5.03.2013

Inspired By: Julie Cohn (And Another Killer Giveaway)





(Photos by the amazing Elizabeth Lavin for D Moms)

Friends, it's time for another "Inspired By" post, and this time the object of my creative affection is the amazing Julie Cohn.

There are very few woman that inspire me (both creatively and as a mother) like Julie does. An accomplished artist and designer, her compelling (and intensely beautiful) work ranges from public art, textiles, painting, and, most recently, a line of organic, sculptural jewelry that I am completely and totally obsessed with. Full stop. Her taste is impeccable and her aesthetic sensibility otherworldly.

Julie also possesses an honesty about her journey as a mother that is refreshing, and, well...necessary. Every time we spend time together I am fortified. I am lucky to call her a friend, and I am thrilled that she's agreed to share some of her creative inspirations here with us this week.

I'm also thrilled that she's agreed to do a little giveaway (as her jewelry needs to be out in the world).

Just leave a comment on this post about what inspires you creatively by midnight on Tuesday, May 7, and I'll announce winner on my Wednesday "Loving List" to receive Julie's gorgeous "Cup" ring.

So, without further ado herewith Julie's inspirations.



  1. Creative Fodder: I'm intrigued by this lily that opened from the sides rather than the top. The petals had grown together at the top. It's inspiring a new jewelry piece I'm working on.
  2. Works in Progress: My sketches in bronze are a key part of my design process.
  3. Reading: I'm currently in the midst of The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz. He's the former pastry chef from Chez Panisse and author of numerous dessert books attempts to explain french culture and their idiosyncrasies through hilarious day to day life stories and recipes. 
  4. Shoes: Works of art for your feet. I wish these CYDWOQ beauties were mine... I am afraid my daughter's only memory of me will be sitting at the computer looking at tiny pictures of shoes for hours on end.
  5. Pinterest Window Shopping: Pinterest is speed dating for shopping. You cull through the clutter pretty quickly, which is helpful on my eternal quest the perfect handbag
  6. Listening: I love Chris Botti in Boston. Botti is a horn player that accompanies a wide variety of artists singing standards. It's kind of sappy but I love it. 
  7. Our Garden: The natural world is endlessly inspiring. Luckily my husband is a landscape architect, so our garden is pretty fantastic. (Ed: Julie's husband David Rolston is an amazing landscape architect, and their garden is beyond...)
  8. Indigo: I am obsessed with ethnic indigo.

50 comments:

Unknown said...

How thrilling - I love the indigo textiles - gorgeous.

My most recent inspiration was a cake - of all things. I ran with the idea of the ruffled layers, from deep gold to white, and redid a bathroom my handpainting the walls with a similar technique.

It's funny how my obsession with beautifully crafted baked goods translates / shows up in my other creative outlet.

Very excited about this giveaway.



designgirl said...

My home is New York City and it inspires me everyday.

Unknown said...

People watching - particularly the differences in style and female mannerisms. I'm from the North, I live in Dallas and I vacation regularly in Colorado and Florida. People watching is inspiring!

Rob and Carrie said...

Love her work. I'm inspired by the outdoors and getting a chance to sit and take in the beautiful beaches here in Hawaii.

Diane said...

I am inspired by ordinary objects, and I love imagining what else they could be. I've made purses out of jeans, vases out of small medicine bottles and suncatchers out of glass beads. In today's throw away world, it's very rewarding to re-purpose objects.

Gabriela said...

Thanks for the chance to win this beautiful ring! I am coveting all of Julie Cohn's things...I am really inspired by Pinterest and Etsy. I like to paint, and will often go to Etsy and just type in "teal drawings" or "black and white etchings" and see what comes up, and paint something based on something I've seen there. Pinterest inspires my daily outfits.

torrie said...

books, nature, people, stories, hardship, growth, adventure... & so much more :).

Unknown said...

I'm inspired by the memory of my mom and all her wonderful junk. She was an antiques dealer and had such a great eye for the next trend...I have a lot of wonderful, kitschy items that she got just for me and that search for the neatest thing that no one else has always inspires me.

justine said...

International street fashion!

katie//salt+pine said...

I am so incredibly inspired by the Washington coast. The ocean and rugged coastline are just breathtaking and give me newfound inspiration every time I visit!

