Biographies

We have a fantastic line-up of presenters at the Art Clay World EU Conference. You'll be working with passionate metal clay artists, and leading artists in other fields will share techniques and inspiring ideas to combine with your metal clay work.

Here are all the presenters lined up alphabetically.

Katie Baum

Katie Baum is a Senior Instructor with Art Clay World, USA, and is the current Director of the Art Clay Society. She has been involved with Art Clay since the company moved to Chicagoland in 2002, and has been an instructor of Art Clay since 2006.

Katie became a full-time member of the Art Clay staff in 2007, dedicated to working with the Art Clay Society to form it into an educational, collaborative, and supportive entity for metal clay artists and enthusiasts. Since then, she has expanded also to work with wholesalers, marketing, and advertising for Art Clay.

She travels widely to teach and work with students, teaching Art Clay techniques and providing knowledge of Art Clay products. With her degree in Education and a background in teaching, Katie works with Art Clay curriculum and helps instructors delve into the art of how to teach metal clay. She is absolutely ecstatic to be included in the Art Clay UK Guild Conference!

Lisa Cain

Lisa Cain has over 15 years experience in traditional metal work and has been teaching these skills to others for the past 10 years. Lisa runs the Mid Cornwall School of Jewellery and has been creating with metal clay since 1998. Teaching is a passion for Lisa so her classes are fun, informative, dynamic and productive. Lisa feels that metal clay can be enhanced using a few traditional skills and includes these techniques in all metal clay classes at the school.

She says, 'Having a traditional metals background means I can easily see when metal clay is the perfect tool to use and when to switch to sterling techniques. I hope all metal clay artists will eventually learn just a few traditional skills to enhance their work. Adding unique clasps, earring hooks and chain affords you a distinct advantage in a competitive market and can really enhance your designs.'

Robert Dancik

Robert Dancik holds a Masters degree in sculpture and a BA in fine art and has been an artist/teacher for more than 30 years. He is presently an adjunct professor of education at Pace University, and has taught people from kindergarten to graduate school while exhibiting his jewelry and sculpture in museums and galleries across the US and in Europe, Japan, and Australia. He teaches workshops at art centers in the US and abroad including Penland, NC; Arrowmont, TN; Metalwerx, MA; Touchstone Center for Crafts, PA; Victoria College of Art, Australia; Brookfield Craft Center, CT; and Mid Cornwall School of Jewelry (UK) to name a few. His work is in numerous collections including the Wustum Museum of Art, Boeringer- Ingleheim International, Schamberger International, Mitsubishi International, Japan and the Gregg Museum of Art and Design. He has artwork published in many books including PMC Decade, Fine Art of the Tin Can, 1000 Rings, The Art of Resin Jewelry, and Creative Metal Clay Jewelry, and magazines including Niche, Art Jewelry, Lapidary Journal and Perspectives. Robert is the originator of Faux Bone™, a new, wonderful material for artists involved in jewelry, artist's books, sculpture, and many other artistic disciplines. He lives in Oxford CT. where he is an avid cook (I didn't say good) and collector of toys, maps, and compasses. Robert may be contacted at: www.robertdancik.com or www.fauxbone.com. Or at email – playcik@yahoo.com

Jo Dix

Jo Dix started making jewellery in 1999 as a hobby. She soon progressed to commission work, and produces work in a variety of media – although silver and gold are her favourites. After moving to Cumbria in late 2004 Jo opened her own jewellery business, an open studio in a tourist location where she creates, teaches and sells her work.

Jo became interested in Art Clay Silver in early 2004 when she attended an Art Clay course. Ever the sceptic, it took a couple of sessions to convert Jo to this incredible product, but now she is a true believer! Jo has OCN and City And Guilds Jewellery and Silversmithing Qualifications, and is a level 2 Art Clay Silver Instructor. Jo is passionate about learning and experimenting, and is delighted to be able to share her experience with other guild members.

Carol Douglas

Carol Douglas have a long background in ceramics and art. She tought art for many years, and was head of an art department in a private school. Specialising in ceramics, she was also head of pottery in a secondary school in Hampshire. Carols still teaches occassionally, mainly to supplement her obsession with Art Clay!

Carol's work has been exhibited many times, and over the last few years she has introduced Art Clay into her ceramic work to expand her range. She takes her inspiration from the New Forest and coastline where she lives.

Sue Heaser

Sue Heaser has worked professionally in crafts for over 25 years and is the author of twelve major craft books, mainly on modelling clays and jewellery. After a childhood spent in the Far East, Middle East and Africa, Sue studied at art college and university in Great Britain. She first worked as an archaeological illustrator before turning to a career as a craft writer, designer and teacher, specialising in polymer clay, metal clay, jewellery and sculpture. Sue was the first Art Clay Senior Instructor to qualify in the UK and was appointed the founder director of Art Clay World UK in 2004. She has taught workshops all over the world and appears regularly on the British television show, Create and Craft, demonstrating Art Clay and polymer clays. She was a Presenter at the Metal Clay World Conference in Las Vegas in August 2008.

Sue is managing director of The Polymer Clay Pit Ltd which is the largest specialist supplier of modelling clays in Europe and an official supplier of Art Clay Silver to the UK. Sue's latest book, Magical Metal Clay Jewelry, with many of her innovative metal clay techniques, will be published world wide in October 2008.

Larissa Johnson

I was introduced to the wonderful world of jewellery at University in South Africa where I studied Jewellery Design. However I did not pursue a career in the Jewellery field and after leaving University but became an accountant instead; a career that spanned 20 years!! This was until Melanie introduced me to the delights of Silver Clay.

