Meet Erin Proctor of Saturn 5 Studio and Cat Upon Anvil in Orange County

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Proctor.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I discovered metalsmithing by accident about halfway through college at Cal State Long Beach. I originally thought I was going to be a photography major, but everything changed in the beginning sculpture class where I was assigned to re-create a household object in my choice of metal, paper, or fabric. I chose metal and made a reproduction of a Zippo lighter out of copper. This was before I knew anything about working with metals, so the whole thing is cut out with tin snips and glued together! It worked, though, and when I lit that thing up in class the professor recommended that I check out the Metals Program. I fell in love with this medium right away and ended up with a BFA in Metals & Jewelry. I discovered a secondary passion when I started teaching in 2010 and officially launched Saturn 5 Studio in 2012 and have been making and teaching metal art full time ever since.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road at all. I think struggle is inevitable for an artist. Creativity and inspiration doesn’t just flow freely all the time. For me, it comes in waves or in random moments. It feels so good when I’m in the Zone and am able to get completely engrossed in an idea and I’m able to tune everything else out and focus completely on a new project. Once it’s done, though, that could be it for months, and you can’t really make a living that way so I make up for it by offering custom pendants and rings that are popular on Etsy and also with teaching. I genuinely LOVE teaching, especially to beginning students who might not have felt like they could ever do anything creative. They force me to think and re-think about tools and techniques that someone at my level would normally take for granted and it helps me to keep learning and considering new ways to do things and new ways to explain and understand my craft.

Covid-19 has presented yet another struggle as all of the venues I regularly teach at have had to close down, some permanently. Metalsmithing is a difficult art form to teach online, especially with beginner students who don’t have their own tools or a good workspace. I’ve been working closely with fellow board members of the Metal Arts Society of Southern California to create some fun online discussions and workshops for the local metalsmithing community, which has been really uplifting during this pandemic situation, and I’ve also been working with another local nonprofit to put together art kits for families in need of a creative escape.

Please tell us more about your art.
My main business is Saturn 5 Studio and under that name, I offer art jewelry and custom wearables often inspired by mid-century modern aesthetics, aviation and space exploration. I also offer private, group and corporate classes in jewelry making and in a couple of abstract paintings techniques.

As the COVID craziness unfolded this Spring, I was inspired to start a clothing and accessory line for fellow metalsmithing-crazy-cat-people. This new venture is called Cat Upon Anvil. Each piece features one of our rescued feral cats and all proceeds help to feed and care for the wayward cats in my neighborhood. I’m really dedicated to TNR (trap-neuter-return) and our efforts have really helped the homeless cat population on our street.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I think Southern California is a terribly expensive place to try and live as an artist. On the other hand, we have a lot of places to learn, vendors to get materials in all sorts of mediums, really great art fairs, galleries, niche shops and markets and good weather year-round so if you can find a place to live, there are a lot of good resources at your fingertips. I don’t think I would recommend anybody move here to start out, however, it would just be too expensive. Affordable housing, access to healthcare and better wages in relation to the cost of living are all huge things that need to be addressed to help make things better.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.saturn5studio.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @saturn5studio
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/ClassesWithErin/
• Other: @catuponanvil

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