Bug & Insect Challenge 2004
This contest ran during May 2004. The theme of the contest was "Insects and Bugs". This theme could be interpreted in any design based on a real or imaginary bug, as long as the resulting piece was clearly identified as an INSECT or with insect-like properties.
The piece could be composed of any type of wire, any gauge, any color, any mix of wires.
The use of the resulting piece could be any size, any length, any style: necklace, pin, ring, bracelet, object d'art, etc.
The piece had to composed MOSTLY of wire. Only a maximum of 30% of the size of the piece may contain beads.
Panel of judges:
The distinguished jury is composed of:
Connie Fox - Wire Artist and Instructor
www.conniefox.com
Robbie Ward/Metallique - Wire Artist and Instructor
www.metallique-bijoux.com
Sherilyn Miller - Editor in Chief of Belle Armoire and Wire Artist
www.sharilynmiller.com
Karen Hardy - Wire Artist and Instructor
hardymama@adelphia.net
Winner Selection Process:
Judges were instructed to grade each entry for two categories: Technical Ability and Creativity. The entry with most points won Best of Show and each entry with the most points in its category won Prize 2 for Technical Ability and Prize 3 for Creativity.
There are three winning categories:
Prize 1 - BEST OF SHOW
Selected by the jury As the most unique, interesting, artistic and technically well developed.
#12
The Garden: 73 points
Artist: Sandy Hendrickson
Artist comments: The necklace base is constructed of 12 gauge round Sterling Silver, sanded for texture and woven together with 24 gauge round 14KGF.
The spider web Is 20 gauge
square Sterling Silver, with 26 gauge round 14KGF.
The spider is 20 gauge square Sterling Silver, with malachite and faceted black onyx.
The dragonfly is 20 gauge square Sterling Silver 22 gauge square 14KGF,
24 gauge round copper, 24 gauge round 14KGF, labradorite, garnet, hematite, and tree agate.
The centipede is 24 gauge square brass, 20 gauge Sterling Silver Half-round, and a lampwork bead.
I made this to stretch myself
as an artist, to have fun in a friendly competition of my peers, and as a possible resource for supplies I need.
Runner up: Wire Bug Necklace (Gail Jewel) with 64 points, Butterfly Bracelet (Carol Robertson) with 61 points and Butterfly (Kristen Syddall) also with 61 points.
Prize 2 - Complexity & Technical Ability
Selected by the jury as the more complex and/or intricate, using the best technical skills.
#7
Wire Bug Necklace: 33 points
Artist: Gail Jewel
Artist comments: I am new to wire wrapping. This is my third wire necklace, the others were simple eye-looped beads. When I read about the challenge I was anxious to try it because bug jewelry is a big thing with me. I still have
some bug pins that I got when I was a child.......a hundred years ago.
I am a long time lace crocheter so crocheting with wire came natural to me
. I can see that I am going to be kept busy what with all the ideas that have sprung up in my head after doing this necklace. I had to
"invent" a way to make the body out of wire so it would qualify for the challenge. No......I don't think I came up with any thing that's never been
done before.......it's just new to me and I had no instructions.
In the future I will be incorporating more of my glass beads in this wire work......of course!
Runner up: Butterfly (Kristen Syddall) with 31 points, Butterfly Bracelet (Carol Robertson) with 29 points and Just Buzzing Around (Susan Clough) with 25 points.
Prize 3 - Originality & Creativity
Selected by the jury for its innovative design and artistic merit, independent of complexity.
#3
Butterfly Bracelet: 32 points
Artist: Carol Robertson
My inspiration came from the Egyptian Coil Chain design from Helen Clegg and Mary Larom's book "Making Wire Jewelry". I love to make and wear that chain
of scrolls.
I'm a believer in the symbolism of butterflies especially in recovery. Add the healing powers of copper, in addition to its beautiful and ever changing colors and you have my butterfly design.
