—Lampworking— I've just finished on a course in Corning NY with Loren Stump and after three attempts, I've finally finished my first signature cane, so that having a signature cane now identifies my pieces as opposed to just purchased components. I make each bead and having the cane allows collectors and clients to identify when my pieces were finished even if it isn't dated. This particular cane while very tiny is magnified when clear is added on top. The process of making beads begins with glass rods that are heated and wound around a metal rod that has been dipped into a ceramic separating medium so the glass does'nt adhere to the metal. Close to the consistency of a thick honey, molten glass is wound around the rod and shaped into a bead. The molten glass must rotate in the flame continuously so it doesn't burn or distort its shape. Soft glass is tricky and cools quite fast. If it isn’t kept hot enough, it will break apart from thermal shock. Beads are embellished with raised or flattened dots of varying colours, patterns and opacities. Stringers (fine threads of glass which have been previously pulled by hand) are also used to draw various designs and patterns. Each glass bead is made separately, formed without the use of molds, and each one is unique. It is somewhat like sculpture - using color, form and design. Lampworking offers me the opportunity to express myself in 3 dimensions. All are carefully crafted without molds and are annealed for strength and durability. My beads can be dropped on a cement floor without worry of breakage - of course to a certain point, it is still glass. —Jewelry Design— In addition to making the art glass beads, I also designing one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces.Simple-elegance, regal, and feminine, describe a collection of wearable art glass, in the form of jewelry. Each bead has a separate and distinct way of presenting itself, but the key element is the process of aligning all the selected components in a harmonious way. I will take apart finished pieces if they just don't feel right. Creating jewelry allows me the control and satisfaction of knowing exactly how each bead is used in a final piece. Success for me is that people enjoy my work and continue to follow me as I to grow and explore art glass jewelry design. I want my jewelry to enhance a wardrobe, but sometimes it can easily be the focus. The concept of producing beads, probably one of the first forms of human art, and by a method most likely used to create the very first bead ever found in antiquity, is a highly-regarded treasure. In Canada, there are a limited number of artisans actively using their own beads in jewelry design. Repeated patterns and techniques are often used to create a series of work, but all my glass beads are made one-at-a-time. I hope people smile when they see my finished creations, and allow the joy I experienced while creating them, to enter into your life. You would be buying wearable artwork, not just a production piece of jewellery found at every outlet. "Creativity is predicated on a system of rules and forms, in part determined by intrinsic human capabilities.
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