My current fascination with beading began quite accidentally in 1991 after breaking a pair of beaded earrings. My humble initial efforts at jewelry repair have evolved. After attending a bead show that featured almost no jewelry, I recognized a void and became interested in creating Indian style jewelry, beaded sculptures, and tapestries. This has led me to my love of beading as an art form.
My initial interest was in the study of beaded jewelry. As my knowledge improved, I began to translate different techniques of beads and knots into three dimensional sculptures and tapestries. Inspiration comes from the world around me. Creatures of nature, landscapes, painted ceiling of churches are all ideas waiting for the translation into a beaded piece. My mother taught me that colors have relationships and to inspire emotion with color. For me, color is an important and fun aspect of my creations.
Inspiration also comes with the involvement with other artists of all Medias. Since my recent retirement, I have led a weekly group of artists getting together to share encouragement, thoughts and knowledge of different medias. The involvement with other artists is an important element, encouraging each other to a higher level. I welcome the opportunity to show my beadwork as an Art form. It can be fun, intricate and interesting. And I hope, it will ignite others to express their creativity.
You can see more of Juanita’s work on her flikr site www.flickr.com/photos/tokay-beaded-art.