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Glass and Stone, Wearable Art Czechoslovakian leaves, sea jasper, carnelian, blood stone... just some of the myriad of glass and semi-precious stones that Catherine Hysell uses in her jewelry designs. Sold in stores and galleries throughout the country, Catherine was recently one of the finalists for the Saul Bell Design Awards, a national competition that receives more than four hundred entries annually. Through the use of imaginative color combinations, innovative wire wrap, and beautiful materials, Catherine's designs are able to retain the artist's individual look and stand out in a sea of competition. What makes Catherine's pieces so unique? Upon inspection of Catherine's line, you'll note two distinct styles. One is delicate and ethereal, incorporating the Czech glass beads done in varying shapes and colors of leaves, eggs and other organic shapes, with smaller stones, often multi-layered, using wire wrap and silk cord. On the other end of the spectrum are earth toned, weightier pieces that include her signature ropes made of thousands of Japanese or Czech glass beads and bearing an aesthetic resemblance to an exotic serpentine mosaic. Luxurious in their weight, color, and price tag, they fit easily into gallery settings looking like a piece of sculpture in themselves. While both styles are quite distinct, they do share a commonality that hints at Catherine's past travels to India, China, and Saudi Arabia (where she lived for a time.) There's a sort of ethnicity to her line that is exotic but not aggressively so, it's just one more facet that adds to the individual stamp of the designer. Other influences include a mother who is an accomplished artist, and a father who is an architect. With a collection that includes an impressive body of work it's remarkable that this artist made her first necklace just three years ago.
After suffering from an illness diagnosed as Chronic Fatigue Immunity Dysfunction Syndrome, Catherine was forced to rethink her future, and more specifically her career, as she was unable to remain in the physically demanding profession of clinical psychology. Knowing that her hours would have to be flexible, the idea of working for herself and at home was appealing, but the thought of being a jewelry designer was not something that immediately came to mind. A number of years ago while in college Catherine had studied fine arts, so the creativity was there, but had been somewhat dormant while she concentrated on her work in psychology. Still contemplating her future, she enrolled in a jewelry making class at a local bead shop, more as an interesting diversion rather than a possible career catalyst. As it turned out, that one step launched a small business that is now expanding after several years of experimentation in the designing, production, and marketing of her jewelry. Catherine's recent growth has included trunk shows in La Jolla and Sonoma, and she will soon be showing in Chicago.
Although her pieces are designed and produced in short runs (the maximum any one design is replicated is six times) Catherine also continues to specialize in one of a kind, custom items that are commissioned by an ever-increasing circle of regular clientele. If you would like to find Catherine's designs,
a few places to look include the G Gallery in Napa, Sumner
and Dene in San Diego, Callaway Gallery in Rochester
MN, and Warwick's in La Jolla. Catherine Hysell designs
will soon be available to view online at CatherineHysell.com
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