Each butterfly wing is made up of 1 piece of 20g round copper wire scrolled at both ends, one larger than the other. The body is 18g with a copper bead
for the head. The wings are wrapped onto the body.
After making the bracelet I started making these in thinner gauged silver and
gold-filled wires and love to give them away, inspired by Don's giving away the hummingbirds.
Runner up: Wire Bug Necklace (Gail Jewel) with 31 points, Butterfly (Kristen Syddall) with 30 points and Just Buzzing Around (Susan Clough) with 29 points.
Honorable Mention
This entry deserves honorable mention since it won the same amount of points as one of the winners (but failed to win in the two subcategories):
#11
Butterfly
Artist: Kristen Syddall
Artist comments: At first I didn't want to do a butterfly, after all the insect that set all of this inspiration off, was Mary Wales Loomis' butterfly as featured in Belle Armoire. I really didn't want to compete against it, as it's
just magnificent. I also thought there'd be many other butterflies. I checked out all other forms of bugs and insects but was drawn back to the butterfly
simply because 18 months ago I attended a class to make a freehand machine embroidery 3D Butterfly. I enjoyed it so much and thought I'd continue on with the theme. Perhaps one day I'll end up with a whole
Buttefly collection of various media. ;-)
I used 12K Gold Filled Wire to create my butterfly (over in Australia we only have 12k Gold Filled) in a mixture of 0.6mm square, 0.7mm square, 0.8mm
half round, and a small amount of the 0.8mm round to fit the 2 Swarovski Crystal Drops.
The design I sketched first, then added to as I went, letting my imagination
flow. I tried not to look at too many other wire bugs as I didn't want to start imitating others designs. I am not totally happy with the butterfly's body but
all in all am very pleased with my work as I'm still relatively new to this art form.
I'd like to thanks Eni and those who started this idea, I found it great to
extend myself and to try new things with this design. I'd encourage anyone to give it a go, don't worry if you don't think you are good enough. I didn't
think I was but I loved the "challenge". No pun intended. Another big THANK YOU goes to all those out there who so freely give their advice and
instruction on their websites. All of my learning thus far has been from what information I can find on websites and groups such as Wire Wrap Jewelery. Thanks Guys :-)
Entries:
#1
Imaginary Bug
Artist: Annie Flores
Artist comments: I created this imaginary bug by using gold toned wire. The hard part was getting to body attached with all the wire in an esthetic
matter but loose enough to allow the tear shaped bead to move... I'm quite proud of the result and here it is!! Be tolerant, this is only my second bug!!!
#2
Garden Party
Artist: Carli Francies
Artist comments: Hi! My original idea for this contest was a "Garden Party", complete with Bug Band, Punch Bowl (serving "Bug Juice", of course), and some dancing partygoers. This has proven almost impossible to photograph
well, although I have attached my best effort. One more thing, vis a vis the 30% rule - I'm not sure how well it translates to the picture, but their wings are made of wire (mesh).
#4
Little Green Bug
Artist: Christa-Maria
My green bug was inspired by some of those cool bugs that one sees
soemtimes, that have iridescent bodies or wings. I used 20 ga craftwire and a few seedbeads. The construction was simple. A double open spiral for the body, wings bend out of one piece ( half circle, ends bend in) than fastened
with the antenna wires. Six legs added to the body. Wings have a gossamer of 28 ga wire with a few seed beads.
#5
Dragonfly
Artist: Christa-Maria
The dragonfly was simple , pretty self explanatory, made with 20 ga German beadsmith wire and 28 ga Sterling for the wings. It too me one evening to make but getting a decent photo was harder for me than constructing the
bugs. I have had a special relationship with dragonflies for a long time, so
I had to make one..:)
It can be made into a pin or 'staked' to be put into a flowerpot.
#6
Bug
Artist: Emily Lewis
Artist comments: This is a pin but it could also be used as a charm or pendant with the loop at the top. I used mostly 22 gauge half hard wire; the wire on the inside of the coil bead is 20 gauge. The eyes are made out
of 2 red fire polished glass beads.
