Today we’d like to introduce you to Chance Hyde.
Hi Chance, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My craft is pretty incidental but also really relevant to what I do for a living. I had always had a fascination with gemstones and other shiny baubles, I had also always been an art kid. I wanted to be able to merge the two and wire was the most accessible medium for me to start with. As I explored new patterns and techniques, I found myself fully engaged with art in a way i had not felt in a long time. I quickly fell in love with the limitless boundaries wire weaving offered. To me it feels as close to creating magical objects in real life as one can get.
For years now I’ve been making one-of-a-kind pieces primarily at my favorite shop, The Broom Closet, for people to marvel at and enjoy. I also host workshops there from time to time with easy step-by-step tutorials. It has currently become my biggest passion to get to construct intentional and personal wearable forms of art for people.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It was the most hard in the beginning when I really just had to put myself out there. I was also incredibly lucky to be surrounded by people who encouraged me to persist. I remember my early work being pretty simple and regal. I was particularly guilty of seeing other experienced artists’ works on social media and thinking to myself “I want to make something more like THAT!”
I had my first display of about 10-15 pieces at the aforementioned shop, and there was one piece in particular I remember eyeing and worrying to myself “what if that honestly just looks silly?” Literally moments later on the same day a woman came in. She was grieving the loss of her brother and she wanted “something unique” to remember him by. She looked over hundreds of options in the shop but when she spotted my case she immediately wanted the very same one in particular I was questioning moments ago. It was more or less a ball of wires and gem beads, but she said she loved how different it was and that it was exactly what she was looking for. She then informed me she was an AP art teacher from accross states. What she may not have known was that to me this was an extraordinary compliment. To this day I wish i could still tell her thank you, because I learned from this experience that I truly needed to just make my art exist and somebody will love it no matter what, and you’re always learning as you go.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a multi-media artist, wire jewelry has become my main medium. I also paint, sketch, and lately I’ve been working on ways to upcycle found objects. I’m known for being knowledgeable of the gemstones I work with and do more than just wrap gemstones in wire, I curate each commissioned piece to, in a way, reflect the person’s sense of style and interests. I am proud to say I can make pretty much anything and I love a good challenge! Copper wire is my main resource but i do also use sterling silver. I love the way copper is neutral and darkens with age wheras sterling needs to be polished regularly. Recently I embellished a walking stick that a wonderful regular held dearly with woven copper. it was such an honor to add upgraded flare to an object that somebody was so fond of. I feel like it is my ability to capture a vision or bring a dream (figuratively and sometimes quite literally in my field of work) to real life that sets me apart from other artists in my medium.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
To simply put it, patience. love how this endeavor has also taught me so much about people and it has improved my people skills exponentially. People have comissioned me to make some really personal pieces with very deep meaning, which is where patience is utmost important. There’s always something new to learn when it comes to both creation and people, however i do feel like if I weren’t so patient and passionate with my attention to detail or a client’s personal background then this medium would simply be just another fun craft.
Pricing:
- •Simple wire-wrapped piece (in copper or silver) -$35
- •Elegant/larger pieces -$45 minimum
- Dainty ring (any size)- $25
- Embellished/larger rings- $45
- Pet portraits- $80-150.00
Contact Info:
