A blog dedicated to the creativity and the challenges of making and designing with handmade art glass (lampwork) beads.
About This Blog
This blog reflects the thoughts, passions and struggles of a glass bead artist whose day job is manufacturing food safe rubber stamps. I share the joys and challenges of making lampwork glass beads and rubber stamping. ALL images here are copyrighted unless otherwise stated and may not be used without permission!Contact Holly
Several amazing sales venues have popped up on Facebook expressly for artisan lampwork! I always share my current sales on my fan page there. But you can usually find me on any of the following groups:
I totally forgot to blog about my entry (Yay! I finished on time!) to last month's Art Bead Scene! This was inspired by Klimt's Tree of Life Painting.
ABOUT THE BEAD: I pictured the bead in my head immediately but Klimpt's work inspires me like that. The glass bead came out even prettier than I'd expected!
ABOUT THE NECKLACE: I lucked out and found a bowl full of threaded e beads ready to crochet! I sort of wish the pattern was a bit more random with this bead as the focal but... I wasn't about to restring! The five bead pattern whipped up in under a week.
I knew I wanted copper findings and was THRILLED to find the little tree branch motif toggle in my stash! It's sewn on the ends with copper bead caps.
But that's where my luck ran out. This bead had holes a little bigger than I would have liked and I had no copper molded caps so I tarnished sterling ones which, in the end, matched the metallic limbs of the tree branches.
I like jewelry that can be interchanged... different drops, plain or fancy and I knew I wanted to be able to wear the crochet alone or with other beads. I shaped 16 gauge copper on a sharpie and spiraled it onto the crochet cord.
When I wire wrapped my bead - also on 16 g. copper, I wrapped a tarnished silver giant lobster on to the pendant. This way I can wear whatever pendant strikes my fancy with my crochet necklace!
My saga continues...yada yada yada. But I'm too darn tired to talk about it! Let chat about something FUN!
The Art Bead Scene picked a painting by one of my favorite artists for inspiration on this month's contest! YAY! I haven't been rocking on their choices this year at all! So it felt great to look at the painting and just "see" the bead I wanted to make and then go make it!
HUGE lentil!!
The inspiration painting is Tree of Life by Gustav Klimpt:
Now let's just see if my jewelry making muse shows up in time to meet the contest deadline!
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Just a couple of reminders as we head into the weekend:
The Fire Divas will start voting on the holiday bead challenge any day now, so I hope you will check in over the weekend and vote.
There comes a time in everyone's life when you feel you need to start again...renew your faith in yourself, your art, your direction in life...your friends.
I hate starting over. Whether making a bead or a career choice...I just hate it. I fight. I struggle with the inevitable. Maybe I just hate to admit defeat.
So I guess it feels rather strange to admit, I need to start over at a time in my life when, creatively, things are on such a high note. But, in reality, as much as I love being an artist, I NEED to find a job that values (i.e. pays for) my time and expertise.
And while I know in my heart that this is true, I still fight it. I've worked from home for 10 years. It's been exhilarating knowing my days are my own. That whatever new career I land in will probably demand far more structure than I would like.
There are days when I'm dumbfounded by the possibilities.
I've finally trained myself on the torch to know what to do when this happens artistically.
I return to the familiar. I make the thing I could make in my sleep. There are times I've done this for days on end...hoping for something, anything new and exciting to slap my muse upside the head. And eventually, something does. The act of doing is powerful. New things are born of the old.
And so it will be with this next big step in my life. I will concentrate on what I'm good at... on what I love. I will do and do and do and do until my path emerges.
This month's theme for the Art Bead Scene is The Blue Feather. Yes, it's another abstract piece and I don't do well with those. In fact, I'm so relieved it was called the blue feather because I would have NEVER gotten that otherwise.
I've Got Friends...
