Christine Connerly

Artist Biography

My parents instilled in me a love for creating unique things with my hands. My mother sewed and weaved and my father cut, polished and set stones. I began working with beads when I was very young and began making jewelry to sell in the mid 1980's shortly after attending a paper bead making workshop with my mother. I am drawn to both soft and hard materials to create touchable, wearable pieces that absorb and reflect light. The materials I use are eclectic including vintage fabric, precious and semi precious stones, crystals, silver, wool, paper, gold, old bits of jewelry, pearls, watch parts, washers, glass, ribbon, bone, shell, polymer clay, wood, and anything that will combine to create the effects I want.

Sometimes I begin my design process with experimentation, laying things out to see how they look and feel together. Sometimes I have an idea in my head, sketch it out, and then begin the process. As I begin to put the piece together, it almost always changes direction and evolves. The process of making the piece is absorbing and satisfying. As I work, I am filled with calm focus. There are times when I encounter frustrations when things don't go as planned, but working through the frustration to solve problems usually leads to a more interesting design.

Currently, I am increasingly drawn to incorporating textiles into my jewelry. Victorian laces, vintage handkerchiefs, sari silk or felted wool – all combine beautifully with stones and pearls. The soft and hard textures that both absorb and reflect light provide an engaging contrast. Recycled fabric and materials connect the past to the present and give historical weight to a piece. Where I used to work more with metal working tools such as pliers and snips, I now find myself using a sewing needle to hand stitch beads, fashion fabric flowers, and attach ribbons. Sewing connects me with my mother, my grandmother, and women from the past who expressed their creativity with needle and thread. This new direction is leading me to make pieces that are both elegant and whimsical.