about the artist
Hi
there! Thank you for being curious enough to read a little about me.
Art entered my life at an early age when I first discovered the power of a
pencil. It was then that I found I loved to draw. The ability to
draw was and is truly a gift which did not manifest itself to the "public" until
I took up lampworking in 2001. I must admit that drawing with glass is a
bit more challenging than using a pencil.
Even with my love for drawing and the desire for artistic expression, I found myself pursuing a degree in electrical engineering. I had a knack for mathematics and did well with anything analytical. As a child I also enjoyed taking apart small electronics, playing with the parts and then putting them back together. I was a bit tom-boyish! My parents said engineering was a more "practical" means of making a living than becoming an artist. As a devoted daughter, I listened to them. But, now that I'm all grown up (sort of), I am finally pursing my life's dream in making my artistic expressions the "practical" means of my livelihood.
I grew up in Southern California with both parents deeply immersed in the fashion/textile industry. I had many opportunities as a child to visit the LA garment district. Textiles - fabric colors, designs and textures have greatly inspired and influenced my art. My work is also inspired by nature, ceramics, stones (lapidary), Japanese arts and aesthetics, and Victorian-Art Nouveau jewelry.
With the help of this website, you'll be able to
view some of my work showcased in the gallery.
Many of the beads in the
lampwork gallery show the metamorphosis of my
style through the years. You'll also find that I work in several mediums (sometimes at the same time) to keep
my artistic edge constantly challenged - from lampworking to metalsmithing
to enameling to PMC to wireworking to beadweaving, etc. It will be
interesting how all this develops, as I explore each respective artistic medium,
and make new discoveries along my creative journey.
How it all started . . . and where I am
now: (updated February 21, 2008)
Along with the continual development of this website, in April
2001 I took up lampworking and metalsmithing. I don't diddle-daddle when I am serious about something.
Besides, the artist in me was screaming to come out. Within one month of using a Hothead torch, I was set up with a Minor and propane/oxygen
tank. I took a hiatus from beadmaking in
June 2001 due to an impromptu business trip to the Far East. Upon
returning and a month later, the
flame beckoned me and I was determined to play with fire once again.
In August 2001, 5 months
after taking up lampworking, I began offering my glass beads in online auctions.
The creative spirit never ends and taking my art to the next level, in July 2003,
I
began exploring seed beading techniques. Although tedious for some to work with, seed beads have a certain allure because working with them improves
one's concepts of color combinations and helps create "visual textures"
on a personal canvas. Color is so important to me
that I think about it nearly every waking moment! It is so rewarding
to finish an elaborately beaded project knowing that you made it with just a
vision, a bit of imagination, some beads, needles, thread and your own hands. I
LOVE to bead, to design and to share with others, as I attempt to elevate the
craft to a new level of appreciation.
In 2004, I focused on developing my skills in the metal arts with the eventual goal of melding glass and metals via enameling. The developments were so very exciting but required lots of time, hard work, education and dedication. In 2005, I decided to set aside metalsmithing and enameling for the time being to return back to what's most important to me - glass. A person can only do so much, with definitive time, even if I have a thirst for knowledge and want to learn everything! There will be a time in the future where all these mediums will be combined into a grand new exploration.
Although I consider myself predominantly self-taught in lampworking, in July 2005 I began taking specialized workshops with Michael Barley, Andrea Guarino-Slemmons and Kim Osibin to fine tune my skills. In July 2006, I was fortunate to finally meet and watch Kristina Logan, the "dot queen", work in the flame. These extraordinary artists and gifted teachers have provided me with much insight into their glass worlds. There is so much more to learn and explore in glass. I will continue to hone my glass techniques and skills even more in years to come.
Melting glass IS my primary love, however all mediums I find myself working in are all interrelated, keeping things interesting, as well as me very busy. There is simply not enough time in a day to create! I have a gazillion ideas and projects waiting to be made. Sometimes these ideas take many years before they are formalized. The only restriction is finding the time to do everything. Having the right equipment and tools are also very important to me that I spend endless hours researching before making a purchasing commitment. I believe with the right tools, the right materials, the right skills and the right knowledge - the final creation will speak for itself.
With
lampworking, imagine
manipulating glass in front of a HOT torch (up to 1700°) fed with propane and oxygen, then watching the
glass oozing
like honey! It's amazing how some of these beads can turn out, as it
can sometimes be difficult to distinguish colors and the designs when you have a hot gather of glass in
front of you. You have to think a mile a minute. One wrong move or a
little too long in the flame and
that's it. There are rarely any second chances when dealing with hot glass.
Precision, control, technique, focus, patience and meticulous care to details are attributes
one needs to master. With metalsmithing, there's nothing like pounding on some metal after a long
frustrating day. I think I am just like a moth to a flame. And with both lampworking and
metalsmithing, I have fun playing with fire to make
beautiful things! And... making beautiful things have always been the drive and focus of my art.
