I'm Andrea Adams, a Seattle area 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 love their incredible range of color, texture and possibility.
Beadwork: During the 1980's I fell in love with antique beads and gemstones, which I use to create beaded cabochon jewelry. Years later I found 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: I began making masks around 1991. These early masks were decorative wallhangings with elaborate 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.
Despite working with these materials for so long, they 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 helps me to find my center, and it represents something positive that I'd like to add to the world.
