LAURINBURG — Art and science might seem like two subjects on complete opposite sides of the spectrum, but for one local artist they come together perfectly in the form of wearable art.
Jennifer McRae is a familiar face to most people in the community — a 1994 Scotland High School graduate, former art teacher for Scotland County Schools and current marketing manager for the Laurinburg/Scotland County Area Chamber of Commerce — but recently she’s added something new to her artistic career: acrylic pour earrings.
“I’ve been fascinated with acrylic pour for years because it’s a science,” McRae said. “Working with how different chemicals affect the paint — some colors float to the top and you can never get the same result twice — it’s fascinating to me.”
While acrylic pour might be a popular form of art and relaxation, the earrings, specifically canvas ones, are something McRae hasn’t been able to find anywhere else. Initially, she didn’t have any intention of creating them.
“I had done a pour and the center of the canvas was gorgeous but the outside had cracked and didn’t look great,” McRae said. “So I took the canvas off the stretcher and cut out the middle — and for a while, I was trying to figure out what to do with it. Then I was putting on my leather earrings made by Erin (Rembert) and thought I could try that.”
McRae made the earrings for herself and was given so many compliments she ended up making some for friends and family. After a few months of testing out the earrings for durability, she decided to begin making and selling them.
“They can’t be duplicated so they’re one of kind,” McRae said. “A lot of time and thought goes into the earrings. I do the pour then I look at the canvas and think shapes and find the interesting bits and how the shape would fit around the piece.”
The earrings range in sizes from petite to large, with some having beads attached to them as well. None of the beads McRae buys come in bulk and range from glass to wood, and she’s now adding lava beads.
“I’ve just started using the lava beads and you can put essential oils on them as well,” McRae said. “So you can have that calming scent with you all day.”
Since beginning to sell the jewelry in February, McRae has sold between 150 to 200 sets of earrings online and at art festivals. The pieces range from $18 to $20.
Most recently the earrings have been added to the gallery at One of a Kind in Southern Pines. McRae said that when she made that first set of earrings, she had no clue she’d be getting such great reviews and had recently been talking to her husband about the success.
“Jonathan said, ‘remember when you were questioning if it would work and now as soon as you post it sells?’” McRae said. “As an artist, it’s very validating to have such a positive response and for people to be so supportive.”
While McRae won’t be doing too many art shows over the summer she has several booked for the fall — including The Crafty Llama in Winston-Salem in November. Recently she has been at SpringFest in Laurinburg, LaurelFest in Laurel Hill and Spring Spree in Aberdeen.
“I think one of the best things is people coming up to me and saying that the only reason they came was for my earrings,” McRae said. “That’s really validating for me because it means people are really enjoying my work.”
While McRae might seem to be busy working on her earrings, she’s still offering classes for people to learn about acrylic pour; she also offers birthday parties and private parties to teach the pouring.
“Anyone can do it, from children to adults,” McRae said. “My boys love to come in the studio and create with me, and they’ll pick out colors that I wouldn’t even think about. I’ll think that they won’t go together at all, then they turn out into something amazing.”
The process of acrylic pour is close to meditation, according to McRae. She says it doesn’t take much to create something beautiful, though it does create a mess.
“Kids are always like, ‘this is so cool,’ but I think they like how messy it is,” McRae said. “You can’t do it wrong, and it’s a huge confidence booster because there’s always someone in the class that will say to someone else that it looks really cool. But it is such a relaxer for adults and it allows your brain to shut off for a little bit because you don’t have to think about it.”
After the classes are over, typically those who attend end up with one to three finished pieces that are delivered to them by McRae a few days later, since the pours typically take 48 hours to dry completely.
“What ends up on the finished canvas is a reflection of your emotions,” McRae said, “because you will pick certain colors based on how you feel. But almost everyone who has attended has said they’ve enjoyed it and it’s been relaxing.”
To learn more about McRae’s work, visit her Facebook page at McRae Design, where she posts first-chance glimpses of pieces of her work, as well as on her website (mcraedesign.com) where you can purchase pieces or book a private class or birthday party.
Reach Katelin Gandee at 910-506-3171 or at [email protected]
