Dyanne Welch

"A Brand New World"

Third Place Winner in the Spring 2010 New Beginnings Challenge.

"When I first began on this project, I lost my older brother to a heart attack and shortly thereafter my nephew, also to a heart attack. All I could see these past few weeks was endings. I began searching for something I felt was a new beginning that conjured up good and happy feelings during this sad time of my life. My mind zeroed in on graduating! What a happy time in my life...whether it be from kindergarten, grade school, middle school, high school or college, graduation symbolizes a new beginning in life. I named it A Brand New World as that is my memory of graduating and then watching my children graduate!"

About me…

I have to create… it is in my soul.

I am a native Texan and refer to myself as a rancher although I don’t do any of the “ranch” work anymore…cowboys do that for me.  While actively showing horses, I began designing show apparel for the western rider and continued not only designing but also manufacturing for the better part of 10 years.  After several major life changes, I moved into “town” as we ranchers say, more precisely, San Antonio, TX. 

In addition to loving and working with textiles I discovered the wonderful diverse world of jewelry making.  Every day brings new challenges, new techniques, and new ways of expressing myself through various mediums, beads, stones, wire, found objects, and metal clay.

When I was first introduced to Metal Clay, I knew it was a medium that would become an integral part of my life.  I have been fortunate to study this medium with some wonderful artist instructors and continue to do so.  

I approached it with the philosophy of a wonderful chef who said,
“First learn the rules.  Once those are mastered, the real joy of creativity can cut loose. “
I am having a wonderful time doing just that…cutting loose, expressing what is in my heart with my hands with this wonderful medium Metal Clay.  It is exciting, exhilarating and fulfilling.

Inspiration and ideas just seem to find me, sometimes even in my sleep.   My work is influenced by my deep spiritual beliefs, children, things of nature, especially the sea, life on the ranch and architecture.  

I see it, I feel it in my heart, I then turn it over to my hands to shape and form it into a piece that is personal and heartfelt.  I may make just components for several days, then when an inspiration comes to me, I assemble them into that idea, perhaps adding more components, perhaps not.  Some ideas come and are so compelling,  I have to sit down and take it from start to finish.

My wish is for anyone owning a piece of my jewelry to hear the song it is singing and feel good when wearing it.

Dyanne is a member of the PMC Guild, Secretary of the Mcasa, Metal Clay Artists of San Antonio, the San Antonio Chapter of the PMC Guild, a member of the Art Clay Society and is level III metal clay certified..