Though she played with wire as a kid, self-taught artist Maria Richmond has been working with it professionally since 1998. Doodling in wire the way many people do with a pen on paper, most of her work determines its own path to creation.

Self-taught, Maria often includes the unexpected twist or turn in her work, usually from the inclusion of nontraditional materials such as found objects and industrial cast-offs. She teaches regularly at bead stores in Western Pennsylvania as well as other venues throughout the country. Her classes are known for their relaxed atmosphere. 

Below is an interview with Maria by Kate Wagle Hitmar for Koolkat Designs, now The Artsmiths of Pittsburgh... Read more to learn about her and her work.

How did Lost Marbles come to be and how has it evolved?
I began making and selling wire and glass garden ornaments when I was the director of a horticulture therapy program in eastern Pennsylvania. I bought marbles 100 pounds at a time and had them delivered to my job site. Co-workers joked that I lost my marbles so frequently, I had to buy them in bulk. The name stuck.

I went from selling ornaments to friends and co-workers to selling them at Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Craft. The business became so successful that I quit my full-time job to keep up with the demands of my ornament business. My primary customers became galleries, gift shops and garden centers. For a couple of years, business was very good. Unfortunately, demand tapered-off when the large chain stores began offering cheap overseas knock-offs below my wholesale price. So, I began making and selling my own glass beads at bead shows around the country. It was a natural progression for me to make jewelry. I’ve been working with wire again for the past several years, so I guess I have come full circle.

Since then, I’ve worked to increase my skill level and the number and kind of jewelry pieces I offer. I’ve also tried to simplify my teaching methods to better reach my students. I love what I do and hope it shows in my classes and jewelry pieces.

Describe your studio/working space for us.
My studio is bursting at the seams, which is to say I have far more supplies in my 10×15 room than it really holds. Being a visual person, I have most of my beads, wire and tools hanging on the wall, so it’s easy to see what I have. I have a large counter-height work bench with a chair that I use for fabrication. I have comfortable armless upholstered chairs to use for wire-wrapping and stringing. The room is generally occupied by any number of pets who will take my work space as soon as I make a move to get a strand of beads. They make getting anything done interesting.

Is your area of Pittsburgh supportive of artists? If so, in what ways?
I moved to Pittsburgh from Tampa in late 2007. I’ve found that Pittsburgh is far more supportive of the arts than Tampa. The sense of community among artists is much stronger and the following that artists receive by the general community is much better. Getting involved in Koolkats when I did made all the difference in the world to me.  I recently moved to Aliquippa, and while I haven’t found an arts community here, I’m delighted to have my own home. I’ve been able to set up a truly dedicated studio space, which wasn’t really practical in the house I previously rented.

What is your process like when you’re designing/creating a new item/piece of art?
Depending on the design, I usually play with wire until I’m happy with a shape, then pull out multiple strands or bags of beads to find just the perfect bead. Then I change my mind half a dozen times. Sometimes, I land on the right thing early on, other times it’s more a process of trial and error. If it’s a project I intend to teach, I take notes while working through it a few times so the tutorial-writing process flows better. I tend to make revisions of both the project and the tutorial itself many times before I’m happy with them.

What is your favorite part of your arts process?
I love to see a piece nearing completion. When I’ve applied the patina and begin to polish the piece to bring out the highlights, sometimes discover I like it even more than I expected.

Do you have a favorite tool?
I’m such a tool junkie. I have multiple favorites. For wireworking, my set of Wubbers pliers is irreplaceable. For polishing, I use a Dremel with a brass wheel. I also have a pair of antique channel locking pliers that I couldn’t live without…they allow me to change those polishing wheels without having to track down the wrench that I lost.

Do you ever suffer from artist block? How do you get through it?
When I suffer from artist’s block, I usually spend some time doing something unrelated to wire. I might work with seed beads or read, or spend time online looking at other forms of art. Sometimes, it just helps to take a break and relax.

What was the first thing you ever sold?
I sold earrings and bracelets in high school for extra spending money. I’m sure they were quite rudimentary, but my friends liked them, and I found that inspiring.

Who is your favorite artist living or deceased? What is it about their work that resonates with you?
If I have to narrow it down to just one, I think Philadelphia mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar would have to be my favorite. I love that he uses such variety of materials, particularly glass in every form imaginable to completely transform urban spaces. He involves community members in this transformation as well, which gives an accessibility that many other installation artists don’t have.

Sometimes handcrafted objects cost more than their mass-produced counterparts. Why is the difference worth the price?
Creating art is a need for most artists. When an artist creates an object, he or she incorporates a part of themselves into piece. I think the imagination, the drive, and the energy each artist uses to create an object gives that object a soul you’ll never find in a mass-produced item. Unfortunately for most of us, that need to create is coupled with the need to make a living. When you support artists, you nurture that need as well as help to provide them with a paycheck. When you purchase something mass-produced, you’re just feeding the machine of some big corporation that may or may not pay its workers fairly.

Tell us about the handmade object that you cherish the most.
I have a stained glass panel my dad made for me years ago that is currently hanging on my back porch. It is because he made it that I cherish it so much.

As someone who also teaches, what is your favorite part about teaching your art?
I think my favorite part about teaching is the sense of accomplishment I see in my students when they’ve finished a piece and put it on. They may come into class skeptical of their own abilities and they leave with a finished piece, having added to their skill set as well as their level of self-confidence. As an instructor, I can’t ask for more. [Maria currently teaches in the Pittsburgh area at The Artsmiths of Pittsburgh, Crystal Bead Bazaar and Bidelia's Bead Boutique.]

What advice would you have for someone hoping to take their work from hobby to business?
Competition is stiff among jewelry makers. To stand out, I would recommend to a potential business person that they develop their own unique style and pay close attention to the quality of their work. Also, it would be a great idea to learn some basic business skills to make the bookkeeping end of the business easier.