Bead Arts

Artist: Debby Arem
Business name: Arem Designs (Beadles and Three Ring Circuits)
Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland

Website:
Debby Arem

Debby, tell us about your work and why you picked the names that you did!
At the time ( 1979 ) Beadles seemed a clever name, one that popped into my mind almost immediately and one that people wouldn’t likely forget. Of course it’s a little corny, but people DO remember it! Three Ring Circuits was harder to come up with and was a joint family process. It really was so fitting as back when I started this line, my life was pretty chaotic with 2 kids still at home, a large number of pets and a busy career. So it really was a pun on words so to speak. I’ve never tired of this name although now my life is a lot calmer and more orderly thank goodness.
As far as my jewelry lines are concerned -both of my jewelry lines have a number of things in common although they are so different. Both lines rely on color and texture I think to get their point across. Both lines have within them many different styles – elegant, casual, funky, whimsical, geometric, and monochromatic to name a few. Both lines are pretty intricate as I love to layer …layer…layer – a throwback to the time when I was a silkscreen designer. I know I’m very fortunate to have been able to find another creative outlet ( beading and my recycled line ) when I decided to quit printmaking.

What is your creative process like?
Well even though I have two separate and very distinct jewelry lines, I would say my creative process is pretty much the same for both. I have never been one to draw things out first. I design in my head as I go along although sometimes I have already envisioned the final design before I begin and it’s just a matter of “ filling in the missing pieces” if you understand what I mean.

When working with beads I first gather together all the colors I know I want to use. There is usually a main component (for instance black onyx) around which I would base my design. I always try to have a variety of shapes and textures within each necklace and in many cases, one special focal point such as a very unique carved bead or an unusual pendant. I’m also very careful to make sure that there is some symmetry even in an “ asymmetrical” necklace and I’m always very careful to match beads of the same type in pattern and depth of color. Because I have some designs that are very elegant and formal, some that are more ethnic, and some that are outright “funky,” I also have a certain feeling in mind that will dictate which components I choose, the length, and the final cost to the client. Of course, with three cats, I have to be very careful never to leave a design out on the table that I am working on unless it is covered up with a cloth! I have always found it most curious however, that from time to time, a cat will actually walk across a design ( as I am working on it ) but no toes will ever touch the piece or disturb a bead! This never ceases to amaze me and it’s consistent for all my cats.

When designing my 3RC line (Three Ring Circuits) there are many more steps that would go into the process. Again though, the first consideration is my main color and from there, what type of feeling I am trying to convey. Many of my 3RC designs are very whimsical and cartoonish. Others are strictly geometric. Because I am working with so many eclectic components such a brass stampings, anodized aluminum, beads, electrical components and of course a recycled circuit board , the challenge is a bit greater to layer just the right components onto the circuit board to create my mini collages.
I have always been one to work best when it is quiet and I find that the hours can just slip away when I’m so engrossed in my design work. It’s probably my secret to staying thin as sometimes I actually forget to eat if I’m busy at work!

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
I have been a jewelry designer for over 25 yrs. However, this is not what I was first trained in. I have my B.A. in Fine Arts with a concentration in silkscreen design, but gave up working in this medium because of the toxicity of the inks. At the time, there were only oil-based inks and without proper ventilation in my home, it would have been foolish to continue. My husband is a gemologist and because of him, I was first introduced to the incredible world of beads! I took a beading/knotting class and found I was a natural as I had always knit and crocheted and enjoyed working with my hands. Initially, I was only designing necklaces for my husband’s clients if someone requested something in particular. I got my first “big break” when I approached Bloomingdales (at the urging of a friend) and showed my (then) somewhat limited line to a buyer there in the “bridge” department. Bridge jewelry is jewelry that doesn’t use precious metals or precious stones, which would be considered “fine jewelry”, but it is also not “costume”, where one would expect to only find plastic, glass, and base metals.

I was asked to do a “trunk show” and had such a wonderful response that it was the impetus for me to approach other stores. I found that transitioning from a “hobbyist” to a professional was really the result of a snowball effect. Many times one gallery or museum would suggest another and soon I found myself submitting designs to the Smithsonian for their museum shop and their museum shop catalog, which in turn led me to submit designs to other catalogs as well.

How I came to work with recycled circuit boards is a very interesting story. My husband owned a computer company at the time and one day I found myself in the back room where the computers were being assembled, looking at the motherboards. I had never seen the inside of a computer before and I was struck by the beauty of the circuitry. I remember immediately thinking “this would make great jewelry”! Of course the challenge was how to cut up the motherboards. I went through many trial and error attempts until I found what worked best. Because I already had a relationship with a number of the Smithsonian’s museum shops, I was VERY fortunate to be able to show this line when I was first started creating it, and to have it sold in the Smithsonian’s Air and Space museum shop. I suppose I was one of the first “green” companies without realizing it and now that computers are everywhere and just about everyone has one (and is replacing and upgrading all the time- in this throwaway society), this line is even more relevant – not just as a pretty piece of jewelry, but as a way to help keep circuit boards out of landfills .

Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
What an interesting question ! Believe it or not, I would say my set of dental tools! I found that these are wonderful for scraping or picking off excess glue!

What inspires you to create
I’m not even sure how to answer this – it just happens. I think because I have always been a creative person (even as a child I took art lessons) that just waking up each day and really SEEING what is around me has been inspiration enough to want to create something – whether it’s a piece of jewelry or cooking something special for dinner. I’m such a visual person that quite honestly, just being out in nature as we live out in the country has been the driving force to make me want to come home and design something.
What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
This is an easy question – I’m a perfectionist. I can’t stop until I feel that I’ve done the best I can do. I suppose it’s a curse and a blessing in a way. If you check out my website, you’ll see I even speak about this on my opening page as part of my greeting!

What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise intheir level of artistry?
The best advice I can give is to attend high end craft shows and see what other people are creating. I never get bored doing this (and have to restrain myself from wanting to buy everything sometimes!) I am also personally always stretching myself to take on something more difficult (even in my knitting) as I feel this is another way to rise to the next level in your craft. I think the more skills you have that pertain to a certain art form, the more ideas are possible.

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?
When I am not designing my jewelry or out marketing it, I am a volunteer with two dog rescue groups. My husband and I are very involved in helping to place dogs that have been either given up by their owners or found abandoned. I find this volunteer work so rewarding, and try very hard to educate people along the way to ALWAYS spay or neuter their pet. I also try to educate people to always keep their pets up to date on their shots and be on heartworm preventative. There are so many unwanted pets in this world, and the reasons people give up their pets never cease to amaze me.

What’s your favorite hobby?
Knitting! I’m a knitting fanatic and always have a couple of projects going at the same time – an easy project such as a simple scarf or sweater that I can work on while watching TV and a very difficult pattern where I can only knit for so long and then I have to put it down and take a break. I love the challenge of trying to decipher a pattern and the satisfaction when you have completed a new stitch and know it’s exactly as it’s supposed to be!

I discovered knitting a number of years back and find I get the same pleasure out of this as I do designing jewelry. With all the amazing new yarns out – and all the different textures – I find it’s very much like designing jewelry or silkscreening. I like texture in anything I create and I love the fact that I can do this both in my business and in my hobby.

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