My Journey as an Artist 

Transparency is important to me. In this business and in my life. I aim to be honest within this community we are a part of - including all of you who love and wear my designs; my peers, who are also in pursuit of an ethical lifestyle; and those who’ve stumbled upon the collective. I like to be open about who I am, as a designer and as a person.

I’ve worked hard to ensure that I purchase the raw materials used in my designs from ethical and sustainable sources. I've even expanded my green ethics to my marketing material and packaging. 

I’ve always dreamt about being an artist. I’ve been doing artistic things, like making jewelry, since I was a little kid. It’s always been an important part of my life. But when I went to university, I studied biology. I thought I needed to be practical and developing an artistic career didn’t seem to be a viable way of making money and supporting myself. But even so, I did continue to make jewelry in my free time.

 Things changed when I got an opportunity to sell what I’d been making at a market and started interacting with the public. A few people actually bought my pieces! The first piece I ever sold was a pair of earrings at the Squamish Farmer’s Market in 2012. Others were coming by the booth to look and talk with me about what I had made. I realized that there were a lot of people out there who wanted to support local artists and their creativity. I realized that if I put myself out there, I could be supported as an artist too. I felt appreciated and valued and confident to continue with my passion.

Q and A with Bayoush:

What are your favorite materials to work with?

I love working with fine materials and creating life long lasting jewelry. In recent years, I have started working with recycled 14kt gold and precious stones like ethically sourced diamonds, sapphires and emeralds. I am enjoying creating unique pieces that create conversation and last generations. 

What do you listen to when you work? 

My music tastes vary widely, I enjoy most genres. But my ultimate favorite is to have a podcast on in the background, usually something inspirational. I also love watching my favorite reruns in the background. It’s nice to have something familiar and not distracting when I am at the bench.

Where do you get your inspiration from? 

From so many places. From the get go my inspiration has always been nature that surrounds me. I have always loved the outdoors and I even have a degree in Biology. I love nature. Some of my favorite moments have been in the middle of a forest, on top of a mountain or a deserted beach with no cell phone service. I feel lucky to have travelled to many places in the world, for the beautiful things I have witnessed and the wonders I experienced. 

I am self taught for the most part, so I am quite proud of the evolution I have had as a jeweler and artist. I started creating composition jewelry, large statement pieces and my artistry and skills have evolved over the years. 

Looking back, I don’t know if I felt that I was truly good at anything but this. Making jewelry and running this business is such an exciting process for me, and I feel very grateful to be doing something I love. I trusted my gut in deciding to become a jewelry designer, and my experience so far has reinstated my faith in intuition. I am also continually reminded that hard work pays off.

I am so blessed to have such a supportive community! Make sure you join us on our journey by subscribing to our newsletter, checking out the blog, and following us on social!