Mixed-media artist uses wire to create her unique pieces: 'It's kind of like drawing in space'

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Mixed-media artist Judy Vienneau uses a common raw material, wire, in an uncommon way to create her pieces.

"It's a unique medium, and it's challenging," Vienneau said. "It takes a lot of concentration to make these pieces. It's similar to doing a drawing without taking your pencil off the paper."

The various gauges of wire can be found at any hardware store. Vienneau bends long pieces with her hands or pliers to create various three-dimensional objects. Sometimes, she blends those objects with paintings or other types of materials.

"It's kind of like drawing in space, I call it. It's somewhere in between 2D and 3D," Vienneau said.

In addition to the materials, a unique aspect of the art is how they change depending on the location of the viewer, especially when exposed to direct light.

"I love the shadowing that the wire makes. You can get different expressions and faces depending on the angle you're looking at, which direction the light's coming from. That's a really fun aspect of my work. I love seeing how that plays," Vienneau said.

Vienneau's current exhibition features a collection of faces and abstract healing wounds. It's on display at the Artists in Residence gallery in St. Petersburg until Thursday. Seeing the pieces come to life is what she enjoys most.

"The process of getting it to do what I want it to do sometimes is very frustrating because it kind of has a mind of its own. It sticks out places. It gets caught on the chair leg, but then when I finally get it done, and it looks the way I want it to look. That's the most satisfying thing," Vienneau said.