silver Scholar: Kaminer Haislip
With her South Carolina drawl, shiny blonde locks and petite frame, it’s easy to mistake Kaminer Haislip for a typical southern belle – and if you did, you wouldn’t be the first. “In high school, I wanted to learn how to weld, so I took an industrial tech class,” Haislip recalls. “I was the only girl in there with all the boys. They wanted to lift everything and do it all for me, but I wanted to learn how to do it myself.”
This passion, curiosity and drive helped propel Haislip into a successful career as a silversmith. Today, she creates everything from custom-commissioned Christmas ornaments to elaborate bowls, vases and teapots.
Image Source: Amy Carniol
She expertly crafts all of her products by hand using traditional techniques she learned while earning her Bachelors and Masters degrees at Winthrop College in Rock Hill, SC. After school, Haislip headed south to Charleston, a city she now calls home. Her studio sits nestled inside Redux Contemporary Art Center, a collective space where artists work, interact and create.
A quick inspection of Haislip’s space-within-the-space makes it clear that the world around her informs the style and form of her pieces. One wall showcases a collection of photos from Santorini, Greece, where she honeymooned with her husband in 2008. The colors and shapes that characterize her most recent jewelry collection take their cues from domed rooftops and deep blue in the images.
As she explains how she makes her vision come to life, Haislip seamlessly handles a series of oddly shaped tools as if they are an extension of her own hand. In fact, construction and formation are virtually in her blood. Her parents own a hardware store in Aiken, SC – a third-generation family business where Haislip spent a great deal of time during her childhood. Working in the hardware store spawned her interest in tools, equipment and how things are made.
Image Source: Paul Cheney of JWKPEC
Recalling her days in the store, Haislip smiles. Without a hint of hesitation, she states simply, “I knew many moons ago that this is what I wanted to do.”
See Kaminer’s beautiful work in the Fall/Winter Slow Living Market – including this heirloom Silver Snowflake Ornament (only 2 available).
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