Special Activities & Workshop List

Long before I founded ilak designs, I was a teenager collecting treasures and reimagining them into beautiful new jewelry. After years of seeking out unique articles and objects from wherever I traveled to or found myself visiting, I began to amass a collection of treasures that now takes up an entire room of my house. From these sometimes dated or broken heirlooms, I create simplified and elegant jewelry that still contains the essence of its origin.

Leslie Hamilton is a professional artist who has been painting anything that didn't move too fast since infancy. A child prodigy, she attended art classes at Loyola Marymount in Palos Verdes, while still in Middle School, the prestigious Banff School of Fine Arts in Canada, while in high school. She obtained her art degree from California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland and went on to freelance illustration in advertising, then launched Wristy Business, which kept her climbing ladders and painting half of the west coast for the next 25 years. Leslie now focuses on fine art, while making unique wearable art and jewelry. She has taught fine art and crafts to all ages of students, has demonstrated her techniques in workshops and is now formally teaching at the Garan Beadagio shows.

Leslie Hamilton is a professional artist who has been painting anything that didn't move too fast since infancy. A child prodigy, she attended art classes at Loyola Marymount in Palos Verdes, while still in Middle School, the prestigious Banff School of Fine Arts in Canada, while in high school. She obtained her art degree from California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland and went on to freelance illustration in advertising, then launched Wristy Business, which kept her climbing ladders and painting half of the west coast for the next 25 years. Leslie now focuses on fine art, while making unique wearable art and jewelry. She has taught fine art and crafts to all ages of students, has demonstrated her techniques in workshops and is now formally teaching at the Garan Beadagio shows.

Leslie Hamilton is a professional artist who has been painting anything that didn't move too fast since infancy. A child prodigy, she attended art classes at Loyola Marymount in Palos Verdes, while still in Middle School, the prestigious Banff School of Fine Arts in Canada, while in high school. She obtained her art degree from California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland and went on to freelance illustration in advertising, then launched Wristy Business, which kept her climbing ladders and painting half of the west coast for the next 25 years. Leslie now focuses on fine art, while making unique wearable art and jewelry. She has taught fine art and crafts to all ages of students, has demonstrated her techniques in workshops and is now formally teaching at the Garan Beadagio shows.

Marissol Martins is a Los Angeles-based metalsmith and the owner of Sol Search Jewelry, a handcrafted jewelry brand known for its nature-inspired designs and gemstone pieces. With nearly a decade of experience, she teaches beginner-friendly soldering and ring-making classes focused on building foundational metalsmithing skills. Marissol teaches out of her storefront at CRAFTED at the Port of Los Angeles and is currently expanding into a new private studio in Glendale, CA, where she’ll continue to offer small group and private workshops. Her hands-on, welcoming approach makes metalsmithing accessible and fun for all skill levels.