This means time and attention to the details, small and large, using the finest
materials for the respective design. I DO MAKE ALL of the glass
beads you see on this site from a variety of glass. My beads look
precise because of my technical background and training in quality standards.
I'm very exacting once I've perfected a technique, the methodology and am
somewhat of a "perfectionist" in my work. I am my own most critical critic!
You will NEVER see a bead offered that I would not personally use myself.
In 2003, my
glass work began to get noticed and recognized. In April 2003, the
Le Fiore Vive beads were
selected to be part of James Kervin's Book More Than You Ever Wanted to Know
About Glass Beadmaking, 5th Edition. In October 2003,
Lark Books selected the
Serenity leaf series to be part of their juried 1000 Glass Beads:
Innovation & Imagination in Contemporary Glass Beadmaking book.
In February 2005, Lark Books also selected the
Le Fiore Vive beads (watercolor versions) for inclusion in
Kimberly Adam's, The
Complete Book of Glass Beadmaking.
A
few months after, in May 2005, I decided to forego pursuing my engineering job, as a senior quality
assurance engineer in consumer electronics, to follow my true passion -
glass. I now finally get to work in this medium full time, a dream come true.
Wow! what a drastic change but so
much more rewarding to the creative spirit!
In late 2005, with more time on my hands to finally pursue another dream -
writing, I submitted a few ideas to
Beadwork and
Bead Unique Magazines. Since then, I've had a number of
articles and projects published in some wonderful publications.
My River's Edge necklace, using a bead from the Fusion
series, was chosen for the cover of the Spring 2006 issue of Stringing
Magazine. In March 2006, I was selected as
Softflex Company's
featured
designer. Softflex Company has also invited me to periodically write for their online
newsletters. Then in March 2007, I went international with my
writing and
Australian
Beading Magazine spotlighted my glass work with a feature on American
artists, in their premiere launch issue.
In April 2007, the Haiku
bead was chosen as an editor's pick and two of the beads graced the cover of
Beadwork Magazine's Annual Beads 2007
issue. In July 2007, Naomi
Fujimoto, senior editor of BeadStyle
Magazine, featured the Serenity leaves in her book
Cool
Jewels. Then in the Fall 2007 issue of Stringing
Magazine, the Serenity
leaves were featured as leaves the editors loved! Fellow designer and the
very talented Jean
Yates of Pretty
Kitty Dog Moon Jewelry features one of my first floral series, Victoria,
in her first book
Links
(January 2008)
My biggest challenge and achievement to date though was finally announced on the site November 2007. I don't know how I did it but I managed to keep the project, for the most part, secret - except to close friends and family. I had been writing, designing and beading from August 2006 to June 2007 for my first book, Bead Romantique which is published by the good folks of Interweave Press (April, 2008). All this done while also exhibiting nationwide. Even with so many ideas floating in this mind, it was the biggest challenge to switch hats from glass to seed beads, between shows and balance time. So, things are progressing very well but there is still yet much to accomplish. I have so much more I have yet to learn, create or write about. Where will this creative journey take me next? Only time will tell with continued hard work and focus! I will always give you my best.
I keep a VERY busy schedule (what's sleep anyways?) which makes me focus and value the time I spend creating in the studio! Even when I am not in the studio, I am constantly researching and contemplating the next creation. I also spend a lot of time being the webmaster and photographer for this site. The rest of my "spare" time is used for writing and designing jewelry for publication. I don't generally sell my finished jewelry at this time (2008), as I am busy creating them for publication and generally like to keep the samples in my portfolio as well as for show displays but you can recreate the designs on your own since I've shared them through the various publications I write for. Periodically, I do have extra finished jewelry samples from my articles and will offer them on the site. If I can sneak in other hobbies like cycling, running, knitting, cooking and reading, I do. Basically every waking second, minute and hour is utilized for creative exploration! Because of this I DO NOT accept custom orders (even on past creations). The catalog showcases the bead styles I am currently making which can be ordered by emailing me when I open the show stock periodically between shows, purchased at bead shows or stores that carry my work. I am constantly developing new beads and products too. You will also find an assortment of other beads (i.e., borosilicate strands) and prototypes at shows which are not offered on the site. I believe by allowing any artist the freedom to create and experiment, letting their muse be the guide to their visions, the artist will perpetually evolve and flourish.
Thank you for stopping by to read a little about how all this madness got started and where I am going next. I hope you enjoy my imagination, artistic interpretation and creativity in each of the tiny glassy treasures I make. I hope you are inspired to discover and explore your creativity from the articles and projects that I write. Bead Creatively.
From my visions to reality... there are infinite possibilities.
Thank you for enjoying my work!
~ Lisa