Sonchia said...

I am inspired by by nature. So cliche, I know. But, I live in a beautiful part of the country (Telluride, CO) and I love the mountains, the seasons, the red rocks covered by snow, the blooms on the trees now that it is spring, the babbling brooks, the vibrant sunsets, campfires in the summer, and so much more. I sound so mushy. Anyway, this is a magical place and though I wish I lived closer to museums and incredible shops found in a city - I try to find inspiration in my little corner of the world here.

Anonymous said...

I'm always inspired by great conversation with good friends...being together with my girl friends provides me great pleasure and endless inspiration!

Unknown said...

I am inspired by both my 3 yr.old and1.5 year old. Their free spirit and innocence as well as their creative minds in what they do and say always fascinates me.
A good ballet class and the hard work involved not to mention the surrounding dancers are all inspirational.
Lastly my husband's paintings - they have a presence in them that amaze me sometimes.

Sally said...

Always inspired by:

The toddlers I teach

The people I see on the streets of NYC

Nature. Today, the cherry blossoms as the Brooklyn botanical gardens- amazing!

Unknown said...

I am inspired by the ocean. I live on the West Coast of Canada on beautiful Vancouver Island and walk on the beach with my children daily. It is our playground, our classroom, and our solace. Our home is filled with the treasures we find, each one with such beauty and the story of its own journey.

N said...

Wow her handiwork is so beautiful, I love her taste in shoes and books too!

Ina Garden said...

I have been coveting that ring for so long! Such a beautiful collection of jewelry.

I'm inspired by so many things! My gorgeous hometown of Portland, OR and it's vibrant inhabitants. My wonderfully creative friends. The lush green nature we're surrounded with here in the NW, and the varied landscapes I've been lucky enough to see in my travels.

Blogs, books, movies, music, art...there is a whole lot of awesome in this world to stir those creative juices.

jennifer di Leonardi said...

Traveling through Mexico...i just got back revived and grounded. It is hard to feel grounded in NYC with everyone in design turned up to 11, all the time. Mexico makes me appreciate a slower creative process with much introspection while driving, or walking around towns on very hot days. Nature, Color, Food, Music,Crafts, Architecture, Religion, Heat...a crucible for creativity!

Ro said...

I find cooking, gardening, and travel magazines wildly inspiring that frequently conjure up new ideas and activities.

elizabeth said...

Getting back into reading. Hiking in northern California. Digging into a great recipe and cooking it for my friends and family. Also, I am just crazy about all of Julie's jewelry!

jamey said...

I love Julie's work! I am a writer and am inspired by other artists in all genres. I love reading interviews about how they work and find their way. When I'm feeling stuck, down or frustrated, reading about another artist i admire pushes me onward. Humans are endlessly fascinating. All you have to do is watch. Thanks for the chance at this amazing piece!

Unknown said...

oh! Love at first sight with that handbag! .... I'm inspired by colours and textures everywhere - From smiling at a glorious sunset reflected on office windows to tingly toes over a box of delicious macaroons, I'm constantly in awe at all the beauty that surrounds us in our everyday life.

Swimming with frogs said...

Wow. Beautiful stuff.

I'm inspired by my children,
beautiful spaces others have created and people's stories. I find nothing more thrilling than a well told story.

Dara said...

Inspiration from books, gardens, my kids, friends, museums, snd amazing blogs like this one.

sew nancy said...

My garden is an inspiration lately because it always needs tending and it's never perfect. It reminds me to be in the moment and let myself go. And, fabric and yarn to work with in my hands.

Love love Julie Cohn's jewelry and have been dying to acquire some pieces

sadie said...

Always inspired by natural objects--shells, twigs, eggs, nests and the imperfectly perfect patterns in nature. I think that is why I am in love with Julie Cohn's amazing work. Thanks for introducing me to her jewelry.

karen said...

I love my giant fir tree out my front window housing the little birds and my dogs who so carefully watch them. All great inspirations.

Karina said...

Julie's work is so beautiful, thanks for sharing.

I'm inspired by the way the sunlight hits the floor, being in nature, a good conversation, a messy studio, the way my kids approach a blank canvas, empty spaces, the play between words, and imperfections.

momandsons said...

