“Every child is an artist.
The problem is
to remain an artist
once you grown up.”
This quote by Picasso is an apt description of my artistic life. As a child, I loved creating handmade things: sewing clothes for my dolls, drawing comics or making lemonade with watercolours. Creative personality in one word ☺
As it turned out, it was not easy to preserve this creative source and bring it into adult life. Professional orientation, moving to another city and then to another country, emotional turmoil in private life did not favour creative development and forced compromises.
Home harbour
I grew up in a small town in Ukraine near the Black Sea. At the end of 90s almost every girl at my age couldn´t get enough of making so called “friendship bracelets”. I was no exception. My first book about glass bead weaving techniques I got from my father. Imagine a 10 years old girl who wove these colourful bead bracelets day and night. My arms were packed elbow deep with these pieces of jewelry.
Soon this trend was gone and everybody tossed this occupation away. I did it as well. Some time passed and I, being a 15 years old teenager, returned to this work with more consciousness and interest. Since then this childhood creative activity turned into an elegant artwork and became integral part of my life. Sweet friendship bracelets grew into refined, stylish high-quality bead jewellry. Becoming a grown person I saved my inner artist (which was not easy) and brought her into my adult life.
During the last 15 years of my creative life I have tried (and still try) many techniques and materials in working with glass beads. I have chosen my favourites – Japanese and Czech high quality seed beads (glass seed “micro” beads). The basis of my jewellery designs are traditional Ukrainian ornaments used for embroidery of the most important element of Ukrainian folk costumes – vyshyvanka.
I love geometry and natural elements. Traditional Ukrainian ornaments combine these two features and fit perfectly on beaded canvas. Moreover, the popularity of Vyshyvanka in the fashion world allows me to say that Ukrainian ornament has its own respected place among fashion trends.
One of the special features of my jewelery is the use of micro-sized beads, which gives my pieces a lightness and uniqueness. Working with this type of glass beads is tedious and requires a high level of concentration and craftsmanship.
Anna Skazko BeadArt jewelery is a combination of a pure material – glass, a tradition with deep roots – Ukrainian ornaments and creative imagination of the artist. I create jewelery that can be easily integrated into the wardrobe of a modern person with style and sense of taste.