Words: Marianne Astrid Close // Main photo: Courtney Hogan by Mae Hartrick
Courtney Hogan is at an exciting time in her long-standing career as a jewellery designer.
Studio awry amidst a move, she’s preparing to take on a full-time role at Linden Cook Jewellery in Melbourne, allowing her to devote more time to her craft. After 10 years of practice, Courtney Hogan Studios is showing no signs of slowing down.
“I feel that over time, my jewellery has become slowly more refined,” Courtney describes.
“It’s grown with me, in a way. It’s well-made, but whimsical. It’s serious, but can be playful at the same time.”
Courtney began her practice in Victoria, first at Melbourne Polytechnic with a short course, followed by RMIT where she completed her Fine Arts Degree, majoring in gold and silversmithing.
“After that first course, I slowly started collecting tools and materials. Expense can be a barrier at the beginning, but if you just take it slow and get one thing at a time, it becomes less intimidating,” Courtney generously explains.
“RMIT allowed me to travel. I was lucky enough to go on exchange to Germany, which was an amazing experience. I hope to do more of that in future, so I keep an eye on residency programs.”
Courtney then moved to Adelaide for the associate program at JamFactory, drawn to the city for the supportive creative community that thrives here.
“People from other cities are often surprised when I speak so highly of the South Australian arts scene,” Courtney says.
“There’s so much room to grow and space to really be yourself. I moved for Jam and found myself welcomed into the long standing but ever growing community there.
“There really is so much talent across the city. I’m such a fangirl of everyone.”
After over three years of building her practice in Adelaide, the decision to move back to Melbourne was not one Courtney took lightly.
“Leaving was a really tough decision and I was very sad to move away, but I felt the time had come to try something still relevant, but new,” she says.
“I told everyone, maybe a little obsessively, that it was just ‘Ciao for now!’ as I’ll be back.”
Courtney is filled with passion when she talks about some of her most meaningful pieces.
“I still have the first few rings I made at Melbourne Polytechnic — it’s three silver bands all looped in together,” Courtney says.
“I’ve also made some really beautiful necklaces for people. There are so many ways that people connect with jewellery.”
The way that we assign meaning to jewellery is what makes it truly special, Courtney explains.
“The first piece I was ever gifted wasn’t precious metal, it was a green plastic Scooby bracelet with a few little beads on it that my best friend gave me when I was in kindy. I still have it, because it means something,” she says.
“I still wear my grandmother’s wedding band, although I’m terrified of losing it,” she laughs.
Her approach to the design process usually starts with stones or sketches, and is inseparable from the person.
“I’ll speak to the client and figure out their style, budget and instructions,” Courtney explains.
“Then I’ll start carving it into wax. If it’s a one-off creative piece, that’s a bit more fluid. I’m excited to work with different shaped stones, like rectangles and pear-shaped gems.”
When feeling overwhelmed or experiencing a creative block, Courtney seeks out the natural world.
“Sometimes just taking a step back can be helpful,” she says.
“Spending time outside, or with friends – I recently joined a soccer team for that reason.”
“Doing something completely different for a while can help you feel refreshed when you do decide to return to the desk.”
Running a creative business is not without challenge, particularly when it comes to the boring stuff.
“I still struggle with things like tax,” she says.
“Connecting the thing that you love making with the customer can be a real challenge. But I consider myself lucky to have found something that I really love doing.”
Courtney admits she’s not immune to big waves of self-doubt, but she’s learning to overcome these.
“It’s a very human thing – to be unsure of ourselves,” she explains.
“I’ve learned that sometimes I will make something, and because I’m seeing it with the same eyes that have seen all the little steps, I don’t view it as amazing work. But other people will tell me that it’s amazing, and I’m surprised by it. We don’t see ourselves very clearly sometimes.”
“Time has eroded my self-doubt in a way. If I was doing something horribly wrong, it would have come up by now, so over time, there’s a confidence that has developed.”
“Running your own business is stressful. Everyone is unsure of themselves, but it’s the human side of making.”
Existing in the design world has occasionally led Courtney beyond jewellery, and into sculpture and furniture design.
“I recently had a table in the group show ‘Dance Machine’ at Household Presents. I found this beautiful piece of scrapped lead-light, and made squiggly legs from copper piping,” she explains.
“I find that the materials or stones really steer the work.”
Courtney is also working on a mirror with ceramicist Lauren Murphy for Adelaide Design Week later this month.
“I can’t wait to share that piece,” she says.
As Courtney’s practice continues to evolve, each piece remains a token of memory, sentiment and slow craft at its core.
Courtney Hogan’s pieces can be found online on her website, or in person at Shop Pond or Jam Factory.
Follow Courtney Hogan Studios on Instagram where you can contact via DMs for customs and commissions.
