Meet Mihaela Ungeareanu
Winner, Beginner Category, Man, Myth, Magic Challenge
Congratulations to Mihaela Ungeareanu! Mihaela has always been interested in jewelry but wanted to create some of her own. Because classic metalsmithing seems difficult, she looked for other ways to create jewelry. Recently she discovered metal clay, took her first class from Corina Gheorghe, and has been creating ever since!
Her winning project, The Golden Apple, is a fine silver pendant with two layers riveted together, showing a gold Keum-boo interior through leaves cut out of the upper layer.
“I was taking a riveting and keum-boo class,” says Mihaela, “and I chose the apple as a design without hesitation. It’s an element that represents me. Apples appear in religion, mythology, and many popular stories. By its definition, the apple is the fruit due to which I left Eden, so for me it is the piece of heaven that I carry in my soul.”
“I’m still a beginner in metal clay and haven’t created a lot of pieces yet. My inspiration comes from everyday life or sometimes just from a stone. In general, I make a plan based on a drawing and then apply the knowledge I have learned.”
Mihaela thanks Corina Gheorghe, her first instructor, for all the knowledge she taught before COVID-19 shut down classes. With in-person classes limited, Mihaela has turned to online learning until pandemic restrictions lessen. “I recently became an AMCAW member,” says Mihaela, “and the tutorials posted online are not only a fun way to learn but also a real source of inspiration!”
Mihaela has allocated resources for a small studio at home while pandemic restrictions are in place. She says that she hasn’t created a lot of pieces yet, as she is still a beginner, and regrets that she can’t devote more time to her new passion.
Her advice to other beginners? “Try metal clay! It is an excellent way to discover that the only limit of this material is our imagination!”
Find Mihaela on Facebook as Mihaela.ungureanu.5074, and on Instagram here.
