The Solid State: timeless pieces, modern lines, and a creative journey

The creative outlet. If you have one, you know just how lovely it is, an unconditional friend that brings pleasure and escape, carried along simply waiting for the times it’s tapped. In ways, it can be the unsung hero of one's balanced state. Not everyone has found theirs yet, but if you have one, you live lucky. Occasionally, the moment comes that one turns to that creative outlet and thinks, now I am fully focusing on you, and that is when magic can start.

Meet Anne Forziat Halligan of The Solid State, a mom of three with a long career in non-profit who found herself relocated to Acton from Queens. Anne is one of those special forces, who decided to turn to her creative outlet of metalsmithing and see where they could go together. Since doing so, she has started one of the most lovely lines of jewelry we've seen in a long time.

The Solid State jewelry are timeless pieces that allow the alloy to be the subtle star, quietly grounding those adorned. That simple beauty resonates from artist to each finished piece resulting in quiet elegance. We got to spend some time with Anne in her studio in Acton, talking about her story, inspiration, and finding herself now as a New England based maker.

Anne's relationship with metalsmithing started after an early career crossroads lead her to begin tinkering with metal as a hobby while diving into her new field of non-profit and, ultimately, graduate school. When time allowed, she would escape into working on jewelry.

SS: I've always had this dual side to me. I really liked the idea of going into the helping career path, but also had this art. I think when I was younger, being an artist didn't feel entirely right to me yet, and being New York, which is so expensive, having a steady job felt what I needed to do.
SOTB: ...and so metalsmithing was like a sweet friend. Were you doing anything with the finished pieces you were making?
SS: Yes. At that time, we were living in Long Island City, Queens, and I got some of my pieces in some shops there. Selling my work was thrilling, but part of me always thought, surely, this could never be a thing.
SOTB: When did that sentiment start to change?
SS: Fast forward to having kids. I was pregnant with my second and had started doing consulting work from home. By that point, I had acquired many tools and materials and started having a lot of new ideas. I thought, let me get back to this.
SOTB: It's interesting, working and having children is often the time when people find this slice of inspiration. When we think we have the least amount of mental space to create, we can.
SS: Yes! Although it's a struggle to execute those ideas when you have kids, if you can somehow carve out the time, it can work. For me things changed even more so, because then we moved. We moved up here to Acton, and we were expecting a third child.
SOTB: That's a lot. Moving, adjusting, and surely a lot of re-evaluating.
SS: Exactly. We have moved up here, and with three kids, starting everything new was a lot. I absolutely didn't have the motivation to maintain the world of consulting. But what I did have the motivation to do was metalwork. It was like all of a sudden, something clicked and I felt compelled to pull out all my materials and organize them the best I could. I was sketching and making stuff again.

SOTB: Amazing how that happens. Like it was there patiently waiting for you to choose it.
SS: Right. And then, I happened to find that there was a little show called the Fall Flaire Craft Show at the West Acton Village Works, which is this really nice space and it is so close. I thought, ok, let me do this.
SOTB: You gave yourself permission to go for it.
SS: I did.
SOTB: Seriously, high-fives.

The Minimalist Cuff in sterling or red bronze.

SOTB: Let's talk about your work. The esthetic is so simple, clean, and organic. These bracelets feel like they would be sitting on the nightstand of the Nobu Hotel or something (laughing).
SS: Oh, thank you! (laughter).
SOTB: What is your design approach?
SS: My overarching design principles are minimalism, geometry, classic simplicity, and I really like the use of textures, hammered metals, and brushed matte finish. I love playing with that.

SOTB: The pieces are just so lovely, the quality has this balance of rough and refined. There's also this real inclusiveness, for example, anyone can wear these studs. You can get these for a niece in high school, or a friend celebrating their 40th.
SS: I often sell the single studs to men as well.
SOTB: Nice, they're fresh.
SS: Thank you. I wear these studs every day. I don't like wearing big earrings, well they'll probably get yanked off anyhow (laughter). I tend to make what I would wear, and I have always been simple. I am petite, so I don't like to wear big, bold pieces and I also don't wear a lot of colors. So they really can work for anyone.

A variety of sterling, oxidized sterling, copper, and bronze studs offered in singles or pairs.

SOTB: Now these are super cool; they are like a quiet chic play on the hoop.
SS: Yes, it looks streamline from the front. You can see it from the side, and it doesn't overwhelm the face.

SOTB: Tell us about the name The Solid State?
SS: Well, firstly, I work manipulating solid pieces of metal, and then secondly, I reach this meditative state when I am working and making noises with my tools. It's grounding and solidifying, so I feel like the phrase encompasses all of that.

SOTB: Do you have a favorite metal?
SS: I really love copper, it's incredibly malleable. But I find for my own coloring; I tend not to gravitate to wearing it. I often wear brass pieces. People have different reactions to brass, some people love it, and some people are confused by the idea of wearing brass. I find brass polishes up so nicely, and red brass has the look of 18K gold. Some people like it when it develops a little bit of a patina as it gets more of a deep golden brown hue to it.

Anne walks us over to her tool table; she lights up talking-shop about flex shafts, drill bits, and filing tools. Her evident respect for the process, coupled with her contagious inspiration about its limitless possibilities is exciting.

SS: After that first show, I started noticing all the while my shop on Etsy was selling steadier. I wondered, if I put more effort in, would more sell? Could I do this? Could I make this a thing?

Now, a year after that first show Anne is working hard on that question, focusing on her craft and making new connections across New England. She also has pieces at lovely local shops like Jack and Toba in Concord center and This Beautiful Dust in Groton. In fact, she is making this into 'a thing’. A real, beautiful thing.

SS: I want to see where this goes, but more importantly, I want to try to keep it as local as possible because I want to be fully present for my kids, and their activities are just increasing.
SOTB: Yup. 100%. It is the balancing of that and having an outlet that is just yours that can really be a gift.

SOTB: Now that you are settled in a bit in Acton, how are you finding this area?
SS: I love the access to nature. It is amazing. There is also a whole arts community here. I find that I am running into people all the time who make things or are interested in the maker idea. It's a nice democratic movement of crafters, and I like that. In New York, there are obviously tons of artists there, but it is so expensive and almost feels like you are taken over by chain stores, so it's hard.

SOTB: Being here seems to align you to really dive into your work, and nature is reflective of your pieces. How has it been transitioning living in the quiet, from living in New York?
SS: I guess there is an element of isolation here, which at times has me miss the energy of New York. Just riding the subway and the inspiration of people and their style. I don't get that here, because I am always in my minivan and never on foot, as it isn't dense enough to have those experiences. The trade-off is that I can do this from home, my kids run free, and I don't have to be watching them like a hawk on a playground. I can't have it both ways. I do know when I get more settled, I will take time in the city to get my fix. But, day-to-day, I am finding that this is what we need.