Many of us come to Florence Italy for very specific reasons; for some it is to study art and history for others it is the language, or the food and wine, (not a bad reason) or simply to enjoy the many pleasures of this amazing city. Often times however, we find something we were not expecting and remain much longer than originally planned.  This could not be more true for Joy Franklin of A Thousand Joys.

After receiving her B.F.A in studio art from Adrian College in Michigan where she focused on ceramic and porcelain, Joy came to Florence to further her studies at SACI (Studio Art Centers International) where she began experimenting with mixed media and terra cotta, which literally translates to cooked earth and has its beginnings right here in Tuscany. As an extra course Joy took a jewelry class at Art Fuji Studio and immediately fell in love and “knew it was what I wanted to do with my life” 

And speaking of love…….only two weeks after her arrival, Joy met her fiancé Francesco (they are adorable together!) and then as she says, the rest in history!  (it happens to the best of us!)  That was 5 years ago.  From there Joy moved on to become a teacher assistant at Art Fuji Studio, which also allows her to spend time working on her own jewelry designs. 

Joy has set up her shop on Etsy, which she calls A Thousand Joys (such a great name!)  Here you can read a little bit more about Joy in her own words including a wonderful explanation of how she came up with the name for her designs, which is more than meets the eye. (Very clever little Joy!)

“Growing up in Michigan, I spent my summers camping in the U.P., collecting rocks on the beach and seed pods in the woods. I could spend hours examining the things I collected, studying  all the tiny little details. It amazed me how the littlest things in nature could be so beautiful and intricate.  So complex that it makes you realize everything has its purpose.

 Art has always been my life. I cant live without creating with my hands. My passion for art started with clay. I graduated with a B.F.A in sculpture in Michigan, then furthered my studies in New York and Maine. And then I decided to study in Italy where I fell in love with jewelry making.

  Living in Italy for the past 5 years now, my obsession with nature and all its detail makes sense. I live in the heart of the Renaissance where their obsession with the details of nature cover every door, window and ceiling. I love historical ornament because it celebrates the minute beauty of life. I try to capture this in my own work and hope that it reminds you to appreciate the "thousands of joys" that are hidden in nature.”

.........ahhhhh it all makes sense now! 

Here is the link to Joy’s Etsy shop.  You can also become a fan of A Thousand Joys on Facebook. 

All of Joy's pieces are hand crafted using sterling silver.  Her process involves drawing out a design (she says this is ALWAYS her first step) and then she hand cuts and shapes each piece individually, no molds are used and even though some designs are repeated they are never exactly the same making her work unique and of superior hand crafted quality.  

 I have personally known Joy for a few months now and have had the pleasure of participating in a few craft fairs with her and I can say that she truly is a "joy" to be around!

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you enjoyed meeting this very talented artist and friend. 

A presto!