about me
I've always liked
making things. I can't just sit, I have to be doing something, whether it's
a bit of knitting or crochet, painting a picture, or some DIY. I am happiest
when I'm creating something, and I've usually got several projects on the go
at one time. I'm always looking for something new and exciting to make, so
when I discovered lampwork back in 2006 I couldn't wait to get started.
Lampwork wasn't as common back then and there weren't any lampwork lessons anywhere near me. So I bought Cindy Jenkins book 'Making Glass Beads' and drooled over the pictures. By the time I sat down and made my first bead, I'd rehearsed it so many times in my head that it felt like I'd been making lampwork beads for years.
artist statement
Molten glass has a mesmerizing quality. Every time I sit down at the torch I am fascinated by the endless possibilities presented by this medium. I love experimenting with colour and the different chemical reactions that can be achieved with certain types of glass. I enjoy creating beads with strong, precise and highly detailed designs. Lampworking for me is incrediby therapeutic - when I'm working on something particularly detailed I often become "lost" in the glass, and everything around me ceases to exist.
And then there is the anticipation of opening the kiln every morning and being able to touch my new beads - you can quite often find me with a handful of beads, just twirling them around in my palm!
I have not lost my passion for desiging jewellery, and now have much more flexibility in my designs - if I don't have the type of beads I require, I just go and make them.