Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Pretty and colourful jewellery is the work of Sheila Hendricks. This is the fifth part in the Artfire artisan interview series.

Your name
Sheila Hendricks :: Artfire shop :: blog ::

Where in the world are you?
Small rural farming area in Indiana

Briefly describe yourself and what you make
I am 38 years old, happily married for 20 years to my high school sweetheart. He spoils me so bad and I know that I am so lucky in that regard. We have 1 son who will be going to college this fall. I work full time outside the homebut my passion is my jewelry making. Right now I do simple stringing but would love to branch out into other techniques although I am not patient enough for weaving stitches. I think that I like the almost instant gratification of the stringing. I can work on a piece for an hour or so and it is done. But with other techniques, it takes many hours. I get to impatient for that...or maybe bored?
Who or what inspires you?
As silly as it sounds, I will be in a bead store or looking on line and see a bead or a finding and think "That is it!" I will take that bead and make something. I also do ceiling fan pulls and rosaries. For me, I can design based on ideas from a person. They can say " can you make something for my daughter for her prom? She likes simple dainty things and her dress is red. " I can do that as well.

When / how did you learn?
I started in the summer of 2007 and am self taught. I was at a store and they had a bracelet finding kits that you just bought the beads and the kit separately. The bracelet findings kit had directions but basical it was the wire with a clasp on the other end. I simply strung the beads, fed the wire through the clamp and it was done. So I bought a few magazines and used those to expanded that concept into necklaces and eventually earrings. Originally the bracelets were a fund raiser for my sister's mission trip that she does every year. But in making that first set of bracelets, I was hooked. My beading addition was born. I am a beadaholic and I know it!
What is your craft "philosophy"?
I think that nice jewelry should be affordable. For me, this is not my only income. So this is about doing it because I enjoy it, because I love it! I hope that I will sell enough to be able to fund the next project. Everyone should be able to afford jewelry that is not one of 5000 that a store sells. Everyone is unique and their jewelry should be too!

Have you always made 'stuff'?
I have always felt the need to make something. I have made baby quilts for all the nieces and nephews. I have tons of material in a tote that I have stored for several years but have not opened in just as many. I should probably find someone to give it to that could use it. I also enjoy writing, but have never been able to complete the first "book". I have the story in my mind and can play it like a movie, but getting all the details to paper is another step. I can't knit or crochet regardless of how much I practice. My dad makes it look so simple. He keeps telling me to just keep the tension even, but it always ends up in tight little bundles! It is not so simple!

Can you reveal a little about your creative process?
For me, I am a little all over the place with the creative process. Usually, I just take out beads and start laying them out. If I don't like the combination, I will swap out beads. I continue doing this until I like the initial results. Then I just continue working the piece and eventually it is just done. Sometimes it is easier if I have a color scheme to work from like someone orders red. But sometimes my best pieces has turned out from just randomly working with the beads. I have yet to determine an exact "Style" but I am beginning to think that "Style" is eclectic!

Do you have a designated craft space? What does it mean to you?
I am luck that I have a spare room that I keep all of my stuff in. It is messy and I don't even attempt to clean it up. I know that it will look just like it is in a very short time. I may eventually get some better storage in there as right now it is just a computer desk that is piled high. Although, when I am working on a piece, I will go get a fold up table and set it up in the living room and actually work in there. For some reason I can't work in the spare room.

Is your art/ craft a business as well? Any advice on running an arty/ crafty business?
To sell at a local antique mall, I had to have a tax id. So in the eye of the State of Indiana, this is a business. However, according to the tax guy, this is just a hobby as I am not making enough money to make it a business. I will still continue to do it as I love it. For me, it is about actually making the jewelry and hopefully, people will see it and love it as much as I do. My only advice is that people should do it because they love it! If they don't love it, then it just becomes a job and I think that not only do they loose something but what they are creating will loose something in the meaning and possible in the quality of the end product.

Labels: artfire, interview