Featured Seller: wiseoldowl

Who are you?
Ali Whalen of wise old owl.

Where are you located?
Raleigh, NC

What do you create?
Accessories, but mostly jewelry.

What is your favorite place to visit in the "triangle"?
My favorite place to shop is Ornamentea, the ladies that help me there are so awesome. My favorite place for a cup of coffee is Global Village on Hillsborough St. The owner, Mike, never forgets your name (like Cheers but with caffeine). I love brunch at the North Carolina Museum of Art. We live near Shelley Lake, I like to go there on a pretty day and take a walk.

When did you start creating?
Very young. My parents are both incredibly talented people. My mother is an excellent painter, with an amazing ability to draw. My father can pick up any instrument and start playing a song on it. He calls me and plays the sitar over the phone sometimes. I’ve always been interested in things you can do with your hands. In high school my Algebra teacher saw me drawing a picture and said, “I wish you would put as much into math as you do into art.” I use art in everyday life, but still haven’t found a use for the Pythagorean Theorem. Sorry, Mr. Manley.

Why did you choose your medium?
I love anything sparkly. I love adornments. I get excited looking at jars of beads and buttons. I also love the fact that with jewelry, you get to wear your art. When people say, “I love your earrings!”, you get to say, “Thanks! I made them!” Jewelry makes me feel pretty and put-together, I like to share that with other people.

What inspires you?
Anything. I use a lot of bits and pieces. Sometimes I buy jewelry (new or used) and break it so I can create something different with it. Each bit and piece kind of speaks to me and sometimes it just clicks, and I know what to do with it. Other times I’ll have a bead on hand for years before I figure out how to use it. A fashionable, stylish person inspires me, I love to see how they pull themselves together with the perfect accessories. I once read in a magazine, “Accessories are the exclamation point at the end of a fashion statement.” I can’t remember who said it, but I definitely heed that advice when making my accessories.

Why did you choose your shop name?
I have kind of developed ‘a thing’ for owls. I don’t know what it is about them, but I think they are incredible creatures. I thought the shop name had a kind of vintage feel to it and was memorable. It was elephants and then whales before owls, but wise old elephant didn’t have the same ring to it.

What do you do when you are not creating?
I think we are always creating. It might not be something tangible, but we are always touching and inspiring other people. Right now we have a 4 month old son, and we work everyday on creating an intelligent and sweet boy. He is by far the most incredible part of our lives.

--If you twitter, be sure to check out Ali there too!