Catherine Hysell

"My biggest challenge and my greatest joy is the act of creating, and finding that balance between form and function, between artistry and wearability."

Hysell began her career as a clinical social worker, but a visit to a local bead shop ignited her creative side and she began dabbling in jewelry making. As demand for her work increased, this hobby soon turned into a career. With Japanese and Czechoslovakian glass beads as her medium, she turns the myriad of colors and shapes into patterns reminiscent of ethnic tiles or shapes found in nature.

Popularized in the 1920s flapper era, a bead crocheted rope can contain thousands of glass beads, all strung onto a cord before being crocheted into a hollow spiral which forms the basis for a bracelet, long necklace, or choker. The wearable end result is a luxuriously textured serpentine mosaic which warms to the body and is surprisingly lightweight.

As a child of both an artist and an architect, Hysell developed an early appreciation for distinctive and functional design. Born and raised in the US, she has enjoyed travel to Middle East, Far East, and European countries which has shaped her aesthetic style. Mostly self taught, she continues to hone her skills by experimenting and exploring her craft.