The Artist

"Hi - my name is Jodie Ruskin and I am from Wilmington, North Carolina where I live with my very supportive husband, and three beautiful children.

I am fortunate to have been surrounded all my life by art and creativity.  My father loved to work with his hands, creating woven textiles, clay sculptures, painting, building furniture, houses, you name it.  I guess that came from his parents as my grandmother taught me how to knit, crochet and tat.

My mother taught me how to sew when I was 11.  My maternal grandmother taught me how to string buttons to make beautiful jingly jewelry out of her button collection as well as making quilts.

Growing up I always loved to make things.  Art was always my favorite subject in school and my mother made me feel special in proudly displaying my works of art and there are still some pieces hanging today in her home.

My re-introduction to jewelry happened when I signed on to become a Girl Scout Leader and was looking for things for the girls to do.  I taught them how to macramé and add beads which led me to polymer clay, then the beautiful colored wires caught my eye and reminded me of the telephone wire jewelry that I learned to make in grade school which led to lots of research and experimentation and chainmaille.

I love making chains, it still fascinates me how you can create something so beautiful from simple strand of wire be it copper, silver or gold!  With the chains came beads to decorate them.  I then discovered lampworking from the ads in my subscription to Bead and Button magazine and I was hooked.

The lampworking brought back memories of my many stops at the Corning Glassworks Museum in Corning, New York which was on the way to visiting the Grandparents in Western New York State.  I was fascinated by the different properties of glass in the museum but most fascinating of all was the glass blowing.  I loved to watch the hot molten glowing masses turn into beautiful works of art. 

Then as fate would have it I had a girl join my Girl Scout Troop and her mother made glass beads and fused pendants.  I went to her home and watched her make one simple round spacer bead - no decorations or anything and I was convinced I could do it.  I bought a hot head torch and beginners kit and taught myself.  What a ride.  I am obsessed by the seductive and fickle nature of molten glass which at times has a mind of its own and it speaks to me - but the funny thing is - I talk back! 

I wasn't searching for my newest love - it found me!  And, in the process it has introduced me to some wonderful new friends who support me all the way."