glass beads

Tales from the torch: Nov. 21st-22nd/07

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Results from my last few torch sessions: 

The four goddesses are sold (custom order).

two goddess beads and a tube focal 

From left to right:

  • still playing with a warm palette – this focal combines enamels, frit and clear.  i’d originally planned to completely melt the clear encasing smooth and then decided to leave it lumpy.  The bumps feels great.
  • turquoise goddess with several shades of pastel frit.  i reduced her a little to bring out the earthy copper trails.  i think i’ve finally got the hang of reduction – at least with blue glass.  at one point i had her completely red and then was able to add and remove the red copper on her surface by waving her in and out of different parts of the flame. very cool.
  • i love purple – it’s my favourite colour but it’s one of the hardest to get in glass – the rod colours tend to either be greyish or do weird things in the flame.  This goddess is rolled in purple powder and then three shades of frit.

 last few torch sessions

From left to right:

  • another experiment with dark raku – this time i heated and cooled it a lot so the colour development progressed further – moved past the olive to more gold and hints of purple. will have to play more…
  • trying to find a way to get orange, reds and silver to play nicely together.  not quite there yet.  i’m happy with the shape though.
  • started a goddess but didn’t like the strong reaction between the light blue frit and the ivory – plus i ran out of fuel…lol.
  • tried again with a white base instead.  the softer reaction between the white and the light blue frit is much better
  • love this one!  bright green and purple frit – aren’t they awesome together??!!!

Goodbye beautiful!… and THANKS.

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This goddess bead started off simply as an experiment in testing a new colour and a more subtle female shape.  Then, over the past couple days I was introduced to the many different ways her shape can be interpreted – some of them, to be frank, quite traumatizing to my creative ego…

As of today though, my bruised ego has almost fully recovered and I am once again superbly proud of her.  Once I calmed down, I realized it’s actually kinda fun to hear what each person sees in each of my creations.  Sure, it may not be what i intended but that doesn’t necessarily mean that’s a bad thing.

Once i really thought about it, I realized I never intended to create anything very literal – my own personal tastes run to art that can be interpreted in many different ways.  This is, however, my first time being on the receiving end of those interpretations.  So shocking yes, but i guess i better get used to it.  And pronto.

I’ve also come to the realization of just how very personal each of my creations have become to me.  With hot glass, even as a relative newb, what i create comes straight from my soul.  When i sit in front of the torch i can start off with the intention of creating something specific but by the time i’m done the result is usually quite different.  Part of it is the inherent lack of limits in hot glass, another part is due to my current level of experience, a significant part is my own personal taste and the final part is… i dunno – i suppose you could call it creative energy?

It’s that indescribable “creative energy” that determines the final look of each of my pieces.  It’s that same creative energy that ensures if you handed 50 lampwork artists the same glass rod, the same frit and sat them in front of the same torch you’d end up with 50 unique items.  And then of course, each piece would be interpreted in 1001 different ways…

Soooo, all this to say this beautiful goddess now represents a major step in my development as a lampwork artist.  I’ve become so very attached to her she’s not leaving my house.  And not just because she developed a crack across her butt.

Why I love hot glass

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Would you believe that those boring beige rods on the left created the fantastic variety of colours in this goddess?? I’m stunned at the depth and intensity, especially since this is the first time I’ve ever used this German glass.  I didn’t even do or try anything special.  I hope you can see at least some of the iridescence.  Love it, love it, LOVE IT!!!  can’t wait to play more…

Technical details: 40mm x 16mm, R-106 Reichenbach Iris Dark Brown Opaque (dark raku), 96COE, with a sprinkle of goldstone frit