THORN HILL JEWELRY

Well girls, it's time to get excited!  It's not often that I
stumble on a MALE wire wrapper, but this man will
definitely wooooo you with his wire talent and artistry!

I have the absolute pleasure (drum roll, please!)
in introducing you all to the stunning work of:
 KEVIN THORNHILL
of THORN HILL JEWELRY!

Get comfortable. Sit tight and drool over the
beautiful imagery, wonderful craftsmanship and 
artistry that you are about to behold ...

Hi, I'm Kevin Thornhill of THORN HILL JEWELRY
located in St. Petersburg, Florida.  By profession I have
been a Nurse for the last 20 years and although I enjoy
that profession, the creative side of me was always
looking for an outlet.

I initially started out learning stained glass fabrication and
progressed into fused and painted art glass.  Once into fused
glass, I started making glass cabochons, but was never really
satisfied with the bails available for them and thus the interest
in wire wrapping was planted!

I was lucky enough at the time, that the stained glass shop
I frequented offered a class for wire wrapped pendants ...
Talk about good timing!  I took the 2 hour class and
successfully wrapped my first pendant, which was a piece 
of glass I had created.  That's all it took ... I was hooked!  
Since that time, I have continued on my own to explore 
my creative side with wire.

The creation of Thorn Hill Jewelry was a result of the
pleasure I received from working with wire and the
unlimited possibilities of what can be created with it.
Positive feedback from friends and family of pieces
I had made was also a big influence and spurred me
on to continue to create ...

The inspiration for my designs comes mostly from just
getting in there and playing with the wire.  Sometimes
I have an idea to start off with and other times, it evolves
as I go.  I take the attitude that it's only wire.  If I screw
it up, it's no big deal!  This attitude allows me to the
latitude to just go with it without worrying about the
amount of wire I might waste.  I have had some very
nice mistakes, or totally new creations come into being
because of that.  I waste very little wire because I try to
take my mistakes and turn them into something else,
which most times is quite successful.  The other benefit
of this, is that I can create a new design that I had never
even considered!

My 'Tribal Barb' piece (above) is one such example of
that.  Initially I was making a cross that was just not
turning out the way I wanted, so I scrapped that idea
and just played with the wire, bending it this way and
that and this piece was created!

If you asked me if I had a favorite technique - I would have
to say that my favorite technique "is no particular technique"!
I admire the work of so many, but try not to emulate others
and instead create my own original designs.  Sometimes, I
like things to be very simplistic, as I believe that is a beauty
in itself.  Other times, that extra bit of detail makes all the
difference.  Each piece speaks to me and tells me when to
stop and that's a good thing to know.

At present, I do not teach classes, as I still feel I have much more
to learn.  I think it's the perfectionist in me that has me always
wanting to improve.  I'm not sure when I will get to the point
of feeling 'good enough' to teach, although, I am always willing
to help others in whatever way I can.

To date I only have my creations listed on my website, though
I have tried Etsy without much success.  I also promote my
creations on FACEBOOK. Of course family and friends are a
great way of promoting your work.  I have done one house party
and did very well at it ... hmmmm ... maybe it's time to do another
one ... !!

The best piece of advice I can offer aspiring, budding artists,
is to just get out there and 'play' with the wire. Don't worry
about making mistakes or wasting wire.  Start out in copper
as it's cheap and no big loss if nothing comes out of your play
sessions!  So many people worry about wasting wire and I
think that can really hold back their creative exploration.

Venture off on that creative path and have fun!

Another thing that I believe can make or break a piece, is the
way it's presented in a photograph.  What you present is what
they see and that can make the difference as to whether or not
it will interest them enough to purchase the piece.  Take many
pictures and select the very best one that represents the jewelry
in color and shows all the detail to it's best advantage.

My biggest desire is for my creations to be successful and 
instantly recognizable as being mine.  I think we'd all love that 
level of success!  I would also like to create a totally new 
process or technique totally unique to me.  I always have that 
in the back of my mind and  know it's just a matter of time before 
it springs forth!

In closing, I'd like to thank Linda for offering me this opportunity
to tell my story and express my thoughts.  I am truly humbled
and honoured.

Thanks, Linda!
Kevin Thornhill
THORN HILL JEWELRY