Traveling alway's inspires me especially when I travel with my kids. We went to China two years ago and having the combined experiece is still inspiring all four of us. The colors we saw and the tastes.

Rosa said...

The passion and determination of others is always an inspiration. But I also love sunsets, city bike rides at night, pops of bright colors, and sparkly things.

christa said...

I am loving spring weather and being outside right now. Everything is getting brighter. Great giveaway.

for you, love me said...

I'm inspired by the mountains that I live in. The snow is beginning to melt and Spring is making herself known. Spring is always such an inspiring season...a fresh start.

Unknown said...

I have never left a comment before on any blog but felt compelled to this time as I have been inspired time and again by your blog and particularly as you turned me on to Julie Cohn's beautiful jewellery.
I am a jewellery designer myself and it is very rare for me to desire other people's work but I think her designs are amazing. I am personally inspired every day by shapes in nature,art and my other big passion food.
Thanks for a truly brilliant blog.

Jill Briggs

Anisha said...

I am inspired by bossa nova music, colonial spanish/cuban architecture, and outdoor marketplaces! You find those splashes of color, yet their is this simplicity that seems so effortless and yet very much elegant.

Lauren said...

her ryman and talisman necklaces are nothing short of stunning. travel is usually my source of inspiration - it's absolutely endless.

carrie said...

im inspired by travel or by talking to travelers; the perspective and insight it lends towards one's everyday life. this jewelry is unreal!

Hilary said...

I'm inspired by... strong women that exemplify some of my most highly valued characteristics; sensitivity, authenticity, and creative curiosity.

Julie does just that.

Lakshmi said...

What inspires me creatively is stillness, pure and undiluted bliss that I experience in meditation, fragrance of rain hitting the soft earth (I so miss the monsoon in Bombay!), love and gratitude, the sheer bigness and hugeness and generosity of Nature.

The cup ring is a piece of art.

Mama J said...

I'm inspired by the morning light I see during my very early wake up calls with my little ones. The sun rising in the east on the New Hampshire seacoast here is absolutely spectacular!

That ring is gorgeous and I'd be honored to wear it!

Sara said...

Inspiration is all around us, isn't it? I'm inspired by my new back yard here in Los Angeles: the blooms on my Meyer lemon tree, tiny fuzzy green peaches taking form, and a new fig tree (dreamy) that seems to have jumped our fence to join us in time for summer. Most of all, I am inspired by being a new mom to my 8 month old baby girl. She reminds me every day about the joy and love and the power of gleeful play. I'm truly blessed to have such bounty in my life...Of course, always inspired by new artworks and craftmanship. Thank you for introducing me to Julie!

Bobbi Huffman said...

I am inspired by nature and my daughter who is a wonderful artist!

dacy said...

I recently started a blog and surprised myself that just the act of writing is inspiring me. having an outlet is inspiring. i have to restrain myself from posting about every tiny thing i find inspiring out in the world! like this ring...

Jessica said...

My friends inspire me - they are so creative in such diverse ways: from how they dress to the craft projects they are working on to the the way in which they approach their PhD research!

Kristen said...

Ooh these are lovely, coming back to nature always seems to inspire me.

Amanda said...

My children are constant sources of inspiration. There wit and clever ideas are always cheering. My husband the man can creat art, bust out a science project with our son or come and change a flat tire! Changing the tire is big! Our dog who is the sweetest and most loving creature.

I am inspired as well by the skys of seattle on a sunny day! The skies of New Mexico, and the beauty of said state. I am constantly inpired by pinterest and all of the blogs that I follow!

Emma said...

Absolutely love Julie's work - she's an inspiration! I also find inspiration in the unexpected. Walking home a new way, trying something different for dinner, getting outside!

Lily said...

Quilts inspire me! I love thinking about colors and graphics and I love the textural quality. I could look at antique quilts all day long.

TX Girl said...

I'm inspired by works of art that would never come from my brain normally. It helps me realize that going out of your comfort zone will lead you to endless possibilities.

Piia Põdersalu said...

I'm inspired by the other creatives, nature, books, patterns and prints. Love Julie's work, very unique! Thanks for the opportunity!

Unknown said...

What inspiring pieces she has. I really love her moodboard inspiration. I love that her pieces are inspired by nature:)