I’m Andrea Adams, a Pacific Northwest artisan working in seed beads and leather. Over the years I’ve explored many creative paths, but somehow beads and leather always seem to work their way back into my designs. I’m fascinated by their incredible range of color, texture and possibility.
BEADWORK: I fell in love with antique beads and gemstones back in the 1980’s, when I learned to create beaded cabochon jewelry. Years later I learned about resources like Ornament magazine and “The New Beadwork”, which exposed me to truly amazing bead art. This inspired me to expand my skills and to begin to think outside of the jewelry box.
MASKS: My mask making adventures started around 1991. These early masks were fine art wallhangings with elaborate bead and featherwork designs. I’d been working with garment leather for several years before I realized that I could fuse these interests to create wearable masks. I have continued to hone my leatherworking skills since then, and I enjoy blending bead and featherwork techniques into my mask designs.
Years later, these materials still intrigue me. There is always some project in my mind’s eye that is just beyond the scope of my skills — a new technique to learn, or a design challenge to solve. This creative process keeps me striving and helps me to find my center; I hope that the resulting works will add a little more beauty to the world.