Conversations with Rose Burek

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rose Burek.

Hi Rose, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
First off, I would like to thank you for such a fantastic opportunity. This is really exciting to be able to tell my story about how I got started creating my “Wind Art”.

It all began with a welding class that I attended in 2002. It was an evening class for adults at a local high school. I received a certificate for completing 36 hours of beginning welding. It was two times a week for several weeks. During the time I was taking this class, I happened to be at a Subaru Dealership. I was waiting for a friend and decided to walk around the lot. I found an interesting object in the trash. It turned out to be a muffler from a Subaru vehicle. I asked if I could have it, and they said yes.

I took that muffler to my welding class and created my first sculpture (which I still have today). My welding teacher noticed my interest in rusted metal. He encouraged me to check out scrap metal yards around the area. At the time I had been living in Bayfield, Colorado. So he told me to check out Farmington New Mexico. That area has several scrap metal yards because of all the oil and gas. I did exactly what he told me to do. I brought home many pieces of rusted metal and made a few more standing sculptures.

For many years I had been interested in doing beadwork. So I had a good collection of beads. How after many years of looking at the pieces of metal and doing my beadwork, I decided to start putting the beads on the pieces of rusted metal. The pieces of metal were engine parts, farm implements, and industrial parts. I did that but something seemed to be missing. It was my husband who suggested the bells. I spent a lot of hours searching for the right bells. I eventually found these copper/brass bells that are made in India. Each has its own unique sound. Things were starting to really come together. My first wind chime was just one strand of beads with one bell. Eventually, I found ways to put more strands of beads with more bells on the pieces of rusted metal.

That was how I started out about thirteen years ago. Today I no longer sell just one strand of beads and bells. I sell three strands of bells and beads all the way up to nine strands. I sell most of the three, four, and five strands of beads and bells. My work can be found at the Crestone Artisans Gallery in Crestone, Co., Aspen & Evergreen Gallery in Estes Park Co., Cliffrose Garden Center & Gifts in Cortez, Co., and Envision Gallery in El Prado, New Mexico. I continue to love creating my “Wind Art”.

In the past five years, I have also been creating more standing sculptures. That means picking up different pieces of rusted metal from the scrap yards. These creations are now part of a garden that I have named The Garden of Gratitude. This garden is at my home in Crestone. It is where I spend a large part of my time in the summer, putting in new sculptures and plants.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Trying to find new places to sell my art is always a challenge.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Over the years I look forward to spending my time looking for pieces of rusted metal. I know scrap yards are dirty places and it is a lot of work searching for the pieces that will work with my wind chimes.

I do not weld my wind chimes, I put them together with eye bolts. So only certain types of metal will work for me. I look at going to the scrap yards as a treasure hunt. Just maybe I will find something really spectacular.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I started creating the windchimes before I retired, so being able to create full-time was what I needed in my life. I had always wanted to do artwork, it just wasn’t the right time until I retired.

Pricing:

• Starting from $149.00 up to $375.00

Contact Info:

• Website: www.beaditwithmetal.com 

Image Credits
Lori Nagel and Tom Jones