The Beadful Life @ BeadFX: Getting to know...Bonni Poch!

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Getting to know...Bonni Poch!

Bonni Poch is a relatively new instructor at BeadFX and has brought us classes that have been well-received! This week we'll find out a little more about Bonni.

"As long as I can remember, I have been involved in crafts," says Bonni. "The first craft that I learned was knitting, taught to me by my mother when I was roughly 7 or 8 years old. Since that time, I have dabbled in pottery, ceramics, fabric painting, needlepoint, cross-stitching, and stained glass art.

"I got into jewellery quite by chance, actually. After growing tired of stained glass art (actually tired of constantly having cut hands), I decided that I wanted to still work with glass but in a different format and took a private lampwork class at BeadFX. I didn’t connect with the process, but while at the store, started exploring and fell in love with the colours and textures available. The rest is, as they say, history. I’m mostly self-taught. YouTube and internet classes are terrific. I’ve taken a few classes at BeadFX, but again, mostly self-taught."

When asked what inspires her, Bonni replied, "Being challenged inspires me. Seeing something very complicated and intricate is exciting to me and stirs up the need to create (or sometimes replicate). I don’t inspire easily, but when it hits, the need to create and master the technique is overwhelming."

"I don’t know if this is typical or not, but I don’t have a set formula to help me decide what to make next. I go with my inspirations. Of course, there are exceptions. For example: I hate making earrings. I don’t wear them and generally don’t like them, however, they do sell at shows and should be a staple for any jewellery designer, so I make just enough to get me through any shows I’m doing and focus the rest of my time on bracelets and necklaces…my real passions."

Do you actively collect and record ideas for future projects? "Future projects…no," says Bonni. "I act on my inspirations and when I’m inspired, the desire to create is immediate. I can’t have something in my head to work on at a later date. That would make me crazy…I’m very self-indulgent that way. Everything is immediate"

"I love 99.9% of the teaching process," states Bonni. "The absolute best part, however, is watching students learning a new skill and being proud enough of their end product to wear it out of the class. I get a lot of satisfaction in sharing my knowledge and experience with others, and a real feeling of accomplishment when the students’ projects turn out well."

Bonni's advice to others who create? "Never underestimate your talent. Talent needs to be nurtured. With patience and practice, you can do just about anything you put your mind to!"

Upcoming classes with Bonni Poch: