Meet Makenzie Pope, Senior Designer
You know you have a creative genius on your staff when she tells you as a young kid she and her sister used to make stop motion pictures using nail polish as characters. That takes an innovative spirit and some incredible imagination. While we don’t make stop motion pictures at HeidiJHale we do love what Makenzie Pope, Senior Designer, brings to the table. Makenzie is best known for her geometric style jewelry as well as her natural designs.
In 2010, Makenzie got her degree in fine arts with a concentration in metals from Ball State University and has been working with us since July of 2015. She recalls that some of her first memories as an artist were as a ten year old begging her extremely talented cousin to teach her to draw. She shifted her focus to metals in college after learning more in one of her first classes. She was completely enthralled with the various aspects of metalworking – the use of heat and fire, the welding, the intensity, and the chemistry that goes into it all.
In 2010, Makenzie got her degree in fine arts with a concentration in metals from Ball State University and has been working with us since July of 2015. She recalls that some of her first memories as an artist were as a ten year old begging her extremely talented cousin to teach her to draw. She shifted her focus to metals in college after learning more in one of her first classes. She was completely enthralled with the various aspects of metalworking – the use of heat and fire, the welding, the intensity, and the chemistry that goes into it all.
When you look at Makenzie’s jewelry, it’s easy to see she loves shapes and symmetry. Her love of patterns really comes out in her designs and is especially prevalent in her Shapes of Style jewelry. She says these remind her of lead glass windows which she’s extremely fond of. If that didn’t convince you enough, most days Makenzie is in one of her signature plaid shirts. When she’s not going for that geometric style, she’s creating more natural designs such as her Silver Branch Necklace and Silver Petal Necklace.
Silver Petal Necklace
Like most of the artisans at HeidiJHale, her mornings are typically filled with working through production orders for our personalized jewelry items like Say it on a Ring™. In the afternoon she works on her new designs, enhances old designs, and collaborates with Heidi and our team of artisans. “One of my favorite parts about working here is the freedom we get to be artists. Heidi is a constant positive reinforcement and the environment of the studio is fun and positive. We really enjoy what we do here and I really love how Heidi has helped me grow as an artist.”
Makenzie’s pieces have become extremely popular in our studio where most of them are sold. Since so many of her designs complement each other, she has return customers wanting to add to their collection. “It’s incredible when someone buys one of my designs. It’s like making a personal connection with them, especially when they purchase multiple items you’ve created. It tells you that your artistic style fits their personal style and I love it when that happens.” We couldn’t agree more with Makenzie because when you buy these handmade pieces, you are not only reaffirming her ability to create amazing jewelry but also giving back to the arts community as a whole. That is the kind of connection we live for.
The Ruby Squared Necklace, part of Makenzie’s Shapes of Style line.