Beverly Smith
Art Clay Senior Instructor

 
I first recognized my fascination with creativity at age 4, when my hand had just been squished into a paper plate full of plaster of Paris, thus preserving my handprint. It was my first realization that things could actually be "made" by hand. Over the years I've explored many other mediums such as knitting, sewing, ceramics, oil and decorative painting.

My first adventure into jewelry making was during my college days when I took apart my mother's old costume jewelry and redesigned it into something much more funky. I completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art from the University of Tennessee and over the years that need to be creative has always been a defining feature of my personality.

In 2002 I took stained glass classes and shortly thereafter was introduced to glass fusing. Having always loved jewelry, in 2003 I decided to follow my dream and took a jewelry fabrication class. This was soon followed by metal clay and lost wax casting classes. in 2004 I began making lampwork beads. I received my Level One Certification with the PMC Connection in 2004 and in 2005 I received my Certified Instructor designation from Art Clay World USA.

My philosophy concerning teaching jewelry is I want people to learn and have a positive experience. There are many different ways to achieve the same result and what works for me may not always work for someone else. I believe the definition of art is subjective and contemporary aesthetics defines art as anything that creates a reaction in the viewer.

Jewelry making and teaching has been a wonderful journey. I love spending time and sharing ideas with creative people. I have always been able to follow their passions. Every day is a new day of discovery and I often wonder who else will impact my life on the creative journey.