I started producing my line of Willy Wires jewelry and ornaments close to 20 years ago. Everything is designed and handmade by me, no soldering, all cold connected. I create a colorful and fun, contemporary look by forming my own unique yet practical shapes, combining sterling silver, copper and anodized niobium wire, along with glass abacus beads, seed beads, East Indian and Czech glass beads. Over the years I have added lots of designs and incorporated new materials such as recycled tin cans and vintage buttons.
My Willy Wires ornaments are fashioned without the use of a jig, by drawing in the air with brass wire and pliers and then hammered to create texture, catch light and help stiffen the piece. Most are finished off with seed beads and tied with golden thread for hanging.
I make my living as an artist, and am lucky to live and work in an 1850’s house and barn on the beautiful coast of Maine. I love to make things… lots of different things. Okay, I confess. I have an insatiable urge to make things. I have been working professionally for over 25 years as a painter and white line woodblock print maker. But I also make jewelry, little needle felted animals, and I always have a knitting project or two in process. I have been fortunate to have been able to use my artistic skills to make my living, painting thousands of pieces of jewelry and handpainting prototypes for the toy industry.
There are not enough hours in a day to make all the things I’m thinking about. Making things gives me pleasure that I’ve found to be necessary for my well being,… but there must still be time for gardening, baking, and rowing our beautiful dory on Penobscot Bay with my dear husband.
