Artist Spotlight: Diane Hawkey

This week's featured artist is Diane Hawkey.  

Diane is a ceramic bead maker, artist and jewelry designer.

I began my love affair with beads and designing  at a young age, taking apart and redesigning my mom's broken costume jewelry.

I was first introduced to clay in the 1980's and began almost immediately exploring the possibilities of ceramic beads and jewelry. I branched out into metal work, glass  and mixed media, but my first love was always ceramics.

I have been a featured artist in BEADWORK magazine and my designs have appeared in STRINGING and other publications.

My work reflects a spiritual connection to the natural world.

 Ceramic Bead by Diane Hawkey
Find these beads and more at Diane's online shops:
www.dianehawkey.com
www.dianehawkey.etsy.com

 Cherry Blossoms by Diane Hawkey as seen in the 
Spring 2011 issue of Stringing Magazine.
On news stands now.

You can find out more about Diane and see more of her jewelry on her blog,
dianehawkey.blogspot.com

We asked Diane a few questions about working with cording and fibers in her jewelry and here's what she had to say!

What's your favorite type of cording or fiber to work with in jewelry?

 

Diane: My favorite cord to use is C LON or  Nylon beading cord. I find this to be the most versatile of stringing materials. It can be used in single strands  for delicate designs, or multiple strands twisted and combined with other materials. 

Why do you like working with cords and fibers in your designs? What quality draws you to these materials?

Diane:While I am attracted to anything  pretty,  working with any fibers has  special interest to me. I had  the good fortune to study weaving and felting with Leslie Heimstadt  in collage before I turned to ceramics.  I love how fiber adds an element of color and texture while being functional in the design, either  as a compliment or a focal point. I enjoy the contrast of softness of fiber against the hard surface of beads and metal.

Thanks so much, Diane!

Artist's Spotlight: Genea Beads

This week's featured artist is Genea of Genea Beads! 

Her work can be seen in upcoming Spring issues of Bead and Button and Stringing Magazines! 

Congratulations, Genea!

Genea's Jewelry incorporating fairy silk ribbons

Genea Beads specialized in the creation of handmade lampwork glass beads and finished jewelry. Each glass bead is made on an oxygen and propane torch and then put into a kiln to anneal. When the beads have  finished their annealing cycle they are cleaned and masterfully assembled into breath taking pieces of art to be worn and enjoyed for years to come.

Genea has been creating lampwork beads for the last seven years and loving every moment of it. Being a creative spirit, her artistic voice has come out in many mediums before being smitten with glass. Genea enjoys creating in a mixed-media style using her handmade glass beads, soldered charms using recycled materials, and beads she has been collecting over the years while living in many cities across the US.

Genea currently  resides in the northern part of Kansas City, Missouri, but  plans to move to the Pacific North West in the summer of 2011 to further her glass career. There she will study under many knowledgeable artists and get immersed in the areas art and green living culture. 

Genea's Jewelry incorporating colored leather cords

Genea loves to incorporate ribbons, leather and fibers in her jewelry creations in inventive ways! We asked her a few questions about working with cording and fibers in her jewelry and here's what she had to say!

A Jewelry Accord: What's your favorite type of cording or fiber to work with in jewelry?

Genea: Lately I am ALL about this .05 colored leather. As you can see from the attached designs it is just fantastic for all styles from a crimped loop for earrings to a cord where beads can slide over the top to knotting inbetween my lampwork spacer beads! I am also totally addicted to hand-dyed fairy silk. I think the gorgeous variegated colors of the silk are a wonderful compliment to lampwork glass. I also love using c-lon, nylon cording for knotting and macrame. I love to incorporate color for components anywhere I can fit it in so the cording and leather are just fantastic.

A Jewelry Accord: Why do you like working with cords and fibers in your designs? What quality draws you to these materials?

Genea: I have always loved fibers. I love the natural feel and look of them. I think they compliment the glass and add wonderful texture to pieces. I love using the leather to add my "floating" beads over the top. I love to create pieces with movement, texture, and visual interest, and sometimes even sound with things like bells. 

Thanks, Genea!  

Please visit Genea's 

Website: Geneabeads.com

Blog: Geneabeads.blogspot.com 

Etsy Shop: Genea.etsy.com