It just so happens I had been reading up on how to make a feather murrini. My buddy Janel Dudley is working on a tutorial for sale using murrini and asked me to proof / make suggestions. And... I SO don't do murrini. I look at them and go "Oh, those are nice...but what would I DO with them??" But that Janel - what a wonderful and sneaky friend she is - sent me some murrini and some glass to actually try her tut out on the torch. And I LOVED it!
So that got me curious about obsessed with murrini. And while I didn't feel capable of pulling murrini as elaborate and stunning as Janel's, I wanted to try and pull something simple and since a feather is just stacked layers - about 16 layers - of glass, I thought I could give that a try.
The Blob!
My first attempt ended in frustration. It didn't look like a feather so much as a blob of glass! After I made a bead with it I realized it was a mistake to try and get gradient color in the feather.
My second pull didn't seem to look any different except there was this wonky part that I thought didn't get hot enough. After re-reading the feather tut, I realized that wonky bit was the IDEAL shape for feather murrini. And after taking this picture, I realized they are all the right shape...I just pulled them too thin.
Color Me Blind....
So I tried applying it to a bead. I didn't really like this one... the colors between the bead and the feather are too similar. The feather just disappears. I also decided leave the flowers raised.
Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!
So my final attempt, I went with a different background color. I used transparent lapis over a white heart. I also used a bit of brown to rake the murrina. And can I digress a bit to kvetch about digital cameras and the color BLUE??? WHY the heck doesn't that color photograph properly??? The bead in the photo below is THIS COLOR...not the crappy blue on the screen. This fact of digital bugs the crap out of me to the point I've got a GORGEOUS blue bead that's been on my desk for months and I won't list it for sale because I hate every picture I see of it!
[Stepping down off my soapbox] This is the bead I hope to use in my ABS entry... if the jewelry muse hits me over the head in time to enter!
ABOUT THE ART GLASS BEAD: I found the painting dark but the hem of the dancer's skirt with her leg a twirl reminded me immediately of a delicate flower. I made several of these finding the perfect "peachy pink" shade. The bead is double sided and even stands up on her own.
ABOUT THE NECKLACE: The choker length piece features a sterling toggle clasp and is strung with faceted onyx and interspersed with Swarovski roundels. The facets in the onyx sparkle and give a nice contrast to the sparkle of the crystals. My art glass bead sits nicely at the center of the neck.
Truth be told, I have the doldrums...no sleep; too much worrying; Spending too much time looking for something to do that I can get paid for; Art Bead Scene piece due TODAY and I haven't thought about it since I made the bead the 1st week of June. SIGH....
And since I have nothing positive to share - oh wait, there was one glimmer of good news. A friend of a friend who is a graphic designer got such a big job, she's booked through Christmas! Yay! May we all be so blessed.
Whenever I'm asked to write on a theme - as I was for this month's Art Bead Scene Blog Carnival - I always like to look up that word and be sure I understand the theme and how that applies to the topic at hand. For the Blog Carnival, the topic is always the use of artisan made beads and the theme is commitment.
While pondering this word, I thought it would be the commitment that is dedication to one's art that I would write about, but that's not the true meaning of the word. A commitment is a pledge to do something in the future; a financial, physical or emotional obligation. That doesn't really seem fitting, does it?
But the first meaning of the word is even more interesting: The act of committing, as to a mental institution! Somehow, this definition seems far more fitting to my relationship with art glass beads!
How better to describe something that you are driven to do despite lack of sales or even positive feedback ? Isn't it somewhat crazy to keep doing something that costs so much time in research, education and promotion? Isn't it insane to keep throwing good money after bad all in name of your art?
So WHY keep doing it??? For me, it's the time at the torch that all the voices in my head just shut up and go... who cares where! (What's that? YOU don't have voices in your head??? You're probably NOT an artist. Every artist I know does. They are loud and critical!)
It's that moment when I accomplish something I was unable to before - a really cool bit of stringer design; a better understanding of some glass; an amazing sculpture. It's the knowledge that I am better for the practice.
So if you see the men in white jackets looking for me, tell them they can find me at the torch!
