Meet Rosalie Jade Tanzillo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rosalie Jade Tanzillo.

Hi Rosalie Jade, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Creating has always been a part of me. I have always loved working with my hands and grew up exploring different mediums of art; everything from oil painting and natural dye to cooking and gardening. Through all of my creative endeavors, jewelry and oil painting are forms that I always come back to. While I was studying art history at UCLA, I took a few beginning classes at local jewelry shops in Venice, where I learned the basics of soldering and eventually, wax casting. I bought my own tools and created a little studio in my house. At first, I was obsessed with metal smithing and stone setting. But eventually, although I found it extremely frustrating at first, I fell in love with lost wax casting. I have kind of created my own method of how I get to the final wax mold, and somehow it works for me. It feels like painting but with wax. Fast forward a few years, jewelry and painting are still my passions, I own Rosalie Jade Jewelry and I design full-time for a fine jewelry line, Audry Rose Jewelry.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The challenge has always been finding the right medium to express what’s on my mind in a way that feels beautiful and authentic to me. There are so many ideas floating around inside of me and actually bringing them to fruition in the right way can be challenging.

A beautiful lesson that I have learned is in patience and in contrast, acceptance. If a piece doesn’t come out the way, you pictured, sometimes you have to be patient enough to start from scratch. Other times, you accept the beauty in the imperfection of a piece and realize it is exactly what it is supposed to be.

I also struggle with the balance between organic imperfection and keeping pieces clean. I prefer to lean into imperfection but at times I feel like I should be more scrupulous with my work.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a visual artist: a jewelry designer/maker and a painter. I specialize in the medium of lost wax casting, which allows me to create wax molds for jewelry through a method that feels like painting. The lost wax casting method is a process of dripping hot wax onto a wax sheet and creating my design from there through building up the wax and carving into the wax. Once I create a wax mold, I have it casted into metal.

I draw inspiration from natural textures and organic forms like rocks, shells, mountains, plants, celestial objects and the female form. I also get very inspired by other forms of art, like painting, ceramics, architecture and textiles. Living in Topanga Canyon, held by the mountains, trees and ocean, I am constantly inspired by all of the beauty that surrounds me.

Creating pieces of jewelry through this method sets my work apart from others in that it is unique to my body and my hand creating it. There is nothing uniform about it.

The fact that these delicate artworks get to become heirlooms carrying a piece of a soul, embodiments of memories, objects holding emotions and energy and objects that make us feel beautiful make them the most special form of artwork to me.

I am most proud of the commitment I have inherently made to art throughout my entire life. I have always put my heart and soul into creating, even when I was in school or had three jobs at once. That commitment has led me to become a full-time artist, which is something I never thought could be possible.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I took the COVID era as a beautiful time to go inward, create, connect with nature and evaluate what is most important in my life. I learned a lesson in the importance of resetting and slowing down. I think everyone did.

Contact Info:

• Website: rosaliejade.com
• Instagram: @mielitarosita, @rosaliejadejewelry

Image Credits
Lucette Romy Mara Whitehead Abby Gordon