Wire Artist of the Month March 2012: Janet Cozzens

I live in Wyoming with my husband and two boys, age 9 and 10. I am a Nana to two more little boys and my daughter lives close by with her husband, so I get to see them almost every day. We are avid backpackers in the summer time and avid movie watchers in the winter. I have lived in Wyoming all of my life and have never regretted a single moment of it. I love the mountains and all that they have to offer.

Being outside is my favorite place to be and being able to wear jewelry created with fragments of the outdoors is something that I have grown very fond of. I am so glad I learned how to wire wrap!

Ode to Onyx by Janet Cozzens is a faceted onyx cabochon wrapped in sterling silver wire and antiqued.

My featured piece, Ode to Onyx, is a combination of wire wrapping and weaving encasing a faceted black onyx stone. I antiqued the silver to give it a sense of nostalgia.

I believe that my inner Victorian persona has come through in this design, making it one of my favorites. I love how the wire swirls around the edges, engulfing the stone just enough to give it life.

As I use wire in my designs, I get this Victorian look that I am truly passionate about. I believe that my work encompasses who I really am and this is what I love the most about my designs. I am indeed a hopeless romantic~ can you tell?

Janet Cozzen's sterling silver wrapped pendant featuring jasper cabochons, antiqued (approx. 3 1/2" tall)

I began creating jewelry at a fairly young age, beading things for friends and family along the way. I love rocks and stones and being able to create jewelry using them appeals to every aspect of my being.

Creating jewelry is something that I believe I was born with. I have this inner drive to constantly create. If I am not able to create jewelry, then I do believe that my life would not be full. It is an integral part of me.

Janet Cozzen's prong ring, featuring an oval, faceted champagne CZ stone

I found wire wrapping in 2009. I was out of work and trying to find a new career when I came across a wire wrapped ring that I felt an overwhelming need to make. I was hooked!

As I found pictures of wire wrapped stones on the internet, I kept searching for someone that could teach me how to create these lovely pieces, and that is when I found Dale "Cougar" Armstrong. My life has not been the same since.

Janet Cozzens wire wrapped this cabochon with silver wire and hung it on a silver wire collar; antiqued.

I love wire wrapping and all of the satisfying moments it brings to me. I love the look of the pieces when they are finished and the fact that they are unique. I have created many things and have fallen in love with each and every one of them. I am constantly trying new ideas and nudging myself to do something different. I have stepped away from creating jewelry from patterns and I am trying my hand at my own style. Combining the art of wrapping and weaving has given me my style and I am very pleased with it.

Janet Cozzens wire wrapped this blue glass cabochon with silver wire and added crystal bead headpin drops as adornment.

Jewelry making is not my business yet, but I am hopeful that it will be someday. I have a goal to make jewelry creation my career, and I am pushing forward with this passion every day. I do many craft shows and sell my items, and I feel that it is just a matter of time before I can get to the next level, the level that I get to be a self-made jewelry artist.

I totally understand how a "first" piece that defines your style to yourself is so important! Such is Janet's Ode to Onyx. Her future pieces show how far she has come, learning and executing techniques to make her jewelry reflect her possible past life. (I also love the Victorian Era!) Nice job on the prong ring; my comment here would be to use a magnifier to see and then trim the excess connection wires, after pulling the ones around the base just a hair more tight.

About wirejewelry's Wire Artist of the Month Program

Each month, we pick a talented wire jewelry artist and their work to highlight. We know we have some incredibly talented customers, and we seek to encourage and highlight those members of our community by highlighting one wire artist every month.

Would you like to be featured on wirejewelry.com?
Click here for our Wire Artist of the Month Submission Form.

Previous Featured Artists