Wenzhou Beads

Description:

This workshop is currently full.

In this class we will focus on creating a beaded bead that Valerie first found in the city of Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province, China. This highly distinctive bead, which is similar to what Laura Shea calls the “Archimedes” bead, is characterized by the many teardrop-shaped beads that protrude out from the small round or oval beads of the interior. After completing their first Wenzhou bead in class, students will be asked to do a second bead which will be in some way a variation on the first.

This class is for students of all experience levels. Knowledge of what Laura Shea calls “Plato and “Archimedes” beads will be helpful. Instructions for these beads can be found in Valerie’s book, The Art of Beadwork.

About The Tutor:

Valerie Hector is an award-winning jewelry designer whose primary materials are beads of glass, precious metals, resin, and other materials. She opened her studio in Chicago in 1988 and since then has participated in several hundred juried fine craft shows in major cities in the United States. She has exhibited at the prestigious Smithsonian Craft Show in Washington, DC. Her work has been featured in publications such as American Craft, Ornament, Metalsmith, Fibre Arts, and Smithsonian.