About the Artist
My name is Jessica Stein. I grew up in Vernon, BC, and moved to Victoria to attend the University of Victoria where I studied many things, from physical oceanography to English literature, and ended up with a bachelor's degree in anthropology and psychology. I fell in love with the city and the island and decided to stay.
I have always been interested in various forms of arts and crafts. As a child, my parents enrolled me in private drawing and painting lessons where I learned about shapes and textures and colour theory. They also bought me a huge variety of beads to play with, so I've been making beaded jewellery since childhood.
A few years ago I decided to try my hand at wire wrapping. After doing some projects with cabochons and marbles, I settled on sea glass because I love that each piece is a unique shape, which makes coming up with designs fresh and interesting. Though it can provide a challenge when trying to make matching pairs of earrings! It also gives me an excuse to go to the beach, since I gather all of my sea glass from local beaches.
In beading and wirework I am self-taught from books and online tutorials. I love challenging myself and trying out new techniques. I also love playing with colour, which is why I never tire of working with seed beads. I draw inspiration from nature: plants, and seasons, and the ever-shifting seas. I love jewellery of many styles, from bold to minimal, simple to intricate, and my designs reflect this variety.
One of my favourite activities in life is working with other creative people, so I love taking commissions and working together to design unique and novel pieces. Please contact me if you would like to work together.