About the
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Robin Wilkinson has been playing with clay since the late 1980's when she purchased a pin made out of a fascinating material. She began to experiment with polymer clay, read many great books on the subject, and learned through trial and error. "Some of my favorite works were made out of mistakes. Surely that's also a lesson in life..."
Every clay bead in a Robin Wilkinson Design is made by hand. Most beads are built through a technique called millefiore, or canework - a layering of clay to build a design from the inside out. For example, Robin's mermaids start from the black pupil of an eye and continue to build until a face is created. Then that face cane is added onto with additional clay and canes until a body appears. The completed mermaid cane was the size of a dinner plate. (Take a look at the Behind the Scenes page to see the process.) The cane is then carefully reduced until it can be used for pendants and beads. Pendants and focal beads go through an additional 6 step hand sanding and polishing process. The polymer beads are then combined into unique works of art jewelry, sometimes along with glass and natural beads such as turquoise, red coral, ocean jasper, light green jade, wood, and shell.
In the early days, Robin's designs were sold through apparel marts in the southeast but trying to keep up with the demand of mass production left little time for creativity. She decided to focus instead on the art of polymer clay and create one of a kind designs. Wearable art allows her to constantly expand the horizons of color, shape, design, and texture. Robin Wilkinson Designs have been featured in a variety of venues from a Trunk Show at Macy's to Art Festivals to stores throughout the country.
Teaching is another passion that Robin combines with her love of clay. She has taught classes to teens and adults, in bead stores and after-school programs, to beginners and experienced clayers. "Any opportunity to share clay with others is a good one!", Robin enthuses.
One of Robin's favorite scenes plays out as she worked her booth at a recent arts festival. "People are initially attracted by the color, so they stop to see the displays. They comment and pick up a necklace, then see that I'm working on creating a cane. And the fun begins! What they thought was exciting jewelry now becomes a mini-lesson in millefiore. Then you watch the light bulb go on - they look from the cane to the necklace and back. Finally asking, 'you mean you made every bead?' Now they've got it!"
A note about the ministry of RWD: "God has blessed me with a gift of clay artistry. The question I keep asking is how can I use it for Him? One way is to support those Christian missionaries out in the world living like Jesus. At least 10% of all RWD sales support those missionaries - primarily a couple who live and work with the poor in the interior of Paraguay."
Find out more... http://www.msum.org/people/dickson
10 % of all RWD sales go to support Christian missionaries.