Face to Face: Meet Catherine Chinoy

Our newest Face to Face interview with our fellow beaders and designers is here! We keep introducing beaders from the Beadingschool community.

We talked a lot about bead embroidery over last two weeks, where we encouraged our Beadingschool Club members to share some of their beadwork, hints and tips and we could not be more surprised! It was like we opened a huge treasure chest and discovered a whole new world within our community! There is still so much talent and inspiration from our beaders.  We’d like to introduce you to a beader who’s sourcing inspiration for her jewels from the nature and also professional background – thinking of the smallest detail and precise execution of the idea. We’re happy she’s beading with us.

Meet the Beadingschool Club member, beader and lover of all living,

Catherine Chinoy!

 

Please tell us about yourself a bit! When and how did you start to create? How did you learn to bead?

I’m a 59 year old British beader living in the small historic city of Norwich, in the East Anglia region of England. I was born and mostly brought up in London. My mum is English, my dad (now deceased) was Indian, and I’ve lived in several multi-ethnic areas, so many different cultures have influenced me.

I work as a research scientist (I have degrees in Biological Sciences and Plant Genetics). I’m now only part time, so I have to plan my work days very carefully.

I’ve always been creative, and enjoy a variety of crafts for relaxation, but beading is the hobby that has held my attention and I always return to it between other projects. My earliest experience with beadweaving was while I was still at primary school, and a friend’s mother taught me daisy chain with two colours of seed bead.

 

 

Is beadwork your hobby or profession? How does your average day look like? When do you have time to create?  

I describe beadwork as my therapy! I certainly don’t want it to be a ‘job’ although I’m happy to write up specific steps to help other beaders. I need to switch off from the intellectual intensity of my work, and let the other parts of my brain flex! I usually bead on my non-work days, once all the chores are done. I bead most in the non-winter months, better daylight seems to stimulate me. Sometimes I get to bead with buddies, and those times are the best!

 

What did beading bring to your life? (Try to think about before and after effect).

I think the best thing that beading has brought me is the people! I’ve made good friends over the years, starting with internet forums, I then went on a bead retreat with people I only knew from online interactions (alarming though that seemed to my family).

Later I met other beaders through in-person classes around the UK and Europe. Now I’m enjoying the camaraderie of the BeadingSchool Club, and the live interactions with Erika during Coffee Time and NOHTBA.

 

Tell us about the piece of jewelry you are the most proud of! 

I have to say that reaching the 5th round of the 2013 Battle of the Beadsmith was probably my highest achievement, even though when I look at the ‘Oceanides’ purse, I can see things that I’ve since learnt, that would make it better! I am proud that I conquered my fears and persevered to complete within the deadline.

 

 

Where do you like to create? Do you have a designated area in your home where you keep your beads? Can you show it to us?

My house is small, so I tend to bead at a desk in the corner of the living room, or in my favourite armchair with light/magnifier and a bead tray on my lap. My beads live in drawers, in filing cabinets, and in crates. Now our son is moving out, I’m trying to establish a bead area upstairs, but my husband feels it needs to be his music area!

 

What is your favourite stitch? Which colours do you like the most? On the other hand, is there any colour or colour combination you try to avoid? 

Early in my beading career, at the first class I ever attended, someone once described my colour palette as ‘sludgy’ and it’s true that I tend to gravitate to the lower key colours, greens and browns rather than pinks and yellows; bronze and pewter rather than gold and silver. I do challenge myself to use the other shades though, and some have become more my taste after using them. I was commissioned to make a wedding purse for a friend in her choice of burnt orange, and while I found it difficult to start with, it grew on me. Now orange does sometimes pop up on my bead mat!

 

 

Do you follow instructions or do you like to develop your own designs? How would you define your style?  

It really depends on how I am feeling. Sometimes its so nice to have a kit and follow instructions, other times I have to go ‘off piste’ with a project, or the muse beckons and something completely different emerges from my head. I’ve dreamed a design, and had to get up early and just start beading it!

I love freeform and organic designs, and enjoy working with bead soups to give a soft and natural effect in weaving or embroidery.

 

 

Who are your favorite designers? Why? 

I’ve been lucky enough to take in person classes with Laura McCabe, Marcia Decoster, Huib Petersen, Jean Power and Heather-Kingsley Heath among others. I love all their work for different reasons. Sometimes it’s the structural complexity underlying a classic design, or the sheer imagination, or the use of some unusual shape or component. Erika and the BeadingSchool designers all seem to have the same gift, although I’ve only seen online or printed tutorials, not met in person. Every year I seem to add more names to my wishlist of people I’d love to learn from.

 

Do you have a favorite design by Erika? Tell us about it!   

I’m very fond of the Red Lak variant I made recently, but almost every month I have a new favourite. I’m saving a ‘Theodora’ kit for when I take some time off in April. It’s tempting me at this moment!

 

 

 

Which is the bead / component in your stash which you treasure the most? Do you already have plans on how to use it?

I love my collection of natural stone cabochons. I try to buy ethically sourced ones, though some come via sources with less provenance. I have one very large Ocean Jasper in green and pink which has been in my collection for at least a decade. I also love artisan dichroic glass, and have a collection of lovely cabs from Lyn Owen (Silvermoon Lyn), that I just stroke from time to time, but really need to use!

 

If you could design something for a well-known person or maybe a fictional character from a film or book, who would it be, and why?

I’m often inspired by Historical or Fantasy figures in novels, but no one in particular springs to mind. I find commissions quite hard, although ultimately satisfying when the customer is happy. I’d be too scared of beading for celebrities, though if one turned up incognito and bought something it would be wonderful!

 

 

What are your plans for the future as a beader? Is there something you would like to learn?

I’d like to use some of my ‘good stash’ on a larger piece. I’m still exploring free-form bead embroidery, and how to incorporate different textiles into my work. I have still never tried soutache or goldwork for example. I still love the freedom of bead embroidery, and would like to continue some of my ‘bead painting’ style, used for my daffodil barrette, where I mix different beads into a palette of soups and use them to give a ‘brush stroke’ effect.

 

Where can we see or buy your designs?

At one point I had an Etsy shop called Peapod Beads, but I’m not sure if I’ll resurrect it. If someone wanted a particular item they could make me an offer, otherwise I tend to sell simple or extra items at local fairs once or twice a year, with a proportion of proceeds going to charity. I have a couple of return customers who commission pieces for special occasions, they’re the best!

Thank you for answering my questions, Catherine!

We wish you lots of creative ideas, inspiring bead soups and connecting more with all of us!

 

Dear beading-friends and beadwork admirers, please, use the comment section if you have more questions you would like to ask, or greet our Catherine.

Stay tuned for more interviews for Beadingschool.com by Erika Sándor!