CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WINNERS OF ART WITH HEART CYCLE 1!
1st Place Wearable Art Piece: SHERRI JOHNSON
ARTIST STATEMENT:
I am a bead weaver at heart. A couple of friends taught me how to create a peyote stitched bracelet 3 years ago and I fell in love with beading. I learned about the Art With Heart Beading Contest from a new beading friend I met in my beading circles and thought it was a great chance to help St Jude’s Research while doing something I love! After receiving my kit, inspiration hit me in so many ways but as I started down each ideas path, it just wasn’t right. I knew that somehow it would eventually “hit” me and it would come together, I just hoped it was before the deadline!
Knowing that turquoise is the color for 2010, I thought I would try to incorporate it into my piece. The filigree focal point reminded me of a cross. I embellished the inside in the shape of a cross with Preciosa hot fix crystals. I didn’t want to cover all the holes in the filigree so the beauty of the background would show through. But carrying the turquoise theme within it gives it just the right touch. I was able to incorporate quite a few of the kit’s beads and started a Russian St. Petersburg chain necklace but stopped after finishing just half of the design. I liked the v-neckline created by the bicone crystals. The fringe adds the finishing touch and brings all the colors together. I call it Indian Summer. The beaded turquoise necklace is 18” long with an additional 4” from the top pearl at the “V” of the necklace to the bottom of the fringe and finished with a gold plated s-clasp. You can find some of my other works at http://www.redriverbeads.com/.
Knowing that turquoise is the color for 2010, I thought I would try to incorporate it into my piece. The filigree focal point reminded me of a cross. I embellished the inside in the shape of a cross with Preciosa hot fix crystals. I didn’t want to cover all the holes in the filigree so the beauty of the background would show through. But carrying the turquoise theme within it gives it just the right touch. I was able to incorporate quite a few of the kit’s beads and started a Russian St. Petersburg chain necklace but stopped after finishing just half of the design. I liked the v-neckline created by the bicone crystals. The fringe adds the finishing touch and brings all the colors together. I call it Indian Summer. The beaded turquoise necklace is 18” long with an additional 4” from the top pearl at the “V” of the necklace to the bottom of the fringe and finished with a gold plated s-clasp. You can find some of my other works at http://www.redriverbeads.com/.
2nd Place Wearable Piece: FRANCES KIPERMAN
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Beading has been a passion of mine since 2005. As an individual living with a neuromusuclar disorder/Muscular Dystrophy beading became important to me as a means of exercising my hands. Although repetitive motion is difficult, I find beading therapeutic not only for range of motion, but as a means of relaxation, and as a representation of a moment in time.This Art with Heart contest piece is dedicated to my mom who passed away a year ago January due to brain cancer. She had a huge heart, was an exceedingly giving person, my mom was someone who would sacrifice so others would have what they needed. Over the years I have tried to emulate her giving spirit through volunteerism, charity, and lectures on holistic health. I hope the proceeds from this heart will greatly help a child at St. Jude hospital. I am honored to have participated in this event.The name of the pieces is titled " With All My Heart! It can be worm as a necklace or pin.
3rd Place Wearable Piece: EMILY YANCHUCK
ARTIST STATEMENT:
I am a thirteen-year-old girl and my mom introduced me to jewelry making. Now I make it more than her! I have a small business, Designs By Emily, and I have an Artfire and Facebook page for it. When I thought about how to incorporate some of the beads in the kit, I thought twisting it in the chain would give a modern look. Also, to add sparkle(and who doesn't love sparkle?) I used headpins to attach crystals to the filigree. The ribbon tie in the back adds a softer touch. Thanks and good luck to everyone in Art with heart!
1st Place Artistic Piece: DANA HICKEY
ARTIST STATEMENT:
I am a London, Arkansas based designer/artisan, creating jewelry under the names Wind Dancer Studios (on Etsy) and Gifts from the Heart (on ArtFire). I currently favor working with wire to create one of a kind pieces of jewelry. Largely self taught, I enjoy wire weaving, wire wrapping, a little forging, a little torch work, some basic chainmaille and beadweaving. I like to think of my pieces as a fusion of styles and techniques. When not creating jewelry, I'm taking care of my wonderful family, managing the office aspects of our construction business, and working on the finishing details of our new home and studio atop a hill in the beautiful Arkansas River Valley, where the breeze dances with the tree tops.
The inspiration behind Sabina was easy...all it took was one look at the color palette and that beautiful filigree for me to know this had to be a vintage style necklace with a floral inspired focal. I knew with the proper encouragement the filigree could become the petals of that flower gently encasing the glass cabachon. When the beads arrived and the surprise element were bugles, they just had to become the leaves. I added some Vintaj filigree to the focal giving it the vintage art nouveau look I was hoping for. The glass pearls became simple buds waiting to burst open at the base of the flower. The connectors are an embellished RAW reinforced with wire for strength and stability. To give just a touch of glitz, Xillion cut Swarovski crystals in Gold Shadow were used in the center. A hand forged hook of brass turned more Vintaj filigree into a clasp that finished the look so well. Sabina is choker length, measuring just 17" and is named for my good friend Sabina, who has a love for vintage jewelry and encourages me to fuse my favorite mediums of wire and bead weaving to create pieces uniquely me.
The inspiration behind Sabina was easy...all it took was one look at the color palette and that beautiful filigree for me to know this had to be a vintage style necklace with a floral inspired focal. I knew with the proper encouragement the filigree could become the petals of that flower gently encasing the glass cabachon. When the beads arrived and the surprise element were bugles, they just had to become the leaves. I added some Vintaj filigree to the focal giving it the vintage art nouveau look I was hoping for. The glass pearls became simple buds waiting to burst open at the base of the flower. The connectors are an embellished RAW reinforced with wire for strength and stability. To give just a touch of glitz, Xillion cut Swarovski crystals in Gold Shadow were used in the center. A hand forged hook of brass turned more Vintaj filigree into a clasp that finished the look so well. Sabina is choker length, measuring just 17" and is named for my good friend Sabina, who has a love for vintage jewelry and encourages me to fuse my favorite mediums of wire and bead weaving to create pieces uniquely me.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/winddancerstudios
http://www.GiftsfromtheHeart.artfire.com/
Viewer's Choice: CHERYL BERNHARDT
ARTIST STATEMENT:
My Art With heart entry was inspired by my 3 lovely daughters and the beautiful pink beads in the kit. At first, I was really unsure of what direction to take with the kit. I kept playing with the beads and digging in my stash until the right combination clicked. The 'Ah Ha' moment came on Mother's Day when the girls presented me with a pink floral balloon. No kidding, this is how "Fleur dé Pink" came to be.
