“My name is Remi Johnson and I’m a silversmith from Southeastern Utah. My journey into silversmithing came quite accidentally as it was never anything on my radar as a career. In 2021 my husband introduced me to one of his close friends, who is a silversmith, and she graciously taught me how to make a ring. She has since then grown to be one of my closest friends. My style has changed and grown since I first started down this path, and I am very happy with how the progression has been. 

Silversmithing has not been a linear thing for me as it began just before having my first daughter. I currently balance stay-at-home mothering with also being a full-time silversmith. I have taken two large breaks as I welcomed each of my girls into our life. They are absolutely a part of everything that I do, and they are one of my driving factors to get better every day. In my free time I am out in the beautiful Utah desert gathering inspiration for new works. 

Cowboy culture is also a huge inspiration as well since that is where my love for this craft came from. I have been drawn to engraving since the beginning and knew it was something I wanted to incorporate into my work. I’d love to one day create a bit or two with engraved filigree! 

Thanks to the Sally Knowles Joseph Scholarship I will be able to make engraving a possibility years ahead of my own schedule! I feel so incredibly honored to be joining the Rodear family and to continue creating lifelong connections!”

Remi Johnson will enroll in the Be A Maker School course “How To Draw & Engrave Scottish Scrolls” with Nevada Watt Miller to advance her engraving skills.

“My husband and I raise our three feral cowboy kids, one of whom is named after Sallie Joseph, on a ranch in Northeastern Nevada. I have been drawing horses since I could pick up a pencil and have always been influenced by my Granny who raised a gaggle of children while working and managing her own little farm on her own. 

I suddenly lost my eyesight while I was serving in the Navy and had to spend years in different therapies to attain the eyesight I have now. While in recovery, I felt inspired by war veterans in various VA hospitals who would share their stories and photographs with me and I would take their images and repaint them as keepsakes. Their stories of hardship, pain and perseverance kept me going and inspired me throughout one of the most difficult times of my life where I felt like I couldn’t live through what I was experiencing. 

Now, I find my inspiration from my husband, who is a working cowboy, and our three kids who proudly want to follow in his footsteps. There is nothing I love to draw or paint more than an older man’s face that tells a story without words, or a quirky cavvy horse that somehow becomes my new best friend. I still have a visual impairment and don’t have visual memory, so creating can be challenging but thankfully for me, art can be accessed by anyone willing to try. I am thankful that someone else recognized something creative and worthy in me and I look forward to new experiences through my scholarship.”

Hanna Brown is enrolled in Teal Blake’s workshop, “Painting the West,” continuing her work capturing the people and horses of ranching life.

“I’m Shania Drinkwine Wagenaar, a silversmith, leatherworker, and full-time maker living in a rural Northeastern Oregon ranching and farming community. I’m married to a fourth-generation cattle rancher and mom to four young kids. We live the working cowboy life every day. That life has given me a deep love not just for “pretty” gear, but for quality, functional working gear that holds up on the ranch. I aspire to become a name that working ranchers and cowboys think of when they need to invest in reliable, lasting pieces.

I make many things, but my focus has shifted to building functional, heirloom-quality gear—bits, spurs, chinks/chaps, functional tack, pulled wool pads—items working cowboys can trust day in and day out and pass down through generations. 

Today I lead our local 4-H leathercraft group using heirloom tools passed down from my husband’s great-uncle, who once taught the same group himself. Someday I hope to teach as a Master Instructor, passing these Western traditions forward to the next generation.

The SKJS scholarship is helping me take the next big step in my silverwork: advancing my fabrication and engraving skills specifically for bits. I’m so grateful for this support. It’s allowing me to honor the heritage I live every day and build a legacy through my hands.

Thank you to everyone at The Rodear for this opportunity, and to all the master makers, mentors, and like-minded folks who keep these traditions alive through our art.”

Shania Drinkwine Wagenaar will complete five days of private instruction with Nevada Watt Miller, advancing her fabrication and engraving skills for bit-making.

“My entire life has been centered around ranching and the cowboy lifestyle. I was raised as part of the 4th generation of my family’s cow/calf operation in Granite Station, CA, and currently work with my husband who manages a ranch just over the mountain from my childhood home. 

I got a Bachelor’s degree in animal science from Oklahoma State University with concentrations in beef production and business. Also I worked for a summer for Deseret Cattle & Citrus in St. Cloud, FL, and have worked on several ranches throughout California and Oregon with my husband since we’ve been together. Along the way we’ve had 3 incredible kids, Levi, Pepper and Eva, and it’s our privilege in life to teach them to love the lord and coach them through learning to ride and becoming good help on the ranch.

When the opportunity to learn leather work fell into my lap this last year, I had never before considered getting into it. My husband and I started making cowboy gear, and I found a swivel knife, then never put it down. I’ve gradually learned the basics of leather work with the help of YouTube and a talented friend, but thought it was time to pursue more intentional learning. There is so much beauty in tooled leather, fine silver and braided rawhide, and I have thoroughly enjoyed learning to create beautiful things that are both unique and practical. I’ve used and appreciated western art and cowboy gear throughout my life, and look forward to being able to contribute to the western industry with my own take on things. I’m grateful to The Rodear for investing in artists and contributing to the learning process, and I’m very excited to be able to learn from artists I admire through this scholarship!”

Abby will be attending a 5-day private workshop with Sarah Garvey in Arizona to learn the basics of design, construction and tooling.

View past SKJ scholarship recipients here!