Tuesday, May 20, 2008

MELANIE HAZEN - FEATURED ARTIST

WELCOME MELANIE, and her unique jewelry. Each time I feature an artist, I always ask them to send me a photo of their favorite piece of work. The photo on the right is Melanie's favorite. I love the simple elegance in her designs. Read below to find out more about Melanie, her art, and how she got started.

I am a high school librarian by profession, and a glass and jewelry artist. I taught high school English for 7 years, before going back to graduate school for my library degree, and have worked in the library for the past 5 years. My great loves besides jewelry and glass, are books. Since making the professional move from the classroom to the library, I have been taking more classes in glass and in the last year and a half have added metalwork to my repertoire. You can see my gallery by clicking on this link: MELANIE'S GALLERY . My work has recently been accepted for publication by Bead & Button magazine; I have sold work to the Frist Museum Gift Shop and currently have work for sale at HodgePodge Boutique in Clarksville.


What led you to start creating your art?

I had been looking for a gift for a good friend and just couldn't find what I want, so I decided that I needed to learn to create it myself.

How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?

I consistently bought lampwork beads are art shows, and decided to take a class in glasswork... then I took another class in metals. Those have become my main focus.

What aspect of creating your art do you find the most enjoyable?

I love torchwork and hammering metal- those have got to be my favorites.

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art?

I just appreciate beauty and simplicity. I love the elements of the natural world, and try to reflect it in my work.

What advice do you have for other artists?

Work hard, try to take classes from accomplished artists, they are really helpful.

THANKS, Melanie for sharing your work and ideas with us. Be sure to visit Melanie's Etsy shop to see more of her work!





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