the artist
photo by #janetaylorimage
in 2005…
disappointed by the generic machine-made glass beads which didn’t compliment my design concepts, i discovered lamp work beads: individually designed beads, handmade in a flame.
one thing led to another ….
and my first 47 handmade beads, made on a butane torch, became my first 100 % made-by-me necklace.
the glowing viscous glass in the flame were the invitation to designing my own beads, i was hooked.
within a few weeks…
I had upgraded from a butane torch to a lamp workers torch. the vermiculite bath has since been replaced with a tetlow kiln. The kiln anneals my beads overnight, regulating the cooling process: reducing glass stress and spontaneous cracks.
emubeads’ evolution has been guided by many mistakes/learnings. it has been a process of discovery through practise: layering, shaping, texturing, mixing glass and additions of recycled metal inclusions.
repurposing metal waste, sandwiched between layers of glass, was an accidental discovery. i was exploring in a playful way, how to make a bead, questioning what would happen if…
mistakes are a valued learning mechanism.
the slow, artisan hand can explore ideas and eventually produce an item that may be worthy of repetition.
emubeads and silversmithed components combine to make beautifully unique emubeads’ jewellery.
#emubeadsareart
emubeads
artisan glass bead jewellery