Kathy Evert
Becoming dissatisfied with the choices for costume to fine jewelry in department stores, Kathy became attracted to custom designed and hand-made jewelry. She was part of the “Shades of Red” exhibit at Arts on Grand in Spencer, IA in February 2007 and has been accepted for juried events in Okoboji, Arnolds Park, Valley Junction, Orange City, Lanesboro, MN, and the Central Iowa Art Association Art Fair. Kathy has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from St. Ambrose University. She has been working with Precious Metal Clay (PMC) since 2006 and has completed Levels 1 and 2 Certifications in PMC. PMC, developed in the early 1990’s, is a clay-like medium used to make jewelry, beads, and small sculptures. It consists of very small particles of precious metals (such as silver, gold, or platinum) and now some base metals (bronze and copper) mixed with an organic binder and water. After drying, it is fired in a kiln. The binder burns away, leaving the pure metal. Silver PMC results in objects containing .9999 pure silver.
Kathy has been working with PMC for about five years. “I incorporate it into my jewelry pieces, usually as pendants for necklaces or charms, but also custom-made clasps,” she said. “I also use enamel on the metal as well as 22K gold, which add new dimensions to the jewelry.” Kathy has been selling her work at art fairs, jewelry shows and in local artists’ shops. She regularly donates pieces of work to annual fundraising events for the Pearson Lakes Art Center silent auction and the Abben Cancer Center silent auction.
Kathy’s approach to jewelry has been to find unique and unusual gemstones in both shape and color and wire-wrap them or have them accentuate a free-form focal point made from PMC silver. Her inspiration comes from the stones and often has no idea how they will be used. She doesn’t keep a sketch book (yet); she will just start with a piece of clay or will sketch how to wrap the stone when she’s ready to start.
She likes textures and especially likes the patina finish on her silver PMC work. She especially enjoys applying PMC paste to natural items such as leaves. You will regularly find pendants made from leaves found in her back yard. She also wire-wraps stones and crystals and has been creating focal points for jewelry from scrap copper. Copper is a more affordable metal and she loves the color!
She doesn’t make anything she would not wear herself and enjoys wearing art jewelry. It makes getting dressed for work each day very enjoyable and creates a new look even when wearing something old!
Tony Curiel
CRVA
Curiel/Reynolds School of Visual Arts
216 6th Avenue East, Spencer, Iowa, 51301
712-580-5035
www.curielarts.org
"Serving the community through the visual arts"
The reasoning of CRVA's 'one on one' instruction philosophy is that of complete dedication to each student. Our goal as educators, within the realm of the visual arts, is to give the student a direction of purpose, enabling them to pursue their individual goal, to ether become a "full-time working artisan" or to be useful to themselves becoming qualified within a particular field of interest.
Bob Willardson (Wooden Images)
Bob and Rose Willardson are the owners and artists of Wooden Images. Bob has been working with wood and his scroll saw for about 20 years.
"We have been displaying our scroll saw art, mostly in California, since 2000. In 2000, we had the opportunity to be in the Huntington Beach Art by the Sea. In 2001 we were selected to participate in Knott's Berry Farm Christmas Crafts Fair which ran from Thanksgiving until New Years Day. Then in 2002 we came closer to home and started a six-year run at the VillageFest in downtown Palm Springs, CA. This show ran every Thursday night and gave us the opportunity to meet and sell our art to tourists from all over the world. During this time we were also involved in various other shows, including the College of the Desert - Arts and Crafts Show in Palm Desert, CA, and the Fountain of Youth craft fair."
They have entered pieces in the Riverside County National Date Festival and won First and Second place ribbons each year. One year, entering four pieces in two categories, they won not only First and Second in each, but also a Best in Division ribbon.
"We are now located in Jackson, MN, and are ready to display our work in the Midwest."
