May Artist Spotlight: Rolene Johnson!

If you’ve had the pleasure of meeting Rolene Johnson, then you know her fabulous jewelry is beyond trendy, but a timeless expression of style. That’s why we’ve chosen Rolene as our Artist Spotlight for the month of May!

According to Rolene, she took after her mother in the way that she loves to make stuff. Her mother was always sewing and creating, so you could say that it’s in the blood. Although she did not start making jewelry until her adult life, she always had an interesting in taking things apart and putting things back together.

When asked what inspires her artwork, Rolene responded that she enjoys seeing the shapes come together to build the finished product.  She is most inspired by antique items at yard sales, especially the Redneck Rummage Sale hosted by the Rome Braves twice a year! She loves to turn interesting items (keys, etc.) into wearable pieces of art by adding beads and chains.

Images of our famous Clocktower made into earrings!

What Rolene loves the most about being an artist, however, is the highly rewarding act of creation itself. To take something old and use her hands and her eye for style in order to build something new makes her feel a positive sense of accomplishment. She also likes to work with resin to preserve images or items like the old Rome transit tokens into a lovely piece of jewelry that represents her community. Rolene is a member of the Rome Area Council for the Arts and the Rome Art Coterie Club. We asked her if she was working on any special projects, but she said that was strictly confidential and we will find out in the future!

The name of her jewelry enterprise is Belle Frost Design. The name was inspired by a beloved Maine Coon cat her husband gave her for their first anniversary. You can find her work at her Etsy store or at The Last Stop Gift Shop- the perfect Mother’s Day gift idea!

About the Author

Our Georgia's Rome tourism team works hard to curate content that you find helpful! We want to keep you in the know of all the cool things to see and explore in Rome! We take pride in ensuring our content is up-to-date and accurate; so please let us know if we ever overlook an important detail! This blog originally written by Morgan Stansell is updated by staff.