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Art You Can Wear
By
Diana Kirkpatrick
DESIGNER PROFILE
The inspiration for Diana Kirkpatrick’s
beautiful work draws on her lifelong fascination with unique gemstones
and on her travels, particularly through the American West, the Florida
Keys, the Peruvian Andes, Egypt and North Africa. She is boundlessly
enthusiastic about her work: “I love my designs, I wear them and I enjoy
seeing others wear my creations.”
Diana’s background is ecumenical. After
earning a PhD in chemistry from George Washington University, she spent
15 years as a successful chemist before she transformed herself into
“Chandra of Damascus”, an acclaimed professional Middle Eastern dancer
and dance teacher. She also ran her own Middle Eastern dance costuming
business. She now lives in Gainesville and travels in a 40-foot RV
“bus” with her husband, Bob Siegel, a retired IBM senior communications
executive and former newspaper reporter and editor.
I’ve been fascinated
with jewelry and jewelry making my whole life. My love for art, nature,
and jewelry making began at an early age. As I was growing up, my
family spent many happy times exploring the Appalachians and the Blue
Ridge Mountains. The crafts and jewelry I saw during these years
inspired me to learn all I could about enameling, weaving, macramé and
beadwork.
I started studying
jewelry techniques seriously in the mid-1970s with classes in lapidary
arts, silversmithing, and lost-wax casting. In the 1990s, I
explored bead weaving and needle weaving as well. Over the years,
I’ve continued to explore a variety of jewelry and beading techniques,
studying with a number of renowned teachers.
After earning a PhD, I
became fascinated by Middle Eastern dance and in the 1980s I began a
long term love affair with this wonderful dance form. Eventually,
I left my career in chemistry to dance professionally and start my own
costuming business.
I created costumes and
accessory pieces using my beading and jewelry making skills.
Over time, my designs
have become increasingly complex and my pieces have come to include many
different materials and a variety of elements from different techniques.
Some of my pieces are traditional weavings using either vertical or
horizontal warp threads to achieve different patterns. Other pieces
involve wire warps and woven wire segments. Each design incorporates
textures, motifs, and color combinations that reflect my interpretation
of a particular place or culture.
I constantly
experiment with new materials and approaches when I construct pieces, so
every design has unique characteristics and qualities. My designs
are often inspired by the colors and textures I observe in nature, but
special stones and beads play a role as well. I find the rainbow of
colors exciting and inspiring. Crystals and the forms they take have
always intrigued me and I include crystals in many of my pieces for
their texture and eye-catching qualities.
In creating a piece, specific shapes and color combinations start
a concept that leads to an overall design, then beads and fibers are
selected. In every instance, my goal is to create to a work of art that
brings enjoyment whether it is worn or displayed.
I work in my studio, fabricating each
element of a design. Last year I added a website
www.dianakirkpatrick.com
so that people could see my
jewelry and wearable art online. My site also includes information and
lore about the many stones I use in my work. I’ve recently added
an e-letter to friends and customers.
Many of my customers see and try my
pieces at home-jewelry parties. It is wonderful to see someone
become excited about a special piece of jewelry. The party setting
is informal and relaxed so people have an opportunity to try on a
variety of pieces in a casual, friendly setting.
Diana is also one of our Expert Contributors with her Tapestry
Needle Weaving column.
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