Moose Spotlight: Rustic and Bohemian Jewelry Design
"Serendipity is the way to make discoveries, by accident but also by sagacity, of things one is not in quest of. Based on experience, knowledge, it is the creative exploitation of the unforeseen."
- Adrian Bejan
MEET THE ARTIST
@deemcgetrick on Instagram
Meet jewelry artist Dee McGetrick, based in Springdale, Arkansas. She has been creating jewelry for 12 years now and her creations can be seen on her Instagram account @deemcgetrick.
THE JOURNEY TO CREATING JEWELRY
Dee's journey to jewelry-making can be described as serendipitous. She shared, "My inspiration came from my granddaughter, Allison, and bead shop owner, Stacey."
At the time, her granddaughter Allison was making beaded stretch bracelets for her fifth grade friends. Dee drove her to their local bead shop to purchase supplies. "I immediately fell in love with the handmade jewelry Stacey had on display and decided this is what I wanted to do. That was over 12 years ago." Call it serendipity, right? :)
Dee started out learning to wire wrap beads but quickly decided she wanted to do more. She took a class offered in Precious Metal Clay (PMC) and was hooked. She said it offered more creativity in her designs. A few years later, she decided to further expand by learning to solder and she described this as a game changer because she loves bezel set gemstone jewelry.
Take a look at some of Dee's beautiful jewelry creations!
Handmade Jewelry by Jewelry Artist Dee McGetrick of @deemcgetrick on Instagram
ARTIST’S DESIGN STYLE
As the saying goes, everyone starts as a beginner. With that, it's inevitable to encounter some challenges along one's journey. Several years ago, Dee had been struggling with setting faceted gemstones in bezels. Mara Yafe, a very accomplished jewelry artist, shared with her a simple technique to solve her problem. "Thank you Mara! It was definitely an AHA! moment," Dee recalled.
Here are a few more gorgeous creations by Dee!
Handmade Jewelry Creations by Dee McGetrick of @deemcgetrick on Instagram
THE DESIGN PROCESS
"Design process? It is rather primitive in that I generally peruse the massive amount of beads, chain, gemstones and leather laid out on my work table. Something will catch my eye, begging for me to pick it up and the process begins," Dee explained how she starts creating a piece.
From there, she will choose complementary components and proceed until she is satisfied with the end result. "No advanced planning process, hopefully it just falls into place, 😊" she added.
When asked to describe her design style, Dee said typically her design/style is rustic and bohemian.
JEWELRY DESIGN TIPS, TRICKS, AND HANDY TECHNIQUES
What's one design tip you one to share with your fellow artists?
"I love incorporating little “pmc” do-dads into my soldered pieces, for example, bracelet links or bezels."
Any words of encouragement or tips to those who are starting out in the world of jewelry-making?
"Make friends with like minded people. You can share and learn from each other, making your journey a lot more fun."
Lastly, Dee's message to the universe:
Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deemcgetrick/
Check out her Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/people/SimpleeSilver
