Virginia’s life long fascination with jewelry started when she was a child living in Brazil, land of many fabulous gems, where her father learned to be a lapsmith.  He subsequently spent many years producing beautifully facetted gemstones and cabochons.

Almost 8 years ago she saw a simple beaded necklace she liked and she decided to see if she could make it herself so she went to a bead store that happened to be going out of business and spent the afternoon making two necklaces.  She loved it so much she went back the next day and bought up most of their silver, tools and a large amount of stock.   She was on her way, many times so inspired and excited by this new surge of creativity she felt like she had been set on fire!  Over the past years she has taken some courses: an introductory silversmithing course at Algonquin College, a evening of wire-wrapping, a second 4 hour course in the same, and a 6 hour course in Art Clay techniques, but most of her creativity comes from within.    She takes her inspiration from the stones she works with, feeling a special fascination for jaspers and agates, she tries to work with each stone pulling out it’s different colours to create the final piece.  Having an artist as mother and a lapsmith as a father has given her a refined eye for colour and form.  Art Clay has given her the freedom to further express her creativity.

She had been creating her jewelry part-time while working at NRC as a Technical Officer doing research on osteoporosis for four and a half years before taking the plunge and becoming a full-time artisan almost three years ago.  Her formal training was a degree in Biology and a diploma in Animal Care Technology. 

Art Clay

Art Clay is produced by Aida Company in Japan, that takes and recycles metals including silver from computer circuit boards and photographic supplies, adds non-toxic organic binders and water to make art clay.  A similar product is produced by Mitsubishi called PMC (Precious Metal Clay).  Art clay is a product that can be handled safely and has minimal effects on the environment.

Art Clay comes in the form of a lump of clay that is worked as a clay, dried, sanded and filed, then once completely dried it can fired in a kiln or with a butane torch.  This sintering of the clay causes the organic binders and the water to burn off and 99.99% silver (fine silver) remains.  The finished product is brushed, tumbled, filed and sanded to reveal a beautiful silver piece.    Further enhancement can be done with liver of sulpher to add a patina or enamel to add colour.

To take a piece of art clay and make it into a pendant that goes with a necklace can take from 3 days to a week.  She usually work a series of 6 or 7 pendants together to be time and energy efficient, maximizing kiln, tumbler and polishing processes.  She has now added realistic renditions of frogs and flowers done using Pebeo ceramic paint (fixed in the kiln) that is like enamel, and this process takes another 1-4 hours per piece.  Currently she is purchasing extraordinary stones, then designing two-sided art clay silver pieces to go with the stones.

Her beaded jewelry features semi-precious stones, fresh water pearls, sterling silver, Swarovski crystal and some Swarovski pearls.  She travels to the Tucson Gem Show to obtain some of her beautiful and unique stones (cabochons and lampwork beads).

Publications:
She was the Featured Artist in Issue 4. (2008) of Canadian Beading Magazine.

Some of the shows she has been in over the past years are:

• Originals Christmas Craft Show, December 11th-16th 2007-2009,  Ottawa
• Butterdome Spring Craft Show (Signatures), Edmonton, May 11-  13, 
  2007,  
• By Hand Show, Toronto, January 2009,    
• (Glebe) Art in the Park, Ottawa, Ont. 2009, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004
• Muskoka Festival of the Arts and Crafts, Gravenhurst, 2009
  
• Glamour in the Glebe, Ottawa, Ont. 2008-2010
• Fanfayr, Kingston, Ont. 2003-2010 (7yrs)
• Hurionia Festival of Arts and Crafts, Barrie, Ont. 2007 (Kempenfest)
• Burlington Arts and Craft Show, Sept, 2006
• (Strathcona) Art in the Park, Ottawa, Ont, 2003-2010
• Dickinson Days, Manotick, 3 yrs
• Dockside Festival of the Arts and Crafts, Gravenhurst, 2008
  
• Urban Art, Minto Park, Ottawa, 2006-2008
• Ottawa Folk Festival, Britannia Park, 4 yrs. 2003-2007 
• Ottawa Gem and Mineral Show, 2003-2010
• Cumberland and Ottawa Artisan's Guild (formerly Gloucester Craftman's Guild) Spring and Christmas Shows-8yrs.

*most shows are juried