Meet Zach Wright

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zach Wright.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
As a young child, I would always come home with my pockets filled with rocks. That hasn’t changed. I’ve always thought it to be magical how the earth creates these beautiful specimens and hides them for us to find. I felt like a treasure hunter. The first time I realized that one could collect rocks for a living was around the time of my 18th birthday. I stumbled upon an estate sale of a man who had been a lapidarist and jewelry designer. I was there for almost 4 hours, picking the brain of the estate salesman, who was an avid mineral collector himself. He became my mentor. I worked for his small business for the next three years, learning how to identify minerals. This was my first exposure to the life of an entrepreneur. Soon thereafter, I discovered that mineralogy doesn’t have to be an obscure hobby of self-proclaimed “rock hounds” – everyone likes rocks when they’re set in gold and silver. I taught myself how to cut stones with lapidary equipment, and how to wire-wrap them into jewelry. I started making things out of recycled materials such as the copper from a discarded blender on the side of the road, for example. Once I had made enough money, I was able to start purchasing nicer materials, such as sterling silver, argentium silver, and gold-fill. At the time, my style was pretty rudimentary. But the more I practiced, the better I got. I started getting compliments and gaining confidence as my pieces got more elegant and precise. Eventually, however, I hit a wall, where there wasn’t much more I could learn on my own. This was about two and a half years ago. I decided to take classes at Creative Side Jewelry Academy, where I learned a brand new set of skills centered around silversmithing. With this new skill set, I was able to refine my designs and elevate my style to a whole new level. Within the past year, I started my LLC, Rockcycled, the name being an homage to my roots.

Please tell us about your art.
The majority of my jewelry features natural gems and minerals, which is my true passion. I try to shy away from intricate designs because I feel they take away from the natural beauty of the stone. Mother nature is a talented artist whose work often speaks for itself. I want my jewelry to be like an elegant picture frame, and so I focus on minimalism. I hand-pick all of the stones that I use. A lot of them I have dug myself, straight out of the dirt. Recently, for example, I went to the Hallelujah Junction, Nevada mine and excavated a bunch of quartz and smokey quartz crystal. I also buy rough material from mom-and-pop rock shops locally and from different parts of the country. I like to support those other small businesses that are trying to make it in the gem collecting world. I then cut and polish the stones by hand. There is a lot of love that is put into each piece. Everything that I make is one-of-a-kind.

We often hear from artists that being an artist can be lonely. Any advice for those looking to connect with other artists?
That’s true, being an artist can be incredibly lonely, since you’re working for yourself and by yourself most of the time. It’s easy to take for granted the social benefits that people get from working a regular 9-5. Find a community wherever you can, even if it’s just working on your art in a coffee shop. Facebook forums are great too. Spread Love Through Art is one group chat I’ve been a part of lately which is composed primarily of jewelry artists but other artists as well. People will share random tidbits of what they’ve been up to lately. Also, joining a studio can be a huge game changer. After I completed some classes at Creative Side Jewelry Academy, I became a member and am now a part-time studio assistant with them as well. It makes the work so much better when you are sharing space with other people.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I always appreciate followers on Facebook (page name Rockcycled) and Instagram (zacharysilverfoot). I’ve been getting a lot of love and support from some great people on those platforms. Lately, I’ve been focused on creating content which educates people on lapidary work and demonstrates my making process. I have some instructional videos on my website as well (www.rockcycled.com). The videos, especially the live feeds on social media, are raw and messy, which I like. It shows what it’s really like to do what I do, and all of the work that is put in, rather than just showing off the pretty and polished finished product. If you visit my website, you can also sign up on my mailing list. I send out a newsletter every month with updates on new products, upcoming events, and anything else exciting going on. You can check out my products on my online store on my website and on Amazon handmade (store name Rockcycled). You can also find me vending at events in the Austin and surrounding areas. I’m hoping to be at the Mardi Gras Artisan Show on the San Antonio Riverwalk in March and at the Old Settler’s Music Festival in Tilmon, TX in April. I’m also at Uncommon Object’s monthly Uncommon Flea, the last Sunday of each month in Austin.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rockcycled.com
• Email: zachwright132@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zacharysilverfoot/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zacharysilverfoot/
• Other:https://www.amazon.com/handmade/Rockcycled?ref=hnd_dp_smp_img_c

Image Credit:
Robyn Brush

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