Sharon Duncan loves what she does. You could say that, as a jewelry maker, she gets wrapped up in her work when inspiration hits. Duncan creates elaborate, wire-wrapped jewelry using gems, stones, and glass. She sculpts each piece into an elaborate work of art.
Duncan began sculpting wire nearly 10 years ago as a way to ensure she had accessories that coordinated with her outfits. At the time, she was involved with a line called Weekenders, and she began to create custom pieces to match the clothing. Having the skill to create something to match any outfit was an asset to Duncan.
“Even now, sometimes, I’ll say, ‘Hmm, let’s see what I can whip up,’” Duncan said.
Now, however, she’s moved on to making designs for the sake of creativity.
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Wire-wrapping jewelry involves taking wire and looping, curving, and basically sculpting it around a decorative object. The piece is often then embellished with beads or crystals. She makes each piece by hand with basic tools.
“I got into it because you don’t need a torch; you could take it with you wherever you go,” Duncan said of the craft. “And there’s no mistakes, only creations.”
Duncan is primarily self taught. However, she learned the style she liked best—which is more sculptural than a simple wrapping—and studied it. She bought a book featuring illustrations and step-by-step instruction and honed her technique.
Duncan prefers to use square wire and sterling silver- or gold-filled wire. She also uses copper, a color she said most women can wear, but don’t. Instead, her biggest sales are designs made with silver. She wraps the wire around shells she finds at the beach, polished stones, or glass. Duncan visits gem shows, often searching for that special piece.
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“I usually find something I can’t live without,” she said.
She takes what she finds and will work off of inspiration from someone else’s work or from the colors in the piece itself. If there’s opalescence to it, she may use copper wire. For something with a pearl, silver might make an appearance.
It’s this limitless variety her wire-wrapping students enjoy as well.
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“In my classes, I start everyone off with one wire and one stone and then show them all the possibilities,” Duncan said.
Even with all those possibilities, though, some features are standard. Duncan said most people prefer black or black-and-white jewelry.
“Some people like things plain, some like the bling,” she said. “It’s whatever you like. It’s whatever your mind can conceive.”
Although Duncan doesn’t currently have any classes scheduled, she still shares her work in other ways. She said she likes to get involved in fundraisers, and she’s donated jewelry to events for Altrusa and the Santa Maria Valley Humane Society.
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While she shies away from custom work, she said she does oblige on occasion—with the caveat that she still gets some creative control. Duncan said that’s because her process isn’t exact. Pieces can never be perfectly duplicated, nor should they be. It’s in the inspired design and quirky twists and turns that each piece becomes unique.
“With wire wrapping, everybody is different,” Duncan said. “You’ll never see two pieces the same.”
Arts Editor Shelly Cone listens to wrap music. Contact her at scone@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Apr 14-21, 2011.
