Bodacious Beads & Baubles

I‘ve always had a fascination with colorful and unique beads for my wire and bead art. I’ve discovered wire wound flamework or “lampworking,” the ancient art of making glass beads. Each bead is handmade one at a time using a gas fueled torch to melt rods of clear and colored glass and wrapping that molten glass around a “mandrel,” a clay coated rod. The base bead is layered with variations of colored flowing glass into interesting and imaginative beads.

I consider glass beads to be small “treasures” with appealing variations of color and design. I have found many people believe in the power of beads to convey a sense of the spirit of the past into the present and future, a form of symbolic language. Many of my beads blend traditional form with new innovative designs. It is fascinating as individual pieces of glass in different shapes, color, and thickness are applied layer by layer to create individual unique compositions. I am spurred by my desire to create one of a kind beads that are unlike anything previously created.

This technique has opened up so many possibilities for me and I have made extensive study of different techniques of bead making. The medium and scale allows one to experiment with form and color like few other art forms.

But most simply, I make glass beads because it is great fun!