Dallas Lovett

I began my design practice in 1993 after completing a degree in fashion design at Woodbury University in Los Angeles. My formal training has, without a doubt, influenced the course of my work over the past ten years. It affects how I see and what I'm trying to achieve. In particular, my philosophy and approach to design is to take my chosen medium (wire wrapping and weaving) to a higher professional standard that I refer to as Jewelry Art. I am confident that my abilities as a designer and as an instructor will enhance the profession and bring it to a higher standard.

Some have remarked that my work has an engineering feel. That's true as far as it goes, but my aesthetic is also natural in that it derives from the spare and sculptural landscape of my native Arizona. I strive to combine silver wire and beads (seed beads, pearls and semi-precious stones, or lampwork beads) to create three-dimensional forms in which all the parts relate harmoniously to each other and to the whole. And just like natural objects, each piece of jewelry I make is unique and individually 'handmade' in every way.

My workshops are intense, but the intensity comes from the work itself, and not from my personality. A student who completes one of my workshops, even one of the basic workshops, will have achieved self-confidence and will leave the workshop with a professional finished product. Because I had to make these techniques my own before I felt comfortable working with wire, I encourage each student's growth and further exploration.

Dallas is co-owner of Trade Wind Gallery, a jewelry and bead store in Phoenix, Arizona. The Beading Frenzy is his exclusive teaching venue in Northern California.

Click on the image to see a larger view of this lovely piece.