I have always been referred to as an “artsy-crafty” person. When a diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis knocked the wind out of my sails I turned to wire-working and beading. Since 2004 I have been creating art jewelry which I sell online and at local festivals. I have recently studied under Sara Sloan Stine and Marcia Macdonald at the Sawtooth School for Visual Art. Beginning this year I will be teaching workshops at the Sawtooth School.
I specialize in three areas, wire-work, fabrication, and metal clay. Metal clay is quickly becoming my favorite because it is a new medium that offers endless opportunities to create unique one of a kind pieces. I have just been informed that I will be the Featured Artist for the Yahoo Metal Clay Group in October http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MetalClay) and at the end of August, 2008, received my Level 1 PMC Instructor certification. September 1, 2008, my interview with World Artesian Gems was published on line at:
http://worldartisangems.com/2008/09/01/sue-lawrence-nester-elements-jewelry/
My creative process is based in coping with the pain and frustration of living with RA. Rather than let the pain control me, I control it by losing myself in my work, this gives a whole new meaning to the term "work-aholic".
Each time I begin a new piece I have a vague idea of what I want to accomplish. However, 90% of the time the piece takes on its own energy and guides me to bring it to life.