DianneKargBaron

My creative journey started with a piece of beach glass.

I wasn't actually looking for beach glass while walking the shore of Lake Ontario that day. I picked up what looked like an interesting rock, and was disappointed to find "only" the water tumbled glass. But then, just as I was about to throw it back into the lake, the thought struck me: "Hey, this would make a really neat piece of jewelry!"

What could I lay my hands on quickly to make a piece of jewelry out of this, I wondered. The only thing I could think of was wire.

Now, I have to confess that I was not a fan of wire jewelry - it didn't appeal to me at all. But, I was obsessed with making something out of this piece of beach glass.

So I bought some crappy electrical tools at Canadian Tire and a few feet of sterling silver wire, and I made a pendant. As soon as I was finished that, my mind was flooded with all kinds of other ideas of things to make.

That was the summer of 1995. Since then, I’ve bent, linked, twisted, woven, hammered, fused, crocheted and knitted my way through many kilograms of metal. Much of my oeuvre has been created without the use of a torch. It's a deliberate choice: I enjoy the challenge of figuring out a design based on the constraint of working cold.

I am a professional artist / studio jeweller / metalsmith / instructor who makes jewelry out of wire. The possibilities of what can be made using wire are virtually endless. The excitement I feel working with the metal has never gone away, and I love sharing that sense of wonder with the people who take classes with me.

I'm detail and quality oriented. One of the reasons why wire jewelry didn't appeal to me was because a lot of it looked very flimsy. As a wife and busy mom to two boys, the jewelry I wear has to keep up with my active life, so I everything I make has to pass "The Sweater Test". If it doesn't, you're not going to see it in my shop!

I've been very fortunate to have my work featured in magazines, fine craft publications and books, including Lark Books "500 Earrings", "Contemporary Bead & Wire Jewelry" by Suzanne Tourtillott & Nathalie Mornu, "Wire in Design" by Barbara McGuire, and "All Wired Up!" by Mark Lareau. I've been equally lucky to have had work included in national and international exhibitions, and in private collections all over the world.

I'm still exploring, still experimenting, still discovering what wire can do. It's a joyful journey. At the end of the day, I hope that when you buy my jewelry or one of my tutorials, you'll be able to connect with that joy as well.