Today we’d like to introduce you to Annette Paskiewicz
Hi Annette, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been a craft artist for more than 35 years. Growing up in Kenosha, Wisconsin, my mother Pat was a beloved art teacher who taught students of all ages. Because of her, I was exposed to wide variety of high-quality crafts from early childhood. There were always Ceramics Monthly and American Craft magazines on the coffee table. Growing up with my mom meant regular trips to the Milwaukee Art Museum or the Art Institute of Chicago. My mother was my inspiration and constant source of encouragement in my life as a craft artist.
The first two years in college at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, I studied lighting design in the theater department. The thought of being in dark theaters all my life led me to transfer into the art department and I got my B.S. in Art, focusing on ceramics.
When I moved to Chicago in 1986 I started a business called “Draw Bags by Annette.” I created one of a kind applique leather (resourced from the “scraps” of the clothing designers and manufacturers in NYC) bags and accessories and sold them in the Midwest and east coast art fairs. My last show was the Philadelphia Museum Craft Fair in 1989. I had an incredibly successful show and met so many great artists I still know today. I stopped making bags and moved to Los Angeles at thirty years old to start jewelry.
I took one metalsmithing adult education course in Venice Beach, CA and then one semester of basic metalsmithing at El Camino Community College in California’s South Bay. From then on I taught myself to fuse glass and combine it with sterling silver. In the 1990’s I attended workshops in enameling and lamp working glass at the Penland School of Crafts. Notably, after college I lived a brief year in San Francisco (1985) and studied ceramic art, at the now defunct, San Francisco Art Institute.
In 1991, I started making jewelry and exhibiting in craft fairs nationwide. From the Smithsonian Show in Washington D.C. to the Beverly Hills Art Fair in California, I traveled across the United States selling my jewelry.
In 2007 I moved to Athens, Georgia.
A perfect spot for my creative endeavors.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all!
Paying my bills and staying in my home creates a daily struggle to get new work made, posted and sold.
I always say that the 90’s were my best selling years. That was when our country had more expendable income and would buy more art jewelry. Since the 2008 crash almost all of the galleries I sold in went out of business. The introduction of the internet created a whole new set of competitors at the shows. Lack of art education and my move to the South created new challenges to find customers who are interested in my fine craft jewelry and can afford it.
Over the years I have found some great customers near me. It’s a different landscape for the art fairs and I tend to do less of them and more direct marketing.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
All of my jewelry and their components are fabricated by my hands.
The Glass
I am fusing together flat sheets of Bullseye glass in opaque and transparent colors and layer them with dichroic color in the center. I melt this in the kiln for a “blank” of color which I then cut and grind into the shapes for my jewelry.
The Metal
I make a fine silver bezel around each piece of glass and create a cup the glass sits in so I can then fabricate it into fine jewelry including necklaces, rings, bracelets and earrings.
The Inspiration
Bright, bold color and abstract shapes reflect my love for contemporary art. Mid Century Modern designers, abstract art and especially minimalist painting and sculpture provide endless themes for discovery.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memories revolve around the Sundays my mother would say to me “Do you want to go to an art museum?” I knew this was going to be a great day because we could pick the venue depending on how we felt about the weather and what we were up for. This was an exciting choice between the Chicago Art Institue (a big deal taking the train from our home in Kenosha, Wisconsin) or the Milwaukee Art Museum (which always included a visit to the MALL! in south Milwaukee on the way back) When we stuck close to home we would go to Racine and see the art at the Wustem Museum of Art. My mother and I loved these visits and grew very close during them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.studiomodglass.com
- Instagram: @modglassgirl
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/studiomodglass/
- Other: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/508898867
