Prom Queen

TokyoXIII X Chicken n Grits (Interview)

I find it hard to describe Rae Rawls due to the fact that she is never the same person twice. I often tell friends that she is a modern day Billie Holiday with tattoos. She has been everything from the vocals for a rock band to social activist on the front lines, from educator to a member of TokyoXIII(Rule #1 is you don't talk about...).I had the chance to have a sit down with her and talk about Chicken n Grits, her jewelry line that is all hand made and her creation.

1. What inspires you when creating your jewelry pieces?
I like bright, shiny things. And chains…I'm really into chains and metal. I'm fascinated by the Japanese aesthetic of wabi sabi, and I wish I could say that the art and jewelry that I make reflected that aesthetic. I'm not sure what the opposite of wabi sabi is, but that's probably what my aesthetic is. Everything I do is kind of busy.

2. Is jewelry the only art medium that you work in?
It's the main thing I'm working on lately, but I've always loved painting and collage. Oh, and decoupage.

3. What's the story behind the name Chicken N Grits?
No story…I just like to eat chicken and grits for breakfast. And dinner.

4. Are you from Washington DC?
Nope.  I'm from Flint, Michigan. I've lived in the DC area since 2002.

5. I had the honor of doing Takoma Park Jazz Fest with you. Was that your first show like that? And did you learning anything from it?
Okay, first thing I learned is that if I EVER think I'm going to set up a booth again, I need to have an umbrella. That sun was no joke.
It was a lot of fun though, but I see now that being a successful seller is an art AND a science. First, I'd like to have more stuff to sell, be more personable, create a space for people to enter rather than just having a bunch of jewelry just laid out on a table. Presentation makes a HUGE difference. I also noticed that little girls seem to have the same eye for bright shiny things that I do, so if I were to do it again, I'd probably make a few pieces for little wrists and necks.
 
6. I see a lot of jewelry sellers at craft shows, what do you feel separates you from the others?

SHHhhh

7. Your pieces have a jazzy, blues feel to it. Is that what you're listening to?
I've always enjoyed jazz and blues, but I've been listening to a lot of fado music lately. It's a beautiful Portuguese musical genre with North African influences. Fado means "fate" or "destiny" and the lyrics and singing are generally very dramatic. I love listening to that while I'm making jewelry.
I also love watching horror movies while I'm making jewelry, so I don't really know what that says about me.

8. Are your parents creative or artistic?
In a way. My mom is crafty…she's a manic crocheter, and my dad is really into music. I have a lot of musicians in my family, come to think of it. But there's no one in my family who does any visual fine arts.

9. Has art always been part of your life?
BIG YES. I remember being a kid, spending summers at my grandmother's house. I'd watch Bob Ross on PBS in the mornings and try to emulate everything he did. I even went to JoAnn Fabrics and bought myself a fan brush so I could paint "happy little trees." I bought tubes of yellow ochre.
I dabbled in beading, but I didn't truly discover jewelry making until a couple of years ago. But I did a lot of collage and decoupage during my middle school/high school years. My favorite artists back then were Romare Bearden, Betye Saar, Frida Kahlo.

10. Where can people go to buy your jewelry?
I have an Etsy shop (www.chickenngrits.etsy.com) but I have to admit it's badly maintained. I have a blog that I update whenever I make something new (www.chickenngrits.blogspot.com).

11. Any last words?
SHHHhhh

We Fresh 2 Def Artshow!

Dope artshow at the West Baltimore Center for Urban Art featureing local artist from the DMV area. A tribute to hip hop culture. Funny story if the first piece I sent up there was a custom vinyl toy called a Munny™ it got lost in the mail..lol..to this day I don't know where it is. I sent another piece("End Games" Acrylic on canvas $300) this time I painting and It made it up there safe and sound, and from what I hear it was getting a lot of looks..lol