I'm torching today and working on my Art Bead Scene entry. I have an idea for the inspiration painting I need to work out. And, I've got a few color schemes in my head I'm dying to play with.
But there's some other good things to talk about. I finally listed my May Flowers Necklace from last month's Fire Divas Bead Challenge.
This was such a time consuming piece that I fear it's a bit pricey. The beads would cost much more if sold stand-alone. So I have a special offer - mention this blog post and get $20 bucks off!
Well, I've missed my monthly Art Bead Scene deadline. I sort of hoped when I woke up on Monday that I would pull a rabbit bracelet out of my hat...but I didn't. So for the first time in at least a year and a half, I missed it. SIGH...
It's hard coming to terms with just being human. My computer issues sidelined me for over two weeks. And while being off line gave me more time in so many ways, it also ate into my time in others.
The other issue I have is the pressure I feel to compete in the contests... I feel I need to be "out there" showing my work. But really...WHY? My goal (at the moment) is to be a glass bead maker (who actually sells her beads), not a jewelry designer. And really, what good is it to be "out there" when I don't feel inspired by that month's painting??? When I feel I have to struggle to create something? It was a real eye opener to miss this one...
Being offline has made me realize a number of things. I'm not sure what changes that's going to lead to but, I'm looking to take a leap out of this pressure cooker in some small way.
Enough serious stuff... Something really fun happened. I've been picked to be the Diva of the Month over on the Fire Divas site. Go read my first interview with Lea!
I've been knocked for a loop this week. If you read Creekhiker, you already know...my big computer is dead. I was lucky enough to salvage all data before the official death certificate was issued but trying to figure out what I can afford and still work the way I like to work... I'm not just a bead maker. I consult, write and publish for clients. I use big programs. Anyway, finding the right machine is a mystery I need to solve and fast.
I hate my little laptop- mostly used for bookkeeping and retrieving orders online. I made some custom beads for a prior client and spent most of yesterday afternoon trying to edit them on Paint - the only photo editing program on this laptop. WHAT a sucky little program that is! You can't lighten. Try to drag the photo size down and it cuts off the image! ARG!!! How tedious! I could've done that in a fraction of the time with photoshop.
So, I'm sort of unhinged and floundering until I get it fixed.
On the bead front, I made my beads for the ABS and I like them - always a bonus! And I'm considering an "optional" design project for the ABS Blog carnival... No pics, obviously!
Well, it appears there was some kind of Flickr glitch... The kind folks at ABS are adding me to the pool! Yay! And I SWEAR, I will try to get my entries in sooner!!!
Well, maybe I've FINALLY learned my lesson about getting my entries into the Art Bead Scene's monthly contest on the last day. Even though I uploaded and sent them by 8 p.m. Pacific Time on the 30th, they were rejected! Most upsetting to work that hard on something and have them rejected.
I wasn't concerned when they didn't appear in the pool. I've uploaded late at night even and since it was a weekend... I waited. But then Monday, the post went up announcing the winner! I checked the pool, no pictures. I checked my photos and they were not showing as being part of the ABS pool. So... wah! That'll teach me. But, it also really annoys me! As I uploaded well before midnight and there is NO cutoff time publicized anywhere. Humph! Whatever...
On to the beads! Or the painting... I must admit, I HATED the inspiration painting and didn't get the beads made as early as I would have liked.... It's really hard when you are not inspired and, honestly, I really dislike abstract art. And this painting was so abstract.
But in the end, it was the colors that spoke to me. I used Alabastro glasses in beige and green and for the first time EVER, successfully worked copper into a bead! The center of the focal is oxidized copper.
About the Pendant: The black lines in the piece really spoke to me and so, instead of resorting to my usual sterling, I made the pendant with anodized steel.
The focal and two spacers were wire wrapped with generous loops to be able to slide onto any chain. The lines and squiggles at the bottom resemble the ones in the painting with the ends tucked to prevent them from poking into clothing or skin.
More spacers were added to the center wire for another pop of color.
Let's just see if I can catch the early train this month!
