Tempi Design, unique equestrian jewelry
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July 31, 2023
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By Staff Writers
Art and technical design have always been a part of Eileen Johnson’s life.
Raised in Connecticut, her father was a naval architect and her mother a gifted artist.
One could say that artistry and technical design was in her blood.
As a young girl, Eileen had an intense passion to create.
At the age of 6, she received her first sewing machine as a Christmas gift, and her little hands became busy with creations of clothes for her dolls.
A few years later she discovered her other love, horses.
The desire to create and her passion for horses has remained a constant throughout her life.
As a teenager she began to dabble in jewelry design, taking classes that ensured the development of her art.
After school one could always find Eileen riding horses or at the stables caring for them.
As a young woman she attended the University of Kentucky, where her interest in metal work led her to the field of Dental Technology, and the horse environment kept her content.
Training at UK leaned toward sole proprietorship and later, as a Dental Laboratory business owner, she was able to successfully meet the needs of her clients and continue to dabble in her jewelry creations.
Although dental prosthetics paid the bills, Eileen dreamed of the day when she could become a full time designer for jewelry and accessories with a different twist.
After 25 years of her work in the dental technology field, Eileen decided to retire.
She took the opportunity to travel to England where, as a working student, she trained and studied to earn British Horse Society Certifications in Horse Care and Riding, along with an International Groom’s Certificate.
During that time her aunt and godmother handed down a family heirloom engraved in 1909 and asked her to do something with it.
She tucked it away and toiled in her mind’s eye how to re work the piece into a more contemporary design she could use as her signature line for the upcoming venture.
Eileen wanted to present a change she would call ‘Tempi’ in the jewelry and accessory line.
When Eileen returned to the United States she eventually settled in Maryland, all the while developing Tempi Design Studio towards a full time endeavor.
It seems that all exquisite jewelry has a unique signature design, and Tempi’s pieces are no exception.
Eileen has been able to combine her two loves of the Horse and metallurgy to create magnificent, near 3D jewelry.
These have caught the eye of not only equestrian experts, but animal lovers as well.
Now, as business is expanding into more subjects, it is taking on a mind of its own with special requests and custom work.
Eileen continues to find inspiration in the beauty of nature she dearly loves, and the magnificent horse.
You will often find her at a trade show or locked away in her studio, molding her next vision, or yours, into life.
See Tempi Designs at Dressage at Devon Sept. 26 to Oct. 1 in Booth/Cottage #8 .
View www.tempidesignstudio.com for the online store