shadow charms
Meet Cherie Haney of Ann Arbor, Michigan. She pierces through metal with a plasma cutter nearly as fast as she can draw on paper when she creates her playful Shadow Charms.
We carry a few of her pieces at our Rochester and Berkley locations, but you can also find her full selection of goods at local art fairs and on her website.
I had the chance to ask Cherie about her artwork…
What inspired you to start creating your art and how did it turn into a business?
My path to becoming an artist began in a high school band class when I started playing the French horn only to realize that I wasn’t musically talented at all. What I came to realize was that I was attracted to the shiny metal and rolling curves of the instrument and wondered how it was made. I quickly dropped band and enrolled in metal arts where I found my true passion. After high school, I studied art at EMU and CCS in Detroit, and spent six years apprenticing under renowned Ann Arbor potter JT Abernathy. Three years after I obtained my BFA I was accepted into my first art fair and began selling my work. Shadowcharms has since grown from an idea in my mind into a full-fledged art studio producing original pieces as well as small production batches.
What is the one thing that makes your items unique?
I have a passion for what I do and I think that it shows in my work. I enjoy creating unique products that are eclectic as well as functional for the home and garden.
What do you enjoy most about the creative process?
Creating the originals, especially if it’s something that probably won’t sell or appeal to the average person. Right now, I can’t afford to do that very often, but when I allow myself to escape the "will it sell?" Mindset, then I can truly enjoy and be challenged by what I am doing. Out of this meditation of deep artwork usually spawns several more commercial ideas. 
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