Nancy Cain

www.nancycainbeadart.com

The endless array of beads and the infinite way of combining them is what most excites me. Beads have an incredible history from (but not limited to) the sacred, the healing, the price to insure an afterlife, as currency, not to mention simple to elaborate adornment. Beads have been used by nearly every culture since the advent of modern man and are an inherent part of our heritage.

The process of working with something as simple and basic as tiny glass beads has for me, evolved from simple hobby craft to making works of art. Before I became aware of beads, I worked for 13 years as a graphic artist. In 1993, I left the graphics industry to raise my two children. While at home, my interest in beads grew and I started to teach locally about 10 years ago.

I am currently working full-time with the beads in my home studio and travel around the country teaching technically detailed 3-D sculptures and jewelry. I love developing new pieces for teaching and for my own artistic expression. I instructed a workshop at the 2005 Bead&Button Show and have been accepted to teach my Dragonfly workshop and Glenwood Bracelet class at the 2006 Bead&Button Show. My oversized sculpture, Dragonfly B.C., was a finalist in the 2005 Bead Dreams competition and subsequently published in the October 2005 edition of Bead&Button magazine.

Originally from Los Angeles, I live in beautiful Colorado with my husband of nearly 18 years, and my son and daughter.

Upcoming classes by Nancy:

Baltic Cruise July 15-25, 2008

                                       Baltic Gem Cruise Project

Cruise through time and history in the Baltic Region with internationally known bead artist, Nancy Cain. Nancy has created a premier project, designed specifically for this cruise. For two days, while at sea, create an elegant 3-Dimensional hinged gem box, inspired by the Russian onion dome cathedrals and the Renaissance Style Faberge' Easter egg.  

The characteristic onion dome first appeared in Novgorod on the Cathedral of Sancta Sophia, in the eleventh century.  The aesthetic feeling of the dome is finely expressed by a folk saying, "glowing with fervor," when they speak about church domes". 

The Renaissance Egg was the last one made for Czar Alexander III to present to his wife, Marie Feodorovna in 1894. The eggs always had a 'surprise' inside with the intention of providing a *frisson of pleasure, the memory of which would persist for the rest of that day.  The surprise in the original Renaissance Egg has been lost to time. To fill the void and create a new 'frisson,' students will receive a special gift. Instructions for a second project to be completed later... a contemporary/old world style bracelet ornamented with a 23mm Swarovski crystal triangle.  This bracelet nestles inside the gem box. 

Create this memorable keepsake gem box, while on a cruise of a lifetime.
 *Frisson: a sudden, passing sensation of excitement: a shudder of emotion or thrill.