I am a lampwork artist, who has been on this creative journey for three years. Having the opportunity to watch a friend make beads one day, I became hooked. (Thanks Carol!)
At first I started reading everything I could get my hands on that had to do with lampwork. Once all the safety factors were in place, and my work area ready I began to work at the torch. I became very addicted to the creative process. At first it was just trying to get the bead round and with puckers... Now it is working on making different shapes, color combinations, sceneries, and even sculptural elements.
Inspiration comes to me from everywhere. I use a note book to write down my ideas that I may like to explore and try. Sitting at the torch and creating sometimes my ideas work beautifully, sometimes not... but either way it is a passion I enjoy so much, that even a bad day of torching is better than a good day at work!
This is a meditative activity, and it puts me in a peaceful place. The world steps back while I work at the torch, for obvious reasons of working with fire, but the creative process is amazing. I recommend it highly! Along with exercise and eating healthfully... lol.
Tools of the trade.
At this time I use a hot head torch ,someday I will upgrade to a dual fuel torch. Right now the hot head is working just fine for me. It is a single gas source torch, propylene gas.
To anneal my creations, I use an Arrow Spring kiln. Glass that has been heated and melted in a flame gets molten... as it cools it starts to harden up. Unfortunately if you let glass cool at room temperature, the center will cool slower than the outside of the bead... this will cause stress in the glass and you will get cracked and broken beads. To keep this from happening the beads are put in a kiln at a specific temperature( approx 950 degrees F) to hold and soak the beads in the heat. Once it sits for at least an hour, the temperature is brought down slowly so the glass cools very slowly. Which makes for a very strong durable bead, because all the stressors have been removed. Please check "About Lampwork" for a little bit more about the process of creating beads.
These are pictures showing my messy desk, but it works for me. :0) I know where everything is.... You will see my torch, my kiln, and the fiber blanket. The fiber blanket is used for test beads , to see if I like my color combination. My Piles and piles of glass, various tools I have accumulated.. I am a glass addict I think, love all the colors, and the things you can do with glass. Such fun!
