Our first featured artist of the week, Rowan Rose, has “rocks on the brain.”
Rose’s interest in rocks was formed during her early years growing up in Southwest Virginia, where she had ample access to Indian arrowheads from the family’s garden and “leaverite.” As with most “love” stories, it was a man who really turned her onto rocks. Her deceased husband, Dale, was the Supervisor of Science for the Hampton, Virginia school system. Shortly after they married, the couple joined the local Gem and Mineral Society of the Virginia Peninsula.
The couple collected stones and gems for years, but did nothing with them until Rose decided to attend the William Holland Lapidary School in Young Harris, Georgia. After her first class in 1994, Rose was hooked on creating “Wire Wrap” jewelry and, after a few sessions was deemed good enough to become an instructor.
Rose will be teaching a Wire Wrap jewelry class on Saturday, March 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Clinch Mountain Arts & Crafts. She will also be in the store on Thursday, March 3, from noon to 3 p.m. demonstrating her craft and will be available for questions.
The class will show the beginner how to create a wire-wrapped bracelet from start to finish. In wire wrapping, there is no soldering, blinding or gluing. It’s just a process of binding the wire together to create your own piece of jewelry.
The class is $60 with all materials provided. Pre-registration is required.
