“Art Island”, Greensboro, NC
Art is not what I do but it is who I am. For years I felt like I was a body without a voice and now I have found more than one. Jewelry making was my first venue of expression but over the years I have crossed into painting, photography, poetry, wearable fiber and pottery. I love to explore and my personal growth is reflected in my works. Ability to create art and stay at home with my daughter is a dream come true. Years of searching for myself have paid off and I am happy to share my gifts with my customers.
I have been a professional Master Crafter/Artist specializing in filigree stainless steel wire technique for the past 10 years. After 6 week intensive training in filigree welding I built my studio in the back of our house in NC and this is where I spend most of the time making jewelry.
Every piece of jewelry is made from stainless steel wires that are hand woven and welded using spot welder. There are several stages in making each piece. First the frames are made. I have created steel plates in school and the wire is bent around them to shape the piece. Then all the leaves are hand woven separately to go inside the frame. Multiple short pieces of wire are cut to hold pearl, garnet, coral or amber beads embedded inside. All separate parts are laid out like a puzzle to complete the art piece and then welded one at a time until jewelry comes to life. Once everything is welded, the polishing and buffing stages complete the process. It takes a long time to make each jewelry piece.
My collection of fashionable scarves shawls and ponchos came to life over several years of knitting with 12mm bamboo needles. I purchase all yarns from Italy and Turkey. My mother Olga Khmeleva has taught me how to knit and has worked by my side over the past 3 years. Each scarf takes from 2 to 3 hours to complete as it has anywhere from 15 to 20 loops. Shawls have at least 90 stitches and it takes over a day to make one. Very often yarns are combined to create a more complex design. I use both summer and winter yarns. At shows when I am not busy selling I always demonstrate knitting.