Meet Anca Crahmaliuc
Congratulations to Anca Crahmaliuc, winner of the Intermediate category in the Opposites & Contrasts Challenge! Her winning piece, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, is a fine silver ring with CZ stones.
Anca’s Inspiration
“I have always been passionate about cosmic themes. I remember that my first pieces of jewelry that I wore were stars, suns and little moons. Of course, when I was able to make my own, I started with a pair of earrings with a moon and a sun. Then, through a tutorial made by Tracey Spurgin, I discovered how to make nested rings and, of course, I thought of combining the sun with the moon.”
Creating the Winning Piece
“The idea of this ring was in my mind for a long time, so it developed very naturally,” says Anca, “and despite my usual technical failures, the birth of this ring was an easy one. The metal clay gods were very kind with me this time! I have since made several versions of this ring. One version is a stack of a golden sun, a black moon, and a shiny star; they rotate around a central pin. Another nested version has a golden sun and a black moon with several tiny 1mm CZs.”
Introduction to Metal Clay
“I have been interested in crafting since childhood,” Anca says. “As a geologist, I deeply love stones and metals. I discovered metal clay in 2016, with the help of Corina Gheorghe, a very gifted Romanian artist and instructor. I love to combine mediums: metals, stones, glass, fossils, polymer clay, textiles, ceramics, everything you can imagine!”
“I usually discuss my projects with my friend Mihaela Ungureanu. The nice thing is that we made our very first introductory metal clay course together and that created a special bond between us. I also ask for support sometimes from my online metal clay friends.“
On Continuing to Learn
“I love tutorials,” Anca laughs. “Definitely, AMCAW tutorials are a precious source of learning for a metal clay fan. I still read books, watch AMCAW Virtual Guild meetings, and take Zoom courses. And I hope to participate at SINTER 2024 to consolidate and enhance my technical skills.”
On Entering Challenges
Anca regularly enters challenges. “I think that participating in any contest is mainly about challenging yourself,” she says. “You definitely have nothing to lose by participating in an AMCAW challenge. You have the chance to be evaluated by iconic people in the metal clay industry: they want you to progress so they give you useful tips about how to do that, and this will motivate you to go farther. I believe I participated in almost every challenge AMCAW has organized: first in the beginners category and after I won once at this category, I found the courage to apply in the intermediate category. I really had no expectations to win as I knew how skilled the artists in this community are… and the fact that I won is a proof that this is perfectly possible for anyone. Just try!
About Anca
Anca lives in Bucharest, România. “I like to travel,” says Anca, “and fortunately România has a lot to offer: beautiful countryside, mountains, the Danube delta and the Black Sea. However, I also like city life with its multicultural offerings, as I am very fond of music. Every two years, Bucharest hosts the glorious Enescu Festival. We have also great opera singers and talented actors.”
Find and be inspired by Anca online at:
www.breslo.ro/ACHandmade
Facebook: @anca.crahmaliuc.7
Instagram: ancacrahmaliuc
