I'm Andrea Adams, a Seattle area artisan working primarily in beads and leather. Over the years I've explored many creative paths ( including jewelry design, mask making, calligraphy, bookbinding, collage, pen & ink and watercolor to name a few) but it seems that the media I always come back to are seed beads and leather. Both offer an incredible range of color, texture and possibility.

I fell in love with seed beads in the early 80's, when I taught myself basic jewelry making (this is also when I began collecting old and interesting beads - some of which are available here). Years later, I discovered the work of Joyce Scott, Don Pierce, Virginia Blakelock, Marcus Amerman and other bead artists who pushed the envelope. Seeing their work challenged me to expand my skills, and to think outside of the jewelry box.

I began making masks around 1991. My early masks were made of plaster, and most were simply decorative. I'd been playing with leatherwork for a few years before it occured to me that I could use leather to create wearable masks. Once I made that realization, my focus shifted and I began to create masks that are beautiful and functional.

Despite the fact that I've been working with beads and leather for so many years, I find that I'm still very intrigued by both. There's always some project in my mind's eye that is just beyond the scope of my skills -- always a new technique to learn, or a design challenge to solve.

This work is where I find my center, and it represents something that I'd like to add to the world. You see, I dislike how mass produced and pre-packaged our society has become. Our Western culture is so fast paced, and it seems like we've lost touch with the aesthetic of quality craftsmanship. So many things around us are plastic, disposable and lacking in spirit. I want to believe that on some level, my  creative work helps to counter balance that.