NICOLA BEER

S P O T L I G H T
on Jewellery Artist
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NICOLA BEER
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Nicola has only been making jewellery for just over a year,
but in that short time, her technical and design talent is very
evident!  Enjoy reading about the life behind her jewellery
making and bathe in the beauty of her stunning jewellery designs!

WHAT'S YOUR BACKGROUND?
I am from the U.K. and currently live in Washington, which is
just outside of Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East.  I have
been married to my wonderful supportive husband for 11 years
now and we don't have children, but we do have 2 mischievous,
adorable dogs.  Noodle, a Bichon Frise and Poppet, a Maltese.

We have a passion for travel, in particular, I adore the Southern
Pacific archipelagos and I have been lucky enough to have
visited this beautiful part of the world many times.  In the
future, I also hope to spend time in the Artic and Antartic circles.
Whilst, in the U.K., Cornwall is my favourite holiday destination.

HAVE YOU DONE ANY JEWELLERY TRAINING?
I have been making jewellery for just over a year now and started
using wire in late February 2013.  I am completely self-taught,
but I have always been very arty and ever since I was a small
child, have loved creating things with my hands.

In May 2013, I was diagnosed with severe depression and a host
of other mental health issues and found myself house bound, lonely,
incredibly desolate and lacking in direction.  Making jewellery
became my lifeline and being able to create gave me a reason to
get out of bed in the morning and a sense of self-worth.  I am never
surprised when I hear stories of people who have been helped by
handcrafting and art. It's tremendously therapeutic!

WHERE DO YOU CREATE YOUR JEWELLERY?
I don't have a studio as such, but the surface of my rather large
kitchen table hasn't been visible for several months now!

I work at home and even if I am just relaxing and watching a bit
of TV, I usually have a wire project in my hands at the same time.

WHAT INSPIRES YOUR DESIGNS?
I am inspired by all things fairytale, fantasy, myth, legend and
nature related.  I love to produce enchanting and whimsical designs
that I imagine would be worn by fairy princesses, mermaids,
mythical heroines and literary characters.  I am also really interested
in rocks and minerals and enjoy collecting beautiful gemstones.
Quite often, it's the gems that inspire the designs. Fashion and trends
don't really interest me, unless from a historical perspective, so I
tend not to be inspired by specific occasions, but essentially, I create
pieces that I personally would love to wear.  Fortunately, other people
seem to like my designs and one of the reasons I love artisan created
designs is that they are so unlike the commercialised mass-production
that we see on the high street.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE DESIGN?
I don't have a particular design or technique that I would say is my
ultimate favourite.  I just enjoy the whole process of getting my idea
to come to life and the problem solving aspect of making this happen.
I use cold connections at the moment, but I am hoping to learn to
solder in the future.  Wire wrap and precious metal clay are the mediums
that I use the most.  I love sculpting a ring or pendant from clay and
seeing it transform into solid silver!  It makes me feel like an alchemist!
I enjoy the fact that every piece is unique.  I tend to work with pure,
uncoated metals such as silver, copper and brass.  I pay lots of attention
to the finish of my jewellery and the myriad textures and patina effects
that can be created to enhance a beautiful piece to jewellery.

WHERE DO YOU SELL AND PROMOTE YOUR WORK?
I promote my jewellery through my FACEBOOK page and
sell through FOLKSY.
My trade name is Rubycurls Jewellery.  I have also recently
joined an artists collective at CREATIVE IGLOO
where my work will also be on sale.  I usually have a few pieces
for sale, but most of my work is commissioned based.  Quite often
someone will see something that I have made and ask me to
reproduce it for them and I am always happy to this, or to work
with a customer to create a bespoke design.

DO YOU TEACH OR WRITE ONLINE TUTORIALS?
I am just starting to write my own tutorials and I hope to be
published in a couple of jewellery magazines this year.  I don't
currently formally teach, but it is something that I would love
to do in the future ...

HAVE YOU ANY ADVICE TO PASS ON TO OTHERS?
My advice to others is to make what YOU think is beautiful and
what makes YOU happy.  I don't try to make or sell my work to
a specific market and that means that I can create things that I
love and am proud of! It might not make me rich, but it makes
me happy and keeps the joy in it.  I would also tell people to
work to their best ability. Not everyone has the same skill set
or design ability, but ensuring that whatever you do, is the very
best that you can manage will help you to grow and evolve with your art.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS AND ASPIRATIONS?
I would like to able to teach at some point as well as have some
of my tutorials published.  I am always trying to develop my own
skills.  Most of all, I just want to be able to carry on creating and
for people to continue to appreciate what I do and to enjoy wearing
and owning my jewellery!

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Nicola, I have absolutely NO doubt that your aspirations will be
fulfilled!  Your talent shines bright and your work is an inspiration
to others!