Wire Artist of the Month September 2012: Bonnie Triola

I currently live in Bloomfield, NJ. I come from a very artistic family. My father and his father carved wood. I use metal to create my pieces. I am a jewelry lover at heart so it was only obvious that I would use my craft to make jewelry. My father always loved doing woodwork. He built furniture and carved figures. It is because of him that I can look at something and make it. I have used this method to teach myself techniques. I also bought all of Dale's tapes and learned how to do wirework. I am currently studying the techniques of Bill Fretz to learn metalsmithing so I can eventually combine the two techniques.

I have done some shows, but I mostly sell online and through word of mouth.

Walk on the Beach, a stunning blue paua shell wrapped into a bracelet with gold filled wire and pearls by Bonnie Triola

The Blue Paua Shell reminds me of the water as the sun hits it and its movements in different directions. The pearls on the sides are from the oyster that lay under that water and the gold represents the sandy beaches as the water rushes over it.

Kunzite wire wrapped pendant, by Bonnie Triola

I started creating jewelry in 2006 when I was sitting home for several weeks after surgery. I started with beads and the first two pieces I made sold for $150.00 each. I was so amazed. It was not long after that when I moved to sculpting with wire. I look at some of my earlier pieces and think how far I have come.

One of Bonnie's wire woven bracelets

One of Bonnie's amazing pieces, this necklace is made with blue topaz marquise druzies, wire wrapped.

I enjoy doing custom work and seeing the eyes of a customer light up when they see their piece come together. I am always amazed at how a piece of wire turned in several different directions becomes a beautiful piece of art. Creating harnesses for stones and gems and it becomes a beautiful pendant or bracelet. Taking several pieces of wire and wrapping them with another piece of wire and then bending and twisting the wires to make a unique piece of art that I look forward to someone wearing. I am fortunate that I know my pieces are being worn by women all over the nation. Most of my pieces are done by me just sitting down and starting to craft. I have just recently started drawing a few things that come to my head so I remember what I want to do. My head gets so full of pieces I want to make, that if I don’t write them down or draw them I will forget them.

Bonnie wrapped this blue topaz stone to form a beautiful prong ring.

I love coming home from a long day of work and relax making jewelry. People ask me if it is a hobby, I tell them, "it is not a hobby, this is my business and my dream" I would love to open my own Jewelry store and sell MY ART.

Blue quartz pendant with gold filled wire by Bonnie Triola

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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.

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