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Parlor City Painted Ponies - Celebrating the Carousels of Broome County
2009 Fire Mountain Gems and Beads
Jewelry-Making Contest
Finalist |
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Meet the Designer-Artist
Not only am I a jewelry designer, I am also a painter. As artists, we are so visual that we tend to "take it all in" and can be very affected and inspired by our surroundings. So, I would have to say that my inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere. I may see something in nature that gives me an idea...or even a household item. Visual artists of all kinds may inspire me to create my own interpretation in jewelry, of that particular media.
I don't think I have really found my style yet, because I love it all. Perhaps since I love blending metals, gemstones, and clay...mixing media. I would say I am a "Mixed Material Girl!"
To that end, I am most proud of the entry I made for the Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' contest in 2009. My entry, Parlor City Painted Ponies celebrates the history of the area I grew up in and something I am passionate about--our Broome County carousels. It was a piece that came from the depths of my soul, with a base sketch for a springboard and grew from there. I let the beads and the ponies talk to me and I just loved the creative process. Since it wears very comfortably sitting as a "collar," and not to mention, I had the perfect color dress to set it off, I actually wore it to the May "First Friday" art walk in Binghamton. After receiving many compliments and purchase offers for this piece, I knew I had achieved my goal.
Share Your Background
I have always loved beaded clothing and jewelry, but I more or less fell into beading on my own. I received a BFA from Syracuse University in Visual Communication and have pursued a marketing communications career for the last 30 years. I started dabbling in beads as a hobby in 2006. I went to the local craft stores and bought the big lot of glass beads and all. However, it wasn't until I actually started to buy beading and art jewelry magazines that I knew there was much more to this medium and this wouldn't be just a passing art fancy for me.
I started to do some online research to see some of the advertisers from my beading magazines. (Bravo to your Fire Mountain Gems marketing department--they do a quality job!) When I realized there was a world of beads far beyond the average "craft store," I graduated to Fire Mountain Gems and Beads.
Beading Success
Jewelry-making is my passion. I can sit for 12 hours and not realize the time that has elapsed when I get "in the zone." Sometimes I have so many ideas, my hands cannot keep up so I sketch out the ideas to hold onto the inspiration and come back to them later.
I was laid off from my last marketing job in 2008 and have decided that jewelry-making is now going to be my profession--my next chapter in life; because I believe it is my destiny. |
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