Goodbye Winter

Wow! I just realized I haven’t posted anything since last March.  This year has flown by. I didn’t get much bead making done this winter. My studio is really a sectioned off part of my garage that heats with a space heater and it couldn’t keep up with this exceptionally cold winter.  So I pulled out my watercolors, pen and ink, and knitting to entertained myself with these this winter.  But my daffodils are starting to bloom and it warm enough that I can head out to start playing with glass again. Yea!

Goodbye Winter

Bouquet of the Beads

Yesterday was a beautiful spring day, 

warm enough to spend eight hours in my unheated workshop making beads.  

So nice to get back to creating again.

Today a spring snow hit, 

there is a blanket of white covering everything!

I opened my kiln and made this bouquet from the beads made yesterday.
It's reminding me more warm spring days are just around the corner.

Monday Morning Artist

I am a member of a great group of artist who get together on the first Monday of each month to create art work and enjoy each others company. Oddly enough we call ourselves the "Monday Morning Artist". We each bring whatever project we happen to be working on that month and continue to work on it at our get together.  Sometimes I work on my beads, other times I paint with watercolors or draw with pen and ink. As an artist I often spend a lot of time working alone, which is usually good because it gives my brain a chance to go where it wants to go and lead me to find the energy that helps me create. But occasionally it is just plain fun to work in a group, chatting with other artist and getting input and freed back from them.  Our group decided to do a show together this month at the Yellow Springs Art Council’s new art space.  We picked the Theme “Exuberance” and we each are putting in a piece or two we created with this theme in the show.

“Exuberance” will be hung from June 15, 2012 through July 14, 2012.

There will be an opening reception with yummy treats and drinks on Friday June 16 from 6-9.

Here are two watercolor paintings I am entering:

Exuberance of the Galaxy

Exuberance of the South West

                                                         

The Kiln is Ready!!!!!

 The kiln is cool, finally!  

It is really time to  look!

They make a nice bouquet

Some good, some what was I thinking?
                      

Now time to soak the beads for a bit. It makes getting them of the mandrels a little easer.

        

Back to the Torch!

It has been a while since I have made beads but last night I fired up the torch, turned on the oxygen concentrator and started melting glass. Now I am not so patiently waiting for the kiln to cool to see how they turned out.

Glen Helen Nature Arts and Craft Show

Libby and I set up our booth at Glen Helen Nature Arts and Craft Show this afternoon, all ready for tomorrow at 9:00!

If you have the post card they sent out bring it with you for $2 off admission.

If you don't, go to The Glen website and it says you can print the page and bring it in for a discount also.

Here is what it says:

“The show is open to the public on November 19 (9am-5pm) and November 20 (11am-5pm).

$4 admission benefits Glen Helen. Print out this page to receive $2 off (for up to 4 people).”  http://antiochcollege.org/glen_helen/art/arts_crafts.html

The Beads Were Having A Party

I started making beads about 3:30 yesterday afternoon and finished about 4:00am. Of course I took several breaks for dinner, snacks (chocolate), and to lie on the floor to stretch out my aching back.  But I was on a roll and it was going well. I kept thinking of new color combinations and designs I wanted to try.  Right before I sat down at the computer to write this I went out to my workshop (garage) hoping to take my new treasures out of the kiln and see what I got but they were still a bit too hot to remove. I did sneak a pike and a photo though.

I used a new mandrel rack my husband, Jim, built for me for the first time.  It worked great! I could get a lot more mandrels into the space. When I peeked in the kiln there were so many beads it looked like the beads were having a party. Unfortunately it was to hot for me to attend, another couple hours of cooling I think before I can join in.

Go Bucks!

My friend Kathy, a fellow OSU graduate, modeling the Buckeye earrings I made.

Halloween Week Fright

While making beads last week I had an eerie feeling that something was not right.  The glass was not behaving normally.  As I tried to reason through what was happening I discovered that I was not getting enough oxygen in my flame mix.  After checking all the tubing and connections I concluded that my oxygen concentrator was on it last legs.  I tried making some beads with a very low oxygen mix in the flame and they came out frightful!  Some were pitted, some darkened and some smoky.  So the slowly dyeing concentrator made lampworking a dreadful experience.  This sent me to the computer to comb the internet for an affordable replacement.  Luckily I found ABR had Concentrators on sale for Halloween.  So, I ordered one and hopefully it is on the way.  I am waiting by the front door for it to arrive; hoping to have time to make more beads before The Glen Helen Show Nov 19^th and that the beads will not be so frightful!

Halloween beads made before the

death of my oxygen concentrator,

may it rest in peace.

Here is a photo Randy took during the Yellow Springs Artist Studio Tour.

  It was a fun weekend but very tiring. I have slept till past 10 the last two days and have almost recovered. Nice shot Randy, Thanks

Artist Studio Tour

We had a great weekend at the artist studio tour. Thanks Pam for having us all as guest artist at your studio. A special thank you to everyone who came stopped in on Saturday and Sunday. It was great to see so many people out enjoying the Tour.

Yellow Springs Artist Studio Tour

 

This week I have had fun getting ready for the Yellow Springs Artist Studio Tour which is this coming weekend, Sat., Oct. 15 and Sun. Oct. 16, from 10 am-6 pm both days.

It is a driving tour which visits 8 artist studios.  Each studio also has several guest artists. There are 27 artists on the Tour.  I am one of three a guest artist at Pam Geisel’s studio. (http://forquiltssake.blogspot.com/ ). 

Visit the Yellow Springs Artist Studio Tour website for information about the artists and to download a map. Maps can also be picked up at the Winds Cafe, Young's Dairy, The Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce and at the artist's studios the days of the tour.

Here are some photos of some of the things I have been working on this week:

Removing beads from the mandrels and cleaning them.

Buckeyes

Bracelets

Doggy 

Bookmarks

Wine Bottle Stoppers

Leaf Beads

I am store sitting at Village Artisans all day Thursday,

stop in and say hi if you are in town!

Here are a couple of my leaf beads.

Trying to photograph glass tree beads

I photographed some more of my tree beads with out the benefit of a light box.  I thought I had great light and figured it might be enough.  They are OK but not as nice as the ones taken using Pam's light box.  I think it is time to make my own light box. Guess this goes on my to do list! 



Spring Is Coming



Tree Beads

Tree Beads

I have had an affinity for trees since I was in grade school.  The neighborhood children and I would climb the crabapple trees that lined the road on which I lived. We spent days playing in those trees. We talked about anything and everything and made up great stories.  Our imaginations would take us on grand adventures spending the day acting them out, making them come alive. Sometimes I climbed alone and just enjoyed the tree.  As I look back I see how our stories changed as the seasons caused the trees to change, every season a new and exciting journey.

I make trees beads because they represent the wonder of changes that are a natural part of our lives.  Sometimes we instantly see the beauty of a change. At other times as when the trees lose their gorgeous foliage in the fall, the barren trees may seem lost and forlorn. The beauty of the changes is not always immediately apparent. Without the foliage we can examine the structure of the branches and the intricate patterns in the bark, seeing the beauty this season has to offer. Without