Artist Of The Month – June 2006

	M Sue Way Robersonville, NC Email:cinaed@cox.net Web:www.cinaedstudio.com

What do you love about Art Clay? I love the ability to sculpt in silver rather than using traditional silversmithing techniques. I am a very tactile person, I rely on my sense of touch when making jewelry how does it feel to my fingers? how does it feel when I hold it in my hand? does it have "weight" and substance. Art Clay allows me to create 3–dimensional works.
What are your favorite Art Clay projects/creations? One of my favorite pieces is called Circle of Life and is a mini African scene complete with vines and animals. Another favorite piece is a silver basket filled with gemstone bluebonnets that reminds me of spring in the Hill Country of Texas. My Weathered Seashell is also a favorite because it reminds me of my years living at the beach. Complete with barnacles and worm trails, it looks like many of the shells you see on the beach after a storm.
What other media do you work and/or teach in? Fused Glass Glass Enamel Beads Bead Weaving Wire Wrapping/Weaving
Biography: Sue Way was raised in the Shenandoah area of Virginia.; In 1991, she earned a Master’s degree in Math Education and began teaching for Virginia Beach City Public Schools. Later, she became a Computer Resource Specialist where she worked with teachers helping them to learn how to use modern computer technology as a teaching tool. After a life–changing event in 2003, she decided to follow her heart and make jewelry–making her focus in life. She had what she describes as a "Green Acres" moment: She quit her job, sold her house in Virginia Beach and moved to rural North Carolina where she could set up a studio at home and make jewelry all the time. She originally began making jewelry as a teenager after a trip to the gem mines of North Carolina. Over the years, she has tried a number of different jewelry making techniques including bead weaving, collage, and wire wrapping. In 2001 she took a workshop in metal clay jewelry and was hooked on the possibilities of this new medium. She has continued taking classes whenever possible and has added fused glass and glass enamel to create more dimension in her work. She is a certified instructor with Art Clay Silver and uses her teaching background to bring the fun of Art Clay Silver to others.
Philosophy: I love to create––this love is the driving force of my life. Expressing myself through the creation of something new and different is vital to my well–being. When I’m not creating I’m usually thinking of something new and trying out different ideas and techniques in my mind. I keep a notebook to sketch my ideas in by my side at all times because new ideas pop up when I least expect them. I think the wonder of creativity should be part of everyone’s life. Everyone can be creative –– usually it’s fear that holds us back. Fear that someone won't like what we create, fear that it won’t turn out, or it won’t be perfect. Overcoming that fear is essential if we are to really live, not just survive. My logo is a phoenix – a reminder to me that in the midst of pain and set backs and failures to keep trying, not to let fear hold me back.
Awards / Degrees: Art Clay Senior Instructor North American Design Contest, Art Clay World, USA, Sept. 2005 Honorable Mention: Circle of Life Silver Accessories Juried Contest, Japan Hobby Contest, Tokyo, Japan, May 2006

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