Wire Artist of the Month June 2011: Kathy Evert

I love jewelry and can always change the look of what I am wearing by changing the jewelry I wear. Jewelry-making is a way to express and work on my creative side and is a great escape from my professional (and sometimes stressful) full-time job.

I started buying jewelry at local art fairs and then began making a few pieces of my own about 8 years ago because I grew tired of what was available in clothing and department stores; nothing really special or that was attractive to me. I kept making jewelry and it gradually took over more and more space in my home and began to sell it at art fairs and now in art galleries and retail shops.

My jewelry business is a hobby business that is slowly growing, only due to the amount of time that I devote to it each year. Perhaps someday it will become a full-time business, but for now, it is a lot of fun. I especially enjoy the reaction from making custom pieces for other women.

One of Kathy's wire wrapped pendants, Purpurite wrapped with Sterling Silver Wire

I have a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. I started KJEwelry in 2004, have completed Level 1 and Level 2 Certifications in Precious Metal Clay (PMC), have taken two wire-wrapping classes with Dale "Cougar" Armstrong, and enjoy enhancing unique stones with wire and my PMC work. I have exhibited and sold my jewelry at several juried art fairs in Iowa since 2006. I sell my jewelry now primarily through local art galleries, retail shops, and special events.

Kathy Evert's featured piece, Sun Jade Pendant, is a Sun Jade prehnite cabochon
wrapped with Sterling Silver wire.

I purchased this 108 carat piece of Sun Jade four years ago during my first trip to Tucson for the gem shows. It was my "keeper" piece from that trip, but I didn't know what I would do with it; I didn't know how to wire-wrap stones. I had never heard of or seen the Sun Jade stone before and still have not seen any since. I love the color, and I especially like the flower-like shape in the milky color within this stone. This stone forced me to learn to wire-wrap! Ever since that trip, I always look for unique stones and manage to bring home a "keeper" every year.

Kathy's Sun Jade Pendant from the side (top), and from the back (bottom)

I like unique shapes and types of stones and lean toward larger pieces of work. I'm not afraid to wear necklaces which incorporate large stones or pendants; I want them to be the focal point, to encourage conversation, and to accentuate whatever I may be wearing.

Kathy wire wrapped this Stichtite (Atlantisite) Cabochon in Sterling Silver Wire, and accented it with Amethyst Beads

Great minimal frame wrap on the Sun Jade Pendant allowing the stone to show at its best; good variation of top design; good wraps, nice bail!

About wirejewelry's Wire Artist of the Month Program

Each month, we pick a talented wire jewelry artist and their work to highlight. We know we have some incredibly talented customers, and we seek to encourage and highlight those members of our community by highlighting one wire artist every month.

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