Yesterday was my fur baby's birthday and I wanted her to get to spend a large chunk of time beside a creek. And since I'm leaving town well before my Art Bead Scene entry is due (I'm usually the last to post!), I have a lot of "giterdone" going on around here.
So I coiled up the crochet that is the basis of my project this month and threw it in my backpack. I wished I still had some rollers around from the days when I thought I could make my hair submit to my will because, the BeadWrangler says that coiling threaded bead crochet around a roller makes a secure way to carry a project. But I gave up on hair submission a good decade ago, so I simply coiled the threaded beads around the spool of thread and added it all to my backpack along with some water, dried pineapple and my camera.
It would have been a blissful way to crochet, sitting by a babbling brook, watching the pupster enjoy her favorite place on earth and creating something pretty. But life rarely goes as planned... Oh, I found that picturesque spot all right. I settled in on a boulder and pulled out my crochet while Mabel Lou played. And then, the "if onlys" started.... If only we knew the trail head would have been washed out, making me climb on hands and knees up a rock face to reach the road.... If only I hadn't been bit by a spider days ago, making my leg swell and be super sensitive to the point I don't notice things I should.... If only I had noticed my backpack had a hole in it! If only my crochet needle hadn't been lost ...somewhere!
So I sat there anxious to get home...plotting the best path to the fabric store for a new needle! I took a deep breath and reminded myself that the day and the outing was not about ME. I wanted the pup to have some extended play time and she got just that.
I still think bead crochet is a great take-along project. Just put that needle in a bag before you put it in your bag!
This was an interesting group of months. The paintings were not as well known to me...which can be inspiring in the sense of not having pre-conceived notions.
July - The Cave Paintings of Lascaux
I really struggled with this. While I can see the merit of cave paintings as a way to communicate, I can't say I think of them as "art" and it took me weeks to find any kind of inspiration.
I knew the bead had to be silvered ivory for its ancient feel but... what would be on that bead? I couldn't see myself drawing a bull? In the end I used a spiral, an ancient symbol appearing in artwork of all kinds. And a man. Structurally, I think this is the most interesting piece I made all year.
August - Katsushiki's The Great Wave Off of Kanagawa
August hit with a vengeance! The mountain in my backyard and the national forest just beyond it were burning. For nights, townspeople gather on the mountain that wasn't burning and watch the fires. We are still being affected by the ash and soot and I'm sure that's why I never blogged about these next two... that and I still consider them unfinished as there are things I want to change.
With the fires raging outside my studio, it was actually kind of pleasant to be working in a cool palette. I used my favorite blue: Bullseye Steel Blue.
And while I love the concept of the clasp here... In theory, you could have a variety of bracelet bottoms to go with the one focal if this were created in a more neutral palette... There needs to be a more secure way to hold the little silver bead in place.
Here is the description from the submission: The art bead is my depiction of the great wave in glass.
The bracelet is made of 18 gauge sterling wire, Bali spacers, Swarovski crystals and seed beads. The sterling wire also serves as a clasp.
September - Kandinsky's Improvisation No. 23
Another Kandinsky...always an exciting color exploration. But I don't really find this to be soothing painting. I finally made a focal by taking a print out of this to the torch, squinting and pulling rods. I limited myself to those colors only.
I really like this necklace... my favorite of summer...however still unfinished as I feel the large bead caps near the clasp need to be moved further into the garnet section to allow for easier opening.
I was still reeling from the fires so here's the write up from the actual entry: The focal and spacer beads were made by me, Holly Dare. I love the swirls and dots and bold black lines in the painting and tried to play off of that in making the bead. The focal is irregularly shaped with lots of swirls and dots and twisted bumps. The spacers, while perfectly round, pick up the bold color scheme.
The necklace is made with copper findings, faceted garnet and bone-shaped Scenic Jasper.
Continuing my trip down memory lane with look at my Art Bead Scene Entries for April, May and June of 2009.
