Sherry Serafini
Meet the Designer-Artist
Bead embroidery artist, Sherry Hutchison-Serafini, is the featured catalog cover artist for the 2004-2005 Fire Mountain Gems and Beads Jewelry Maker's Catalog with her incredible bead embroidery neckpiece, Oceans, created exclusively for Fire Mountain Gems and Beads. She speaks of Oceans as ''one of the few pieces I did that was so free and elaborate, the shape of the stone inspired me ...''
Searching for a creative outlet for many years, Sherry experimented with just about everything before she discovered beads. Now, sometimes, she admits with a laugh, she'll dream of beads. ''There are a lot of people who never find that one thing--that passion--in their lives. I kind of stumbled into mine. I know I am lucky.''
Artist Background
''Art has been a part of my soul ever since I can remember. My earliest inspirations came from my grandmother's jewelry boxes. She had stacks of boxes filled with gems and antique jewelry that fascinated me.''
Sherry graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh with an Associates Degree in Graphic Design. As her love of jewelry and the arts continued to grow, she found her niche in creating beaded body adornment combining modern materials with beadweaving techniques learned from Native American and Victorian styles.
Using a freeform-style of beading, Sherry works spontaneously so the colors and shapes dictate where the design goes. She uses simple tools - just needles, threads, suedes and a palette of beads and stones.
''Structure fascinates me as much as color does. Taking these tiny glass beauties and making something strong and beautiful is very satisfying. Each component plays an important role in holding the design together. I've recently come to realize that not only is beadwork "art", but in creating it I use math, history, and architecture. My desire is to design a piece of art that is completely wearable.''
Sherry's beaded collection has won many national awards over the years and her work has been featured in numerous magazine articles. Most recently, Sherry is sharing her bead embroidery skills through teaching and in her book, The Art of Bead Embroidery, co-authored with Heidi Kummli. Her pieces are so well done in fact, celebrities such as Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, Melissa Etheridge and Fergie all have a piece, or two, in their own collection.
As well as being featured as a catalog cover artist, Sherry has developed how-to instructions for Fire Mountain Gems and Beads and is featured in the Gallery of Designs online.
To view more of her amazing designs, visit her website.