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Meet Rachel Moody of Big Sur Inspirations in North of LA

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Moody.

Rachel, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised on the Monterey Peninsula by an artist and teacher. My father is an oil painter and painted every day in his studio next to our house. My mom was always exploring crafts, from spinning and dying to weaving, gardening and painting. She was the teacher known for bringing arts and crafts to the kids, from murals in the classroom to each student getting their own loom and learning how to spin, dye and weave. She taught my sister and I as well. As a young teen, we were road tripping to Montana attending pow wows on the Flathead Reservation, where my mother has family roots…

I was inspired by the head to toe beadwork, started buying seed beads and was hooked. Turns out all of the women in my family (on my mother’s side) did beadwork, crocheted or did doily handwork. Through the years, my love of nature and travel supported collecting treasures from shells to beads in marketplaces in Bangkok, Thailand, Katmandu, Nepal, estate sales and gem shows like Quartzite and Tucson, Arizona. I had the great opportunity in 1998 to open an eclectic shop with two girlfriends and a community of artists. The Big Sur Garden Gallery at Loma Vista. It was an incredible experience. We had over 50 local artists that consigned their work with us. We hosted musical events and had fashion shows and became a hub for locals that wanted to support local arts.

Upon selling the gallery in 2006 so I could have more time for my beadwork, I also created our family business Big Sur Inspirations. I make jewelry and mobiles primarily but have made headdresses, body jewelry for dancers and altars for weddings, really anything imaginable with gemstones, crystals and glass beads. I’m finally getting the time to dive into my creativity and use what I’ve collected. Last fall, I had the honor of hanging a show of my mobiles, garlands and beaded curtains for the holiday decorations at Post Ranch Inn, here in Big Sur. My sister has built us a family website www.bigsurinspirations.com to represent myself, my father, sister and husband’s creative endeavors.

We have been archiving my father’s original oils, watercolors and gyclee prints and have recently created a puzzle and card line with his work. My husband is a retired sandal maker and has started writing and incorporating illustrations my father has done into his books so we are just starting to present those efforts on our website. My sister’s clothing line Sarahndipity is dormant at the moment but has been in the midst of being re-envisioned with sustainability as our core mission. We look forward to printing her art again soon.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like life, we have enjoyed times of smooth sailing and also have had to navigate challenges along the way. Making art comes easiest and is the most enjoyable for me. Bookkeeping, photography, building our website and social media presence are my challenges. I do a lot myself but have learned to get help from experts as often as possible when I feel challenged. Luckily my sister, father, a tech-savvy neighbor and two photographer friends have helped immensely.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Big Sur Inspirations – what should we know?
Big Sur Inspirations showcases my family’s art.

My specialty is beadwork, which ranges from dainty to bold jewelry designs and small to large beaded installations, including mobiles, beaded curtains, wedding altars, etc. I’m best known for my seed beadwork, which is done with tiny glass seed beads, needle and thread. I have created some signature styles, peyote stitching and capping stones and shells. Sometimes I use waxed linen for native style jewelry that is soft and easy to wear. I use wirework, primarily sterling and gold-filled for all sorts of earring styles. I make gemstone and shell button bracelets as well as multi-strand bracelets with leather snap closures my husband makes me. My husband drills many of the stones, shells and glass I use in my jewelry and beaded hanging art. The materials I use have been collected in my world travels, in overseas market places from Thailand, to Nepal, gem shows, etc. I have a wide variety of gemstones, shells, beads and stones, Austrian crystal prisms, African metal and trade beads and lots of Czech glass.

I am proud to have created a puzzle and card line of my father’s realistic artwork of our area.

We are re-imagining my sister and father’s clothing line with sustainability as our core mission. In past, we have done full-color printing of my father’s artwork and more stylistic silkscreening of my sister’s art on comfortable organic clothing.

My husband has re-printed his book “What Happened to Sherlock Holmes as set to rest in The Legend of Wilson, the Amazing Athlete with my father’s illustrations. He has written a second exciting story, fully illustrated by my dad, going to print soon.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Joy.

Pricing:

  • Earrings range from $24-$150
  • Necklaces range $75-whatever your budget allows
  • Mobiles and beaded curtains start at $225 and go to whatever your budget allows.
  • Puzzles range from $34-$36
  • Cards are $3.50 each

Contact Info:

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