Yvette Lowry

Yvette Lowry

Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' 2010
Jewelry-Making Contest
Metal Clay, Metal Beads, Wirework and Chain Category
Silver Medal Prize Winner
Category: Necklace

Meet the Designer-Artist

Where do you live?
Dickinson, Texas

Describe your artistic style.
Natural, organic and whimsical.

What inspires you as a designer-artist?
Nature and make believe and I believe my childhood influenced me. I spent long hours outdoors entertaining myself. I chased butterflies, inspected flowers and leaves and pretended.

What materials do you most enjoy working with?
My favorite medium is polymer clay. I discovered it years ago and it still intrigues me. However, I recently started using Art Clay and it has opened up a whole new world.

What is the name of the piece you submitted with your success story?
Breaking Away

What inspired this design?
An octopus on display at the Houston Museum that I saw years ago.

How did it come together?
I had originally planned on the octopus holding onto the chain--but after toying with the idea, I knew I needed to be breaking the chains. When I assembled the necklace I added the rough diamonds to represent barnacles and filigree balls to represent fishing floats.

Share Your Background:

When and how did you begin making jewelry/beading?
I am truly a newbie to jewelry making. However, I have been taking advantage of the tutorials offered by Fire Mountain Gems as well as other sites.

Who introduced you to beading?
Nicki Wilhelm.

Do you have an artistic background?
I have been in love with art my entire life. I had private lessons focusing on drawing and painting during my childhood--through my early twenties. Since that time, I've tried many art forms.

How did you discover Fire Mountain Gems and BeadsĀ®?
In June 2009, I had the good fortune to tour the Fire Mountain Gems facility. I must say I was quite impressed both by the product and the emphasis on people.

Do you belong to any beading societies or beading groups?
I don't belong to a beading group, but I do belong to a polymer guild. Houston Polymer Clay Guild.

What other hobbies do you enjoy?
I can't list them all! But Batik has been calling me. I've been gathering supplies and I can't wait to start some projects--incorporating jewels into the batiks.

Beading Success!

What role does jewelry-making play in your life?
I create things because I'm compelled to. I couldn't be happy without some type of artistic outlet. That being said, for the first time I'm trying to make a part-time career out of my art.

If you use jewelry-making as a way to bring in income, how are you selling yourself and your jewelry?
My website is www.yvettesartworks.com. My etsy store is www.yvettesartworks.etsy.com.

Do you participate in any charity fundraisers?
I donated a bead to the Circle of Hope project and I will be listing a polymer creation on ebay, to beneft Haiti. The entire proceeds toward charity.

Any advice for aspiring jewelry-artists?
I still need some. If I gave any, I guess it would be, don't be afraid to at least try something new.

View Yvette's back cover ad as featured in Ornament magazine, January 2010.

View all of Yvette's designs in the Gallery of Designs.