April - Botticelli's Birth of Venus
This painting is the favorite of a very close and well-traveled friend of mine. She has traveled just to see this painting. She has books devoted to this painting. Because of our friendship, it meant a lot to me to get this piece right. I spent a lot of time making Venus toros (all on sale in my shop)... I was using an irid glass and it just didn't work for what I saw in my head and in the end, I panicked and went in a totally differed (i.e. quick) direction!
It was pretty obvious what to do with the beads. I tried to pick colors with good contrast. In the end, I felt the beads were lacking the "square" element so I made hammered squares for the bracelet. This piece won the monthly drawing for the Art Bead Scene. Here is the original post about the bracelet.
Before we get to today's post, I wanted to mention that the entries from the Fire Diva's first ever jewelry challenge are up. Please go vote!
I wanted to spend this week looking back at all of my entries from the Art Bead Scene's 12 Contests. I LOVED the inspiration this year which was all paintings, mostly from Grand Masters. It's been a challenging and fun year of creating and I hope the inspiration this year is equally as fun! January - Van Gogh's Irises
I adore Van Gogh and have been to several exhibits featuring his work and this painting is one of my all time favorites.
This painting overwhelmed me with color but oddly enough, I had a bunch of goldfish left over from a custom order!
This allowed me to spend more time on the creation of the jewelry than I usually have because I normally waste 1/2 the month on just the bead design! Since I love crocheting ropes and I knew I wanted to incorporate as much color as possible, I spend most of my time on the design of rope. This is hands down my favorite piece of the year - I probably should put it up in the store! Link to the back-story on this piece.
This month's challenge (Folk Art) was... challenging yet again. I chose to work in the three primary colors in the spirit of the folk art used as inspiration.
Playing Piano by Ruby C. Williams
For the beads I initially planned an elaborate written message about love. And in the end, I chose to use one of my favorite letter signatures ...
XXX OOO
...i.e. kisses and hugs, for the beads. Each base bead is a hand shaped rectangle of a primary color with trails of the other two colors wrapping around it. One one side is an "X" and the other is an "O."
For the jewelry, I originally intended a bracelet but as I was working, the beads dictated a larger piece.
I used a teapot / teaspoon toggle to add to the homeyness of the piece. Swarovski cyrstals in red and blue as well as a few silver beads were added for accents. The art beads all float on a silver chain and there is a heart link chain running throughout the piece as well as a dangle from heart chain on one side. The heart shape was added for emphasis to carry out the love theme.
This month's Art Bead Scene Contest is inspired by the cave paintings at Lascaux. I must say, this was a struggle for me... I've never really thought of cave paintings as "art." A way to communicate - yes...but art -no!
But after giving it some thought I knew a silvered ivory background would work. I sat down at the torch with no other plan than that and made the central body bead and the four spacers used on the arms and legs. I woke up the next day, having dreamed about my little stick figure drawing and suddenly knew what direction my finished piece would take... but first, I had to make his head!
About the beads: layer of .999 pure silver added to ivory glass. The central body bead has a universal circular symbol on one side and a stick figure man on the other. All beads were wire wrapped with 18 & 20 gauge sterling.
Funny thing about this particular bead... It was my effort to make a small version of the shells I've been making! As an artist friend of mine says, "Scale is everything to an artist." We all have a size we are comfortable working in, and small is not mine!
But back to the bead...in an effort to make it small, I deliberately worked on a 1/16th mandrel. In the end, I thought all this glass was going to bend the mandrel! It was quite a feat to keep this puppy hot and happy and, because the bead is off center (deliberately so), spinning in the flame! In the end, it is my favorite of the series!
The bead starts as a hollow and then another layer of glass is added. The bead is allowed to droop and then, at the right moment, stabbed to create an opening and reveal all that lovely iridescent glass on the inside.
I'm loving this direction but will have to quit for a bit. Special orders await to be filled and I have to tackle this month's Art Bead Scene Project.
Please do check the Fire Diva's Blog for my Bead pick of the day!
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