I started making lampwork glass beads in Seattle, around 1996, back when there were only a few great beadmakers in this country, and most of them weren't teaching at the time. I managed to find a 2-hour beginning beadmaking class at a stained glass shop, where I learned the basics of putting a hot blob of glass on a stick. I went home that day addicted to an art that would change my life in so many wonderful ways.
I ordered a torch and tools, and set up a tiny studio in our rental-house kitchen. Obsessed with the glass and all it could do, I spent several years teaching myself how to make beads in my own way. I wasn't interested in doing what was already being done, or in copying anyone else's style or techniques. Eventually I became known for several signature beads, most notably, the Lotus Beads, which often had 30 or more layers of glass, giving them a wondrous depth and motion. I enjoyed more than one "15 minutes of fame", was published in many magazines and books, had beads displayed in exhibits and museums all over the world, taught in the US and Ethiopia, and made a good living from my work for a time.
Several factors played into my decision, some 16 years after my start, to end my career in glass. When the economy changed, it became impossible for many of my collectors to afford my beads any longer. That combined with the hundreds of new beadmakers who came onto the scene, some of them real competition in the art glass bead world, and the predictable time when Chinese bead factories began to produce cheaply made and under-priced versions of our designs, made it less and less possible for many of us to continue to make a living.
By the time I turned off my torch for good, and sold my equipment, I was ready for a change. 16 years is a long time for me to stick with anything, and it was a really good ride. Here are some of my favorite beads, all in private collections now. Enjoy the show. A lot of love went into these beads.
Several factors played into my decision, some 16 years after my start, to end my career in glass. When the economy changed, it became impossible for many of my collectors to afford my beads any longer. That combined with the hundreds of new beadmakers who came onto the scene, some of them real competition in the art glass bead world, and the predictable time when Chinese bead factories began to produce cheaply made and under-priced versions of our designs, made it less and less possible for many of us to continue to make a living.
By the time I turned off my torch for good, and sold my equipment, I was ready for a change. 16 years is a long time for me to stick with anything, and it was a really good ride. Here are some of my favorite beads, all in private collections now. Enjoy the show. A lot of love went into these beads.
