World Artisan Gems

Name: Sue Lawrence-Nester

Website Link: www.elementsjewelry.etsy.com

Where are you located? Galax, Virginia

Tell us a bit about yourself:  I have always been referred to as an “artsy-crafty” person. I am the kind of person who sees something and says I can make that and I do. When a diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis knocked the wind out of my sails I turned to wire-working and beading as a way to regain control over my life. I use the creative process as a means of pain suppression. This gives a whole new meaning to the term “workaholic.”  When I am designing and fabricating my jewelry I become so focused that I really don’t feel the pain of the arthritis.

When did you start designing jewelry/art? Since 2004 I have been creating art jewelry which I sell online and at local festivals.

What do you make? I tend to make one of kind pieces of jewelry. I also make limited edition series like my PMC Kanji Heart Pins. However, I have friends and associates who want me to branch out into 2 or 3 production lines.

What materials and methods do you use? I fabricate pieces in copper, sterling, and precious metal clay. I create pieces using wire-working and wire-wrapping techniques. One of my favorite materials to use in wirework is a handcrafted lampwork bead(s). I love to take a set of beads and showcase them in my particular style. The two newest areas that I am venturing into are enameling on PMC and chain making. PMC is the perfect medium for enameling. Enameling compliments the designs that I create. As for chain making, I am trying to develop a signature chain for my pendants and necklaces. It is a work in process.

Where do your design inspirations come from? That is a difficult question to answer. The inspiration comes from the beads I use as well as the semi-precious gemstones that I use. I tend to let the beads or stones speak for themselves. I rarely go to make a piece with a specific outcome in mind. Yes, there are a few exceptions like my Galax leaves which I purposely set out to create, however for the most part the design just flows out according to project.

What is your best working environment/where is your studio?  I physically work in my “basement studio” and it is not a place that I would actually ask anyone to come in and see as I am a very chaotic organizer. My working environment is typically anywhere I happen to be at any given time. I am always thinking, jotting down, sometimes sketching, everywhere I go. It is unusual for me not to have some project or parts of a project in my satchel that I can pull out and work on while waiting during appointments.

Where can your products be seen? You can find me on Etsy and my blog.

Upcoming events: I can’t believe that it is almost September with Christmas looming in the distance.
September 13 & 14, 2008 Galax, Virginia:  Matthews Farm Quilt Show
September 20 & 21, 2008 Pearisburg, Virginia: Bicentennial Celebration Quilt Show
October 25 & 25, 2008 Winston-Salem, NC:  Sawtooth School for Visual Art: Have your way with wire workshop
November 28 & 29 2008 Hillsville, Virginia: VFW Christmas Bazaar
December 3-7, 2008 Winston-Salem, NC:  Sawtooth School for Visual Art: Deck the Halls.
January/February 2009 Kitty Hawk, NC: Trunk show details to be announced.

Magazine articles or press:  Not yet, but I am working on a press release announcing that I have been certified through the Rio Rewards Program as a Level 1 PMC Instructor.

Who are you a fan of? Tim McCrieght, Jinks McGrath, Joanna Gollberg, Marcia Macdonald, CeCe Wire, Chris Darway, Celie Fago.

Price range: $20-$500

Tell us a little about one of your favorite creations (seen below): Out of the clear blue, my best friend from Pearisburg, Virginia, Debbi Williams Evans called me in July 2008. She asked me to create a piece of jewelry for the silent auction during the Giles County High School class of 1973 reunion. The money raised by the auction was going towards the purchase of a memorial bench. So that is where the idea for this piece originated.
I thought long and hard about what would be a good “subject” for a reunion oriented piece. Then it hit that Angel’s Rest, the mountain that overlooks Pearisburg is also the backdrop for graduation every year. So, I chose Angel’s Rest because not only has it born witness to the common history of the class of ’73 but it witnessed the histories of the families and community that came before and after.

Angel's Rest

Anything else you wish to add? On August 24, 2008 I was certified through the Rio Rewards program as a Level 1 PMC instructor. I hope to start teaching classes through the Chestnut Creek School of the Arts located in my home town of Galax, Virginia.

Thank you for your interview and much congratulations on your Rio Rewards instructor certification.