Handcrafted in Hawaii: Joanna Hernandez – Her Path to Becoming a Mixed Metal Artist

Waimanalo, HI – Joanna Hernandez, a fixture of the local handcrafting community in Hawaii, has spent over 30 years exploring her fascination for culture by creating contemporary designs in mixed metal jewelry. Though her creations are in demand in galleries and stores throughout the islands, you can still find her booth set-up at popular festivals around the islands where folks continue to seek her out, to see what new designs she has to offer.

She took a leap and applied for membership with the Pacific Handcrafter’s Guild. This juried group put on the first craft fairs in Honolulu at Thomas Square Park. Things began to get busy, and with the help of her husband at the time, she was able to quit waiting tables and focus full-time on her jewelry making. So, how does a mother of two find time to create and start a business while raising children? For Joanna, it was working while the kids were at school and the help of some all-nighters. She says, “I realized early on that it’s not necessary to be a slave to your business. I had to learn to balance the self-discipline of working on getting things done but, at the same time, being disciplined to stop working, make food, drink a glass of wine, and enjoy the evening with my family.”

Finding her work/life balance early-on paid off, and she enjoys seeing how the artistic spirit has passed on through her children. Joanna’s oldest son Eli Clemens is a percussionist with the locally renowned music group Quadraphonix. Her other son Sam Clemens always shared her talents in the visual arts. He joined her at festivals in the past to sell his creations: carved drums, ceramics, and fine art paintings. He’s currently building a name for himself making paddles, boats, surfboards, and boards for the latest trend – hydro-surfing.

With child-rearing long behind her and now a grandmother, Joanna continues to create as she has her whole life. Over the years, she has intentionally kept her production small, choosing to focus on simplicity. She says she has always opted for a simple lifestyle that would allow her family to live a good life. Her style of jewelry design was born from this philosophy. She keeps her designs and production uncomplicated and still has her hands on every piece of jewelry she makes. “You don’t have to complicate designs or processes, thinking it will make something better. For me, keeping it simple is the best part of it,” she says.

Inspiration for her work, she draws from the beauty of the world around her. She remembers as a child how she was fascinated by the images in National Geographic magazines of African women adorned with beautiful large pieces of jewelry. Now, as an artist, she strives to create her own style of ethnic jewelry without categorizing her work into specific cultural genres, developing something world influenced yet uniquely her own.

Throughout the evolution of her work, Joanna has tried many things, always modifying the ideas that worked. Until finally refining her efforts into the three distinct lines of jewelry designs she now focuses on:

The ‘Island Traditions’ line features themes of florals, fauna, and the natural world of Hawaii. The ‘Images’ line explores cultural inspirations from around the world that people can connect with universally. The ‘Concepts’ line leaves out etched designs and focuses on simplicity, intertwining the beauty of different metals and patina finishes. The three jewelry lines offer a variety that appeals to different tastes. Yet, all share a commonality in design that has become her signature style.

At seventy-two years of age, Joanna has no intention of slowing down. She keeps busy supplying her designs to galleries on all of the Hawaiian islands, boutiques, and even the department store giant Macy’s. In addition, she plans to continue setting up shop at select events throughout the year, such as the Merrie Monarch and Made in Hawaii festivals saying, “Why would I want to stop doing this and do nothing? At this point in my career and life, I’m just thankful that I can continue. As long as my hands work, my eyes work, and I can still offer a product, why would I want to do anything else?”

She reflects with gratitude on the respect and appreciation she receives from the handcrafting scene as an elder. Return customers seek her out. They’re happy to see she’s still there, and feel they’ve been a part of her growth over time. One of her favorite experiences (and the best compliment she can get) is when someone approaches her to share how the jewelry they bought years ago is still wearable.

“I’m young at heart,” she states, ” I don’t do all the things people my age are supposed to do to try and stay young. I believe that my work compensates for that by allowing me to feel a part of something where I can share a part of my soul and spirit with my community, and that makes me happy and sustains me.”

by Erica McMillan