SPOTLIGHT ON ... DESIGNER
April 2009

Our featured designer for this month is Genea Crivello-Knable .

Hello, my name is Genea Crivello-Knable and this is my story... It all started when I was just a child. My mom found out that I was creative at a young age. I would draw daisies around the door knobs with crayons and give my brother unexpected hair cuts.

As time went on my teachers began to notice that I had a special interest in art. My 8th grade teacher, Mrs. Shiely, brought up my artistic talents to my mother. After that she began feeding my artistic appetite.

I had been hanging around with a group of friends that she feared would be bad for my character. She decided to remedy this problem by introducing me to polymer clay. At age 13 I was the youngest applicant accepted into an art show in my home town of Racine, WI.

A few years earlier is when I actually got into beading. After my grandmother passed away my mother and I went on a trip to Sonoma, CA to visit her brother. We had a wonderful trip where we met very interesting people on the streets of San Fransisco. We met a lovely woman and her daughter "Star,". Star did some awesome macrame knotting around a braid in my hair including : gold thread and beads. When my mom and I were on this trip we visited local bead stores and started our collection. When we returned back home we began making jewelry.

In the following years in high school I took many classes in art. I did everything from drawing and painting to metal smithing, and fiber arts.

It wasn't until I began working at the local bead shop in Kansas City, MO (Bead Boutique) that I had my first experience in glass. My boss at the time had said she was taking a class in lampworking. I couldn't believe that you could make your OWN beads! How cool is that?! I had done many techniques in beading and decided that this was the next step.

Thus this lampworker was born. I took my first class at a local bead shop in December of 2002 and a month later I bought my hot head and basic set up.I continued my training by getting many books(passing the flame, making glass beads,and beads of glass) and practice, practice, practice. I found many online sites that helped that were fat with information(www.wetcanvas.com,www.lampworketc.com,www.isgb.org). I happily stuffed myself with all the information I could get.

This brings us to now. I have since been published in a few bead magazines and online sites. I will continue my career by traveling to shows to sell my work and eventually teaching classes. I love to chat with other artists and share creative ideas. I hope to talk with you soon.

Much love,
Genea