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088-090 Slaughterback_Layout 10/24/13 9:34 PM Page 2 T Local Couple Combines Talents to Produce Creative Jewelry Fred Slautterback and Carol Chapman Reinvented their Vocations B Y M I C H A E L C H AT F I E L D • P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y K E L L I U L D A L L he Monterey Peninsula seems to emit some sort of force that attracts creative, talented and smart people. Witness the world-class businesspeople, musicians, actors, musicians and artists who have visited, hear the siren song and stayed. Carmel in particular seems to be a magnet for these inventive souls, and is home to a plethora of entrepreneurs who have created innovative ways to earn a living. Two such people are Carmelites Fred Slautterback and Carol Chapman. They're quite a pair. Often seen on around town and on Carmel Beach with their Bichon (Above)The "Chappie" bracelet uses sterling silver and is one of the latest exciting additions to the SUKI Collection. (Left) The colorful "Matisse" leather bracelets are unique using Slautterback's magnetic clasp. Frise, Suki, they are an effervescent, effusive and enthusiastic couple who find great joy in living, playing and working as one. The two jewelry companies they operate, SUKI (named Peninsula for many years, manufacturing after their cherished com- and selling machinery of his own design panion) to companies worldwide. and Carol Frederick Collection, are One would think that after a life- the result of the various time of success, these two would want to skills each brings to the slow down, relax a little and enjoy the fruits of table: highly original artistic their labors. talent, precise engineering abilities and laser-sharp business instincts. Chapman began formal art training at the age of 7, and has been a professional artist her entire life. Comfortable and fluent in vir- "We are more active now than we've ever been," Slautterback says, "strategizing, planning and creating new products…we're a great team." Transitioning from helming a company that swam in the deep end with big-league corporate clients to operating a mom-and-pop cottage industry required a lot of tually any medium, her work is colorful and thought pro- retooling on Slautterback's part. "I had to reinvent myself, big time," he voking, sometimes whimsical, and always stunning. Slautterback's back- says. Chapman adds with a chuckle, "And he didn't want to reinvent him- ground is in engineering, though he also possesses a business MBA and is self as a golfer!" a nascent and interesting artist in his own right. His first career was in the "We got the idea to make 'wearable art' about eight years ago," area of high-performance industrial packaging adhesive application. He Slautterback says. He developed an adhesive called "Touleen" that he used founded and ran the Slautterback Corporation on the Monterey to encase small pieces of Chapman's colorful sculptured abstracts within C ARMEL M AG A Z I N E • H O L I D AY 2013 89