Ever since then I have been hooked and eventually gave up my full time job to run Art Clay Supplies, teaching and selling Art Clay plus associated products. We run various workshops and at the moment the most popular is the Fingerprint Jewellery course. We recently started selling Sherri Haab's latest product, Image Transfer Solution and I had a wonderful time travelling around the country with Sherri, whilst she ran workshops in Image Transfer and Resin jewellery. I live in Berkshire with my husband and 2 children.

Amanda Mires

As part of a lifelong interest in crafts, I spent several years studying technique and form in glass. Having initially trained in stained glass, I subsequently joined the team at Creative Glass UK, where I extended my love and knowledge of the medium to include fusing and kilnforming, specialising in glass jewellery.

Three years ago I discovered the joys of Art Clay Silver and, after studying with an internationally-renowned tutor, last year I qualified as a Senior Instructor. During my research, I have explored many techniques but more recently have concentrated on combining Art Clay silver with glass, with many intriguing and beautiful results!

Glyn Mitchell

I was first introduced to Art Clay in 1992. Initially the clay had a shrinkage of about 14% and it came in transparent packaging. There was no 650 and no Slow Dry. I saw the potential of combining the clay with enamel right from the start and on completion of my apprenticeship with Kempson and Mauger Royal Enamellers, I set up my first metal clay teaching studio in Jersey 1998.

We are now on to our third studio. Jersey Silver Studio is the new kid on the block and is an advanced Metal Clay teaching studio aimed at the experienced metal clay artist, leaving Quick Silver to continue as a commercial print and ring studio. Enamelling on metal clay will feature predominantly.

Erna Piechna-Sowersby

Art Clay has walked into my life rather than me searching for it. For the last 20 years my media had been glass, which I transform using a torch or more typically a kiln. Art Clay presented me with an option I had almost forgotten: to shape a material with my own hands rather than with hard tools. I liked this option but quickly realized that working on small jewellery pieces was very different from handling heavy glass panels. To submerge into a world of small pieces of clay, small movements, small everything, required that I reestablished my perception of the environment. The combination of Art Clay with glass - in particular with glass powders - is a great field of playful exploration, discovery and simply fun.

I have pursued my artist's career with a specific interest in teaching and communication. I organise classes, define syllabuses, write essays about techniques and new developments both in the world of glass and metal clay. I work for Creative Glass in Switzerland, but regularly teach at Creative Glass in England and Austria plus various other places in France and Hungary.

Julia Rai

Julia has been making metal clay, silver and bead jewellery for around five years as a hobby. She started by doing a silverwork course and got totally hooked!

A qualified FE teacher, her day job involves teaching police officers and police staff to run successful projects.

In her spare time Julia teaches the PMC Diploma at the Mid Cornwall School of Jewellery and also teaches lentil bead making and unique texturing for metal clay.

Toshihide Ueeda

Mr. Toshihide Ueeda began his art career at the very early age of 9 by creating his first enamel project. His lifelong thrust in art was showcased as he opened his own studio Hide Emaim Emayu School in 1979. He established, and is currently President of the Art Association of Contemporary Enamel "SPLENDOR", where he also continues to hold group exhibitions. His works have been invited to the Belgium Enamel Art Exhibition, and he has continued to exhibit in overseas enamel exhibitions in Spain, France, Portugal, USA, Russia, and Canada.

Mr. Ueeda has been Supervisor and member of the judging committee of the Japan Enamelling Artist Association since 1989. He is the Standing Director of the Japan Enamelling Artist Association and Aida Chemical Industries Co., Ltd.; Member of the International Netsuke Carving Association, Japan Jewelery Designers Association; Instructor at NHK Osaka Art & Culture Center for Enamel & Art Clay; President of Emayu Enamel (school of metal casting, carving, and Art Clay).

Gordon Uyehara

Gordon K. Uyehara was born and raised in Hawaii. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. After thirteen years in the information technology field, he decided to take some time off for artistic exploration. It was then that he made the thrilling discovery of silver clay in a local workshop.

Still residing in Honolulu, Gordon is a freelance artist/designer and an Art Clay Silver Senior Instructor. Working with silver clay led him to reconnect with an attraction to small scale design and wearable art. His motivation is to create pieces that are familiar and yet interestingly seductive and to explore the outer design limits of this relatively new art form. He is gradually incorporating traditional jewelry making techniques into his work as he learns them.

Inspiration for his creations arrives from nature and from the visual and performance artists he admires. Gordon frequently contributes articles and gallery pieces to Art Jewelry magazine and has a project featured in the book, "Metal Clay Jewelry: Projects, Techniques, and Embellishments" by Louise Duhamel. He has won many awards in local, national, and international art competitions.

Petra Wennberg

Petra Wennberg first started using metal clay as part of her jewellery making hobby in the late 90's. Back then, the appeal was the instancy of the product, which then suited her impatient personality. These days she spends a lot longer working with the clay, perfecting new techniques, combining it with different materials, usually enjoying every second of it.

In 2004 Petra was offered to become an official Art Clay distributor, and she went on to set up the first UK online shop and studio to focus solely on Art Clay.

Originally from Sweden, Petra is now based with her husband and son in picturesque Corfe Castle, Dorset. She's obsessed by metal clay and jewellery making, and to be working with metal clay professionally full-time. As she says: "Teaching Art Clay is such a satisfying thing to do. To be there and share the excitement of someone's first steps into the metal clay world, and to be with a group of people who really wants to talk non-stop about metal clay for a day or more – I'm very lucky to be doing what I do."