Artistic Approach Kathleen Cook handmade Jewelry

Artistic Approach

Mookite NOLA Necklace Detail

Artistic Inspiration

Making jewelry has been a hobby of mine since grade school. From friendship bracelets (remember the ones made from embroidery floss?), friendship pins on our shoes, plastic button barrettes, ribbon barrettes, and fused glass pins, to all the other various bad 80’s and 90’s crafts, I was hooked. My studio potter career was a very serious endeavor for me, yet when the transition from the pottery to the jewelry occurred, I was delighted to find myself having FUN again. Though as anyone can tell you, the jewelry is also serious for me in terms of the design, the function, and longevity of each piece. But there is something about using color and shape and form and texture while pushing my own “design boundaries” that I find thrilling!

I find inspiration everywhere: my cats’ coats, nature, the birds at my birdfeeders, working in my garden, the seasons changing, walking, “seeing” my neighborhood, reading, as well as current fashion trends, what’s being worn on soap operas, my favorite movies, necklines, color--you name it. Even my husband’s hair when he’s just rolled out of bed can inspire a new take on form and texture. But my greatest source of inspiration are the beads themselves. Often times the materials just “speak” to me – I can pull beads out and begin to pick complimentary elements and then a design just evolves--as when working a puzzle, the pieces can quickly come together.

Technical Approach and Materials

All of my pieces are one of a kind, although similarities and continuity are evident. I tend to work in series, making each piece slightly different from the last--with an extra touch here or there. I purchase many of my beads in limited quantity, so many of my designs are limited editions, their availability being contingent on whether I can find the same materials again.

I use only sterling silver wire, clasps, ear hooks, chains, logo tags, and crimps; my beads are cultured freshwater pearls, semi- precious stones, Swavorski crystal, Hilltribe Thai silver and Indian silver beads.

Customers may specify color preferences for all pearls and semi-precious stone beads. You may also specify a type of stone if you have a favorite. I will do my best to find a match or at least something similar to your request. Pearls tend to have the following basic color families: grays, whites, pinks, greens, reds, and browns/bronzes. The colors of semi-precious stones vary greatly

Some of my beads are hand-crafted by me using Precious Metal Clay (PMC). PMC is a material that was created by the Mitsubishi Company in Japan for the use of professional jewelers in the States. It is a silver powder that is suspended in an organic/polymer base. While being shaped, PMC has clay- or polymer clay-like properties. Once it is formed into the desired shape, the PMC is fired at 1200-1470 degrees Fahrenheit, burning out the binders and leaving a cured hard silver piece. All of my PMC creations are one of a kind, the perfect marriage between clay and metal! Sadly, although it is a great deal of fun to work with, PMC is an expensive material.

In the past few years, I have also been using Silver Art Clay - a similar product to PMC with a workability that I prefer. All silver clay/PMC pieces go through a multi-step creation/firing/polishing process. The first step is to form the piece. Because of the material, I can sand, burnish, scrape, and join dry silver clay together as part of the “creation” process. Once the piece is dry- I fire it to 1200-1470 degrees. Once cooled, I then scrub each piece, polish with steel wool, polishing cloths, and a metal burnish tool. At this point the piece is ready to be dipped in an oxidizing solution; this solution provides the black/dark relief to the piece, highlighting the details and providing depth. Once the piece has been oxidized, it’s time to polish it again -- scrubbing, polishing, and burnishing until it’s “just so” and I’m happy with the piece. After all the polishing is completed, I now dip each piece in a solution that helps prevent tarnishing. Once that step is complete, the piece is ready to be utilized in a design. (Average start to finish time for each piece = 2 days or equivalent to 3 hours of hands-on labor.)




Introduction Artistic Approach New Designs Necklaces Bracelets Earrings Commemorative Jewelry		Artistic Approach Artistic Inspiration Making jewelry has been a hobby of mine since grade school. From friendship bracelets (remember the ones made from embroidery floss?), friendship pins on our shoes, plastic button barrettes, ribbon barrettes, and fused glass pins, to all the other various bad 80’s and 90’s crafts, I was hooked. My studio potter career was a very serious endeavor for me, yet when the transition from the pottery to the jewelry occurred, I was delighted to find myself having FUN again. Though as anyone can tell you, the jewelry is also serious for me in terms of the design, the function, and longevity of each piece. But there is something about using color and shape and form and texture while pushing my own “design boundaries” that I find thrilling! I find inspiration everywhere: my cats’ coats, nature, the birds at my birdfeeders, working in my garden, the seasons changing, walking, “seeing” my neighborhood, reading, as well as current fashion trends, what’s being worn on soap operas, my favorite movies, necklines, color--you name it. Even my husband’s hair when he’s just rolled out of bed can inspire a new take on form and texture. But my greatest source of inspiration are the beads themselves. Often times the materials just “speak” to me – I can pull beads out and begin to pick complimentary elements and then a design just evolves--as when working a puzzle, the pieces can quickly come together. Technical Approach and Materials All of my pieces are one of a kind, although similarities and continuity are evident. I tend to work in series, making each piece slightly different from the last--with an extra touch here or there. I purchase many of my beads in limited quantity, so many of my designs are limited editions, their availability being contingent on whether I can find the same materials again. I use only sterling silver wire, clasps, ear hooks, chains, logo tags, and crimps; my beads are cultured freshwater pearls, semi- precious stones, Swavorski crystal, Hilltribe Thai silver and Indian silver beads. Customers may specify color preferences for all pearls and semi-precious stone beads. You may also specify a type of stone if you have a favorite. I will do my best to find a match or at least something similar to your request. Pearls tend to have the following basic color families: grays, whites, pinks, greens, reds, and browns/bronzes. The colors of semi-precious stones vary greatly Some of my beads are hand-crafted by me using Precious Metal Clay (PMC). PMC is a material that was created by the Mitsubishi Company in Japan for the use of professional jewelers in the States. It is a silver powder that is suspended in an organic/polymer base. While being shaped, PMC has clay- or polymer clay-like properties. Once it is formed into the desired shape, the PMC is fired at 1200-1470 degrees Fahrenheit, burning out the binders and leaving a cured hard silver piece. All of my PMC creations are one of a kind, the perfect marriage between clay and metal! Sadly, although it is a great deal of fun to work with, PMC is an expensive material. In the past few years, I have also been using Silver Art Clay - a similar product to PMC with a workability that I prefer. All silver clay/PMC pieces go through a multi-step creation/firing/polishing process. The first step is to form the piece. Because of the material, I can sand, burnish, scrape, and join dry silver clay together as part of the “creation” process. Once the piece is dry- I fire it to 1200-1470 degrees. Once cooled, I then scrub each piece, polish with steel wool, polishing cloths, and a metal burnish tool. At this point the piece is ready to be dipped in an oxidizing solution; this solution provides the black/dark relief to the piece, highlighting the details and providing depth. Once the piece has been oxidized, it’s time to polish it again -- scrubbing, polishing, and burnishing until it’s “just so” and I’m happy with the piece. After all the polishing is completed, I now dip each piece in a solution that helps prevent tarnishing. Once that step is complete, the piece is ready to be utilized in a design. (Average start to finish time for each piece = 2 days or equivalent to 3 hours of hands-on labor.)

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