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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Talk with just about any pest management professional and you’ll discover that most of these individuals, at their core, are “bug people,” with an appreciation for the beauty and unique features of insects.
It’s not uncommon for pest management professionals to have live insect collections, dabble in insect photography and some even have own insect apparel, including clay insect jewelry. Yes, that’s correct – clay insect jewelry. This creepy crawly artform was a huge hit at the New England Pest Management Association’s (NEPMA’s) recent annual training seminar.
Each year, NEPMA sells various items to raise money for its scholarship fund. Hot items this year were clay insect jewelry pieces made by Salt Lake City, Utah-based Clayworks by Kim Detmers. “They went so fast that they were sold out within the first 15 minutes of the conference,” said Rod Kreimeyer, owner Best Pest Control Services, Somerville, Mass. It was Kreimeyer whose idea it was to sell the jewelry as a fundraiser after he came across and purchased the insect jewelry while visiting Salt Lake City last fall.
The woman behind this non-traditional apparel is Kim Detmers, a Salt Lake City-based artist and mother of three. Detmers used to paint murals, but about four years ago began dabbling in polymer claywork because it was easier for her to do this type of work from home. The process involves using a pasta machine to blend two or more colors and make designs. “Little by little I got better at it,” Detmers said. “I started with beadwork and jewelry. One day I was flipping through a (art) magazine and saw people making bugs and I thought they were wonderful. I thought they were really whimsical and funny looking.”
Detmers makes about a dozen bugs at a time. It takes about four hours to make the components, and another two hours to assemble the bugs. Detmers then cooks them and adds finishing touches such as curly legs, pin backs, etc. Last year Detmers sold 650 bugs at a local farmer’s market as well as the Utah Artists Hands (a Salt Lake City gallery) and in Tubac Arizona at the Tubac Center for the Arts Holiday show. Clayworks by Kim Detmers can now be ordered from the PCT store.