Wire Artist of the Month

Wire Artist of the Month December 2016: Kaska Firor

october Artist of the Month - Kim St. Jean

Kaska Firor is an award winning jewelry artist, a writer and an educator. Originally a traditional wire-wrapping artist, in recent years Kaska has shifted her focus to working with innovating weaving techniques barrowed from basket making and textile arts. The intricate and visually complex patterns created by the weaves were what originally attracted Kaska to wire weaving.

Her fascination with the art continues to grow as she discovers more complex and challenging ways of combining and modifying different techniques and more inventive ways of incorporating stones, beads and other elements into her woven designs. Kaska showcases and sells her jewelry at art shows and exhibitions where she has won numerous awards.

Kaska enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience with others. She teaches locally at her studio in Cincinnati and throughout the country.

Artist Name: Kaska Firor Location: Cincinnati, OH

Tell Us About Your Work

I fell in love with wire arts the moment I picked up a pair of pliers in my first wire wrapping class in the summer of 2001. It was the way those small wire tools felt in my hands, so naturally and comfortably, and the irresistible magic of wire, its ability to transform into different shapes and patterns, that completely captured my imagination.

I have been making art all my life. Some of my best childhood memories include cutting, gluing, pasting, carving, or building something. Art has always found its way into my life. I spent five wonderful years drafting and building models while studying Interior Design in college. Over time I also dabbled in bronze casting, clay sculpture, stained glass, sewing, crocheting, and even cross stitch. But wire jewelry proved to be the thing that stuck - at least so far.

A few examples of Kaska's Work

tOcean's Breathe

Wire Woven Teardrop Pendant

After that first class in 2001, I spent several years working with traditional wire-wrapping techniques, improving my skills and experimenting with various types of wires and tools.

After a while, when I felt that I'd pushed wire-wrapping to its limits, I started searching for new ways of working with the wires. That was around 2006 when wire-weaving - adopted from textile and basket arts - just started making its regular appearance in jewelry magazines and books. The mesmerizing beauty of the rich textures and patterns of the weaves made an enormous impression on me, and I set off to learn as much as I could about these innovating techniques.

Black Sea

Cuff Bracelet

For me, teaching has been a natural extension of my work and an essential part of the jewelry making experience. In addition to keeping my craft alive and vibrant by passing it on to others, being a teacher, having to explain my ideas, gives me a new look at my own work and helps me to grow as an artist. And, of course, there is no substitute for the energy of a busy classroom, the free exchange of ideas and the fun of sharing a teaching-learning experience with a group of like-minded people.

Black Sea

Black Sea

Freeform Woven Ring

I think of my jewelry as small sculptures or tiny architectural structures that need to be strong and functional as well as interesting and attractive. My pieces are designed all around, each side receiving equal attention, with the back being just as beautiful as the front: the owner's own special secret beauty to be revealed to others or not.

Black Sea

Basket Full of Gems Pendant

Kaska is currently an instructor for our sister company JewelryTools.com. You can see all of Kaska's upcoming Jewlry Tools classes by CLICKING HERE or visit her online HERE. Follow her on Facebook HERE.

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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