#8
Fairie Lace Wing
Artist: Jackie Ryan
Artist comments: My insect is a Fairie Lace Wing an insect that can only be seen by the light of the moon, they hatch on the night of the full moon when the fairie who has cared for it will harness and ride to the Fairie revels. You
may be lucky enough to see them winging their way, on delicate glittering wings carrying sometimes as many as three of the little people, to dance in the fairy ring.
This piece was inspired by A Midsummer Nights Dream. The Fairie Lace Wing is created from Copper, and green and Raspberry craft wire. There are no beads used, I wanted a light and delicate feel.
#9
Computer Bug
Artist: Janie Derby
Artist comments: I used 20 ga. copper, brass & aluminum wire with a piece of motherboard and a computer clock battery for the head. Eyes are green glass beads.
Legs are twisted aluminum and brass, neck is "triangle twisted" copper, spiral aluminum accents are on the body and used as the jaws/pinchers.
He's a little buddy to sit on your computer and watch over things. Maybe he can keep a few real computer bugs away!
#10
Tabitha
Artist: Karen Halbrook
Artist comments: I do a lot of work with fantasy figures and I have been creating 'fairytales' for my grandson' s kindergarten class. This butterfly is Tabitha.
I created her out of acrylic beads (2 6mm and 1 2mm with little flowers for her 'bum'), and I used three colors of 24 gauge artistic wire. Her head and
thorax are pink acrylic beads, her abdomen is green artistic wire that has been coiled and twisted to form a cylinder.
I threaded pink artistic wire through the little flowers and the 2mm bead,
then inserted them up through the abdomen, thorax and head to make the 'antennae'. The wings are four lengths of purple artistic wire wrapped
between the head and thorax, the each wire is coiled and shaped by hand to form the wing pattern.
The 'bail' is the shape of a 'magic flower' that Tabitha uses to enter and
leave her 'magic realm' to come and visit the kids. Tabitha 'helps' readers. When a child is having a little difficulty with words s/he can wear Tabitha
around their neck by a silken cord (really just a ribbon). Suddenly the child seems to know more words than they thought at first. Tabitha is a good focus point.
It is amazing how much a 5 or 6 year old endows a fantasy figure with power.
#13
Just Buzzing Around
Artist: Susan Clough
Artist comments: I made the clasp just after deciding to enter but didn't know if I wanted to enter just the clasp with some other bug stations or add
a necklace to it. Then, this past week I took a class in wire basketry and through learning some unique techniques in twisting wire with recycled materials, this necklace just begged to be added to the clasp.
The wire is brass in front, transitions to copper on the sides and then
transitions into sterling silver at the clasp. The bugs were made out of
sterling 24ga & 20ga wire using standard techniques of wrapping wire around
wire. The twisted wire is made using a drill with a hook in the chuck and
the beads were added before the twisting. The front drop is carnelian on
sterling silver. 90% of this necklace was made from recycled materials - a
vintage necklace I pulled apart & copper and brass wire from a recycling
yard.
The twisted wire reminded me of watching bees and dragonfly's aimlessly
wandering around a beautiful garden, sometimes stopping at a flower and
other times seeming to have no direction at all. 
#14
Snail
Artist: Nancy Barnhart
Artist comments: I saw a snail about 4 yrs ago made from 14-16 ga copper wire and wish I still had it around to copy - but here's my version of it as I remember in 20 ga copper wire. I've also sent Eni my instructions for this if anyone desires them. This snail is about 1-1-1/4" long and about 3/4-1"
wide. I had to make the tapered mandrel to wind the body on (on my wood turning lathe). After I made this, I checked at a shell shop and noticed all
snail shells wind counterclockwise, so this is an oddball one - it winds
clockwise - hope she's not disqualified cuz she's sorta backwards!
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