Today we’d like to introduce you to Cat Widner.
Hi Cat, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
The desert winds dance through the long stems of the creosote, kissing the sandstone walls, swooping over the rivers as they carve the canyons, swirling over the globemallow and sage to meet the yucca as it blooms. The prickly pear has reached out to touch the prairie fire paintbrush as the woman dissolves into the land.
Cat Widner’s work is derived from the land, each bead a metaphor for the grains of desert sand, the colors reflecting those we see outside, each metal piece formed to carry the organic and geometric shapes we find in nature. Her desire to create is intrinsic, it is a necessity. It belongs in the space between human and nature, it speaks to the connection, the relationship, and the love that lives there.
Honeysuckle Handmade Studio is a vehicle for ART AS ACTIVISM. Those who support this business and support her in turn support non-profits that focus on social and environmental justice. These are two aspects of life that Cat feels a lot of passion for and believe in wholeheartedly. Widner’s jewelry, books, artwork, and accessories are all made with a strong concept and a lot of love and care.
Cat’s efforts to keep her art practice aligned with a sustainable approach to making pushes her to source materials from other small businesses, use high-quality materials, and shop local when possible. She volunteers in organizing two local art markets in SLC. Cat loves cultivating relationships with the maker community and feel so lucky to be part of it.
Art has always been an essential part of Cat’s life, through childhood and now. She had the pleasure of attending the University of Tennessee, Knoxville to earn her MS in Teacher Education and BFA in Printmaking and Drawing, with a minor in Art History. She was an art teacher for 8 years, stepping away in 2020 to pursue Honeysuckle Handmade Studio as her full-time job.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nothing has been smooth but it has been so worth it. Learning the ins and outs of running a small business while being an artist is complex. My art brain often pushes back against what “business” brain needs. It’s always a wild ride in the studio.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My work explores many mediums including jewelry, drawing, printmaking and a little digital design. My BFA undergraduate degree in printmaking has strongly influenced my work throughout the last 16 years. Honeysuckle Handmade Studio is known for handmade jewelry varying from handwoven glass beads, etched earrings, and some metalsmithing.
What are your plans for the future?
This year, my bestie and I opened a bookstore, The Recommend, in my studio in the Baldwin Radio Factory in Millcreek, UT. My focus has been on cultivating a space for the community and curating books, art and more. This has been so fun and challenging learning how to balance running two small businesses. The Recommend Bookstore is also a home for my jewelry to be available to the public in person which is a new way for customers to have access to my work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.honeysucklehandmadestudio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeysucklehandmadestudio?igsh=eHZ5b3V0Zm50Zjh0
