3 Tips for Beaded Sculptures from Artist Corbett Kesler

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Corbett Kesler was born in Texas and admits he comes from a long line of hardheaded men. Once he set on the path of making beaded skulls, his determination and passion took over. His process has evolved over time and includes placing 18,000 to 65,000 beads on each of his beaded sculptures. Corbett won an Honorable Mention in the Bead Arts Awards competition in 2022 with his beaded skull, Fury Rose. He’s here to share his top tips for beaded sculptures, as well as his process and business model.

Alexander beaded mosaic by Corbett Kesler — “Alexander” Ram by Corbett Kesler

1. Perfect Your Technique

Learning the best way to apply beaded patterns is part of the challenge. Corbett says, “I started my art journey with a blank skull, a handful of beads, and YouTube. I had to struggle and figure the process out on my own. There are no real how-to videos out there, so trial-and-error was my friend.” He has refined his technique, including figuring out how to make his own wax, using Miyuki 11/0 rounds, creating his own application tools, and now making his own skulls.

Corbett usually creates abut 10 new patterns a year, varying the color palette on each sculpture. He enjoys the creativity of making patterns but confesses it’s a time-consuming process. To create custom beading patterns, Corbett uses a coloring page app on his iPad. He uploaded a blank PDF of blank overlapping dots that is essentially a blank peyote pattern.

Brutus beaded mosaic by Corbett Kesler — “Brutus” American Bison by Corbett Kesler

2. Keep It Up

Since applying each bead by hand is so precise, Corbett has a few suggestions for making it less strenuous. He says, “I work in 1-hour increments. And I started to make my own skulls by molding and casting them, then using resin for the skull. The process is arduous, but I like the result better. I find that mixing up your workday keeps me from getting burned out.”

Corbett is a high school special education teacher and sells his beadwork at art festivals and online. He says, “I have had a good reception to my art, it is different and out of the box. I do not currently work with any galleries, so I market and sell on my own. I find that doing higher-end art festivals help me grow my customer base and helps get my art seen by clients that are not necessarily in my demographic. Competitions and shows help get exposure and can lead to sales.”

Deertus beaded mosaic by Corbett Kesler — “Deertus” Colorado Mule Deer by Corbett Kesler

3. Find Your Inspiration

Although Corbett’s graphic design and beadwork is different than the Huichol Indians of Mexico, they both use beads as their medium. He is inspired by learning with a small group of Huichol artists near Sayulita, Mexico. Corbett fell in love with the Huichol Center for Cultural Survival and Traditional Arts and donates a portion of his annual profits to support this inspiring group.

Corbett suggests, “The real key to making art is to find your own style and then make it your own. Don’t be afraid to evolve and try new things.” He enters competitions to get exposure for his art and business.

The 2023 Bead Arts Awards are running now! Be sure to enter before the final deadline!

All images courtesy of Corbett Kesler. Find Corbett on Instagram @art.by.corbettkesler and on his website.

Sculptural Beadwork Inspiration