Q: Why did you choose the medium ceramic?
The ceramic process is magical. Opening the kiln is like Christmas morning. It never gets old. Before clay, I drew and painted. Making jewelry components is the best of both those worlds. I draw/paint/glaze/carve, satisfying the 2-D part of my brain and also, sculpt/build and get my hands messy.
Click here to see Kylie making these cute Hoot beads
Q: Are you planning to explore other materials as well in the future, like glass or polymer clay?
Metals intrigue me. I frittered away an opportunity to learn metals in college. I just wasn’t ‘into’ the class. It just wasn’t relevant. I mean, I wasn’t going to become a
professional jewelry maker or anything....*slams forehead*. I would also like to pick up my sketchbook and paintbrush a little more often.
Q: What inspires you in your work?
The pieces I create tell a little story about some small, but cherished, part of my life. My family and I are nature-loving, treasure-hunting, adventurous types. Ideas come from nature, the places we’ve been, and the things we found while there. Earthy, weathered, rustic, organic...and all jewelry must be “suitcase packable”- it’s how I roll.
Q: Apart from being a very talented bead artist you are a mother of a gorgeous baby boy. I’m curious: what does a typical day in the life of Kylie Parry looks like?
Thanks be to coffee, I wake up before the birds and get to work in my studio. I listen to public radio, get sufficiently caffeinated and try to cram a full-days work into a couple hours. Then, I hang up my artist clothes and become mama.
I spend all day with my little guy, doing the sorts of things little guys like to do. I sneak in emails and other small tasks during naps. When my partner Luke gets home from work... we take walks, we dance in the kitchen, garden, hike, bike, eat good food, eat burnt food, fix our old house, cuss at our old house, plan our weekend adventures and watch bad netflix documentaries (in no particular order).
Q: There are a lot of bead and jewelry artists. Is there a particular artist you admire or who you consider a role model?
I admire artists who have a unique voice, and an interesting story to tell. I am always humbled when an artist chooses my beads. Connecting with a customer is connecting with a kindred spirit.