DANUTA CIRCLE
Caroline Ventura
For the New York–based artist Caroline Ventura, the creative path is more improvisational than linear. After studying political science with a plan to pursue law, she found her way to metalsmithing. “I took one class at the 92nd Street Y and then apprenticed with someone—he became my guide through the weird world that is the Diamond District,” Ventura says. She went on to launch the jewelry brand BRVTVS, whose gold bands and elemental hoops trafficked in a hard-edged delicacy that attracted the buyers at J. Crew. But after a time, realizing that she’d become “less a maker, more a manager of a team,” she closed up shop and changed course. Lately, her multidisciplinary practice includes works on paper, one-of-a-kind jewelry that employs a setting technique popular in the Victorian era, and photography. Growing up in California with an amateur photographer dad, she got comfortable having her picture taken, which set her up for later modeling work; it also led her behind the camera, open to experimentation. “There’s something really freeing about being able to start over again,” Ventura says. “Not to reinvent yourself, but add a chapter to the story.”
What projects are you currently working on?
Right now I am focusing on a body of work that is inspired by my time at an artist residency in Vermont. It includes a little bit of photography and works on paper, as well as larger works on canvas and board.
Where do you like to spend time in nature?
I split my time between NYC and Shelter Island, so my time out east is something very important to me. Right now in the winter, it’s calm and quiet and becomes a place of reflection, somewhere I can plan projects and other work. In the summer, going swimming in the mornings is such a nice way to start the day.
What is your favorite time of year?
I love the summertime. Swims in the bay by my house, that feeling of taking a shower after a long day in the sun, hearing the frogs singing at night—it’s just my absolute favorite.
How do you bring plants or flowers into your home?
Lilac season is my favorite because it’s so short here on the East Coast. There is a huge bush around the corner from my house that I love to trim branches from, and the smell fills the entire room.
Do you have a favorite artwork that reflects the world of nature?
Ellsworth Kelly has a series of line drawings of plants that I love. It’s a beautiful reminder that nature is not complicated—it’s perfect in its simplicity.
When do you feel most beautiful?
I feel most beautiful when I’m laughing.
What beauty or self-care ritual keeps you going?
I love a good massage.
In your approach to wellness, what are you leaning away from and/or toward?
I’m leaning into allowing myself more time to do the little things that are important to me: stretching in the morning, taking extra time to enjoy a cup of tea, etc. Leaning away from anything that advertises itself as a quick fix.
What is one thing that helps you get energized?
Music is something that I incorporate a lot into my day, especially when I am painting. I find that the music I listen to can sometimes have an effect on the work I am making.
How do you wind down for bed?
My nightly ritual is pretty simple—cleanse and moisturize—though I always try to do a little bit of facial massage. At the very least I’ll spend two minutes working out the tension of the day that I have carried in my face, but I love when I am able to do a longer massage that allows me to fully relax.
What’s a favorite activity that keeps you unplugged from the internet?
My dog Mary! She’s the absolute best at keeping me present and reminds me often to step away and go for a walk.
What piece of beauty wisdom have you picked up from someone you care about?
Whenever my grandma was cooking with beets, she always put a little bit of the stain on her cheeks. As a kid I thought that was such an interesting thing she did. I don’t necessarily do that myself, but I think about it every time I eat beets now.
Who do you consider to be a beauty inspiration?
Any woman over the age of 50 who is proud of being a woman over the age of 50 is inspirational for me. We’re taught that youth equals beauty, and as I age I find myself surrounding myself more with women who have led full and interesting lives, and can offer a little bit of that wisdom down to me.
When have you recently cried because something was beautiful?
Any time I see any kind of performance that involves movement—ballet, modern dance, etc.—I get teary. Watching someone move their body and knowing how much time and dedication they put into their craft is really beautiful.
What is your sun sign (moon and rising too, if you want to share), and is there a characteristic that resonates with you?
I’m a Pisces sun and also Pisces rising, and a Scorpio moon. A lot of water and a lot of emotions, haha.
What do you collect, and why does it delight you?
I’m a sucker for seashells. Every time I go to a beach I bring one back with me, and my house is full of them. The ones from faraway places are my favorite because they conjure memories of my time spent there. It’s like a quick little mini-vacation in my head.
What book or movie has left an impression on you?
Right now I am reading a book of poems called Find Me as the Creature I Am, by Emily Jungmin Yoon. She writes about heavy subjects with such tenderness.
