KAY BONITZ

Artist Statement
If it is round and shiny, square and shiny, flat and shiny, or just shiny, then I will love it, buy it and use it to make something. I am most satisfied if my finished piece moves. Light and motion are some of the positive elements that give me creative energy.
My fascination with beads began with a collection of Victorian beaded handbags. I bought bags that needed repair, because they better fit my budget and I searched for loose vintage beads to make those repairs. Soon, the beads themselves became more exciting than the handbags. Now I most often buy beads because I love the color, the weight or the surface, not because I need them for some specific project. Later, a piece will need just those very beads.
My current work uses a beading technique called peyote stitch, which produces a sound but flexible weave. Peyote stitch commonly used today by bead artists is done in the hands, without a loom, so it is portable. I have spent many hours beading in airports and while waiting at the roadside for my husband to take a photograph.
Beadwork is my joy. When you wear my work, I know you will share the excitement I experienced creating it.