Susan Ray - The Art & Soul of Glass Beads: 17 Bead Artists Share Their Inspiration & Methods

14 Bead Artists
Share Their
Inspiration &
Methods

the
ART &
SOUL
of
GLASS
BEADS

SUSAN RAY & RICHARD PEARCL

2003 by Susan Ray and Richard Pearce
All rights reserved.

No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a critical article or review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper, or electronically transmitted on radio or television.

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Library of Congress Catalog Number 2002113159
ISBN 0-87349-565-9
eISBN: 978-1-4402-2022-7

All photographs by Richard Pearce

Entrapment, by Lynn Nurge, appears on the cover and title page of thisbook.

DEDICATION

My parents, both creative in nature, were skilled artisans. My father was a teacher and a master carpenter. My mother was a gifted needle worker. The skill levels they achieved were not nearly as important to them as the task at hand, and their love of doing it. To every project my Dad built, from a childs ant farm to an elegant library bookcase, he brought something of himself. Within each quilt my Mother cross-stitched, she extinguished lifes daily tedium, and filled our home with beautiful treasures. But when I look at their handiwork today, I see them in total. I hear my fathers laughter. I see my mothers hands as they cross-stitched well into the evening light.

Behind every torchs flame, there is also a story: A human drama. And, too, with each bead, a small piece of that story unfolds. We have been blessed to be able to bring you many fascinating stories, and the artistic photographs of Richard Pearce. I hope you will come to know the artists behind their work. For within each bead lies a piece of their soul.

To my mother and father,who always found time to teach me a new craft. To my son, Eric, for letting me play Mom even when a store-bought costume would have done just fine. To Julie and Christine, who nursed us through the long wait to put pen to paper.

To Paula, Noreen, and Sue for their love and caring.

To Pat, Mary Beth, Trent, Barb, Claire, Tamara, Meghan, and Brittany for their words of encouragement and their kind generosity in sharing their own special skills.

To Richard: For the good fortune to have met him, for his skilled eye behind the camera lens, and his kind heart. Richard, thank you for your unwavering patience and time to take up the challenge to help me bring my personal feelings to the written page.

To Kevin, for letting me have another day.

Susan Ray

CIRQUE DU SOLIEL

Focal beads by Karen Leonardo Design by Susan Ray

This project was the brainchild of Susan Ray, my co-author and friend. It is to her, then, that the bulk of my gratitude gladly goes. The rest I reserve for my parents and for my fast friends in Santa Barbara and Galena.

Richard Pearce

FOREWORD

In the pages of this book, you will read the stories of some of today's finest lampwork artists. Many of the stories are happy ones, some are sad, but all are full of real, human frailtiesand triumphs. These artists readily admit to their mistakes as often as they do to their successes, and they share their struggles: With the glass; with honing a skill once so secretly guarded; with the frustration to find good suppliers, and even to eke out a living by using Internet auctions to reach new patrons. They share, too, their inspiration, their courage, and their strength to pursue their art. One tells a harrowing story of a tragic fire during her childhood, and how glass working helped her overcome her fear of fire and find the courage to light the torch. A few have watched their passion take new roots in a sibling, a spouse, or a child. Others will tell you how their families cope with their obsessions. Throughout these pages, you will get a glimpse into their creative bliss, and share their joy when the flame is lit. Every story is rich with the same soul that imbues each bead. Just like the beads that they create, each artist is an individual, and each beautiful.

Although many of our artists are self-taught, each has skillfully mastered this ancient craft. Many admit, rather apologetically, to having found their own way of doing things (and they invite us to learn from their trials). They share their relentless pursuit to get that perfect bead. They share their tips and techniques, suppliers, resources, places to visit, and places to learn. Some will tell you about the cooperative efforts they shared with jewelry designers. Even though all of these artists make beautiful glass beads, few actually make them into jewelry most focus on forming a bead set from a glass rod or two rather than actually creating the method of adornment.

We hope you will gain insight into the fascination of making glass beads and the jewelry we have created from these tiny masterpieces, as well as an understanding of how this craft is woven into these artists every-day (and sometimes odd-hours-of-the-night) lives. They share how they secretly plan their next bead at their office, between bottle feedings, or after the late show. Just as most of us do, they find time for what they love most: Making the next bead.

Our primary goal in creating this book was to capture your interest. In that spirit, we invite you to set sail with us on our voyage to find the perfect glass bead. Join us as we reach into the artists souls and reveal the wonder each of their beads hold; for from the beads in hand forged from their lamps, you will see something of yourself, perhaps, reflected in them. And, we will entice you with a showcase of jewelry projects. Whether you make beads yourself, or purchase them, we hope you will also find yourself paying homage to this art, just as we have, with necklaces, lariats, earrings, and braceletsmany of which are so simple to make, you can complete them in just one evening.

Our secondary goal was to inspire and enlighten you. We hope this book does just that; we have taken the noble challenge to heart. But what we began witha love affair with a simple rod of glassevolved into something well beyond that in the hands of these artful human beings: We discovered that we were also celebrating human nature, and we have been irrevocably changed through the experience.

You are about to experience, first-hand, these creative souls will to give. But, you will be asked to participateand whether you choose to stand as an observer to the technical skills each artist has obtained, to light the torch yourself, or to string your own set of beads, you will be changed, too, when you complete your journey through these pages.

CONTENTS