Belly on Up to the Bezel Bar! with Instructor - Julie Picarello

On a Caribbean cruise long ago, my friends and I returned to the ship from a day excursion to find that we were not allowed to board until the crew resolved an issue with port authorities. So we spent several hours in a seedy and
ramshackle dockside bar, drinking shots made with liqueurs in combinations
we’d never tried before and having a fabulous time. That memory of trying new combinations is reflected in this class, as we’re going to look at bezels in an entirely different way. We’ll start by exploring from the outside in, as we modify bezels by hammering, sanding and wrapping them until they have a very
different look. Then we’ll move on to filling the bezel with objects
such as vintage buttons, washers, watch parts, punched metal disks and electronic parts, all with an eye towards making connections without adhesives. So even though the closest you’ll get to alcohol will be using it to clean a tissue blade, you’ll emerge from this class with a new and unique perspective on using bezels. 

After dabbling in a wide variety of media over the years, Julie was introduced to polymer clay in 2004 and found she was more passionate about it than any other she had previously worked with. She became intrigued and completely focused on what she calls "Imprint Mokume Gane", an adaptation of an ancient Japanese metalworking technique that lends itself well to polymer clay. Julie showcases the sophisticated depth and dimension of polymer with her custom color palettes, contrasting textures and her use of
hardware and found objects. Her award-winning beads are often elegant, sometimes whimsical, but always unique. Julie's work has been featured in a variety of magazines and books and she is the author of "Patterns in Polymer: Imprint & Accent Bead Techniques" published by Kalmbach Books in June, 2011. While Julie's finished beads appear complex, her techniques are surprisingly simple to learn. As an instructor, Julie's goal is to inspire her studentsto explore, experiment and develop their own creativity with mixed media.

Framing an Adventure with Instructor - Jackie Truty

Jackie will guide you towards creating hand carded totem pendants in
Fine Silver (.999). This is a wonderful skill set to learn if you're a
beginner with metal clay of have the chance to expand on with a world
renowned master, if you're already working with this exciting medium.
Your completed master-piece is reminiscent of Alaska's indiginous
people and their beautiful artwork. It's a wonderful momento of your
Alaskan adventure and a terrific skill building opportunity.

Jackie Truty began working in flat glass as a hobby. When she finally settled on fusing glass for jewelry full-time, she began studying the mechanics of dichroic glass, researching its beginnings and ultimately writing a book, published in 2002. She added wire wrapping and lapidary arts to her skills as she searched for the perfect outlet for her creative expression. It was in 2000, when she saw a demonstration on Art Clay Silver that Jackie knew she’d finally found her niche. Taking introductory and then back-to-back certification classes in the Fall of 2000, she soon became a Senior Instructor in Art Clay. Then in March of 2001, she accepted a position as one of two Directors of Education, flying to Japan for her Masters training. In 2002, she and the past President of Art Clay USA joined forces to form a partnership and moved their newly acquired business, Art Clay World, USA, from Torrance, California, to Oak Lawn, Illinois. In 2005 Art Clay World, USA incorporated and Jackie became the sole owner of the company. She continues to run the day-to-day operations from Art Clay’s 9500 square foot headquarters Art Clay World, USA continues to grow, with wholesalers and Instructors stretching from Montreal to Hawaii. Jackie has taught Art Clay in such diverse places as Milan, Montreal, and Johannesburg, South Africa. Her books, “Art Clay Silver and Gold: 18 Projects to Make in One Day,” and "Metal Clay: The Complete Guide," are sold internationally. Jackie’s passion may be Art Clay, but her mission is to empower women through its use. She is determined to provide an opportunity for women to establish a place for themselves in the high-end art arena with a minimum investment and a maximum return both financially and creatively.

Judi Weers - Ambassador for Art Across the Oceans

Judi holds the distinction of coming on every one of the Art Across the Oceans cruises! We have named
her a special ambassador as she consistently strives to promote the events and actively communicates
with past, future and hopeful cruisers as the moderator of the Crusin' Cladies newsgroup
(www.yahoogroups.coom). As an artist, Judi creates jewelry and small functional art pieces using metal
clay (silver, bronze and copper), fused glass and polymer clay along with a little wirework and beading.
Her work has been shown and sold in galleries in several states. She loves to teach others to create
beautiful works of art. Judi is a Senior Instructor with Art Clay World and certified with PMC Connection
and Rio Grande. She is an award winning author and has contributed to numerous craft publications
indcluding: Metal Clay Artist, PolymerCAFE, and Art Jewelry magazines. Judi has served on Metal Clay
Artist Magazine as a Contributing Editor, Subscriptions Manager, and wrote the Q&A column, “Ask Dr.
Metal Clay,” for several issues. She has also been a featured presenter at several PMC and Art Clay
conferences. Judi has also served as a juror for the Paseo del Rio Association Arts and Crafts Show on
the River Walk in San Antonio, TX. She is active in groups such as Metal Clay Artists of San Antonio,
San Antonio Polymer Clay Guild and San Antonio Visual Artists, where she loves to share her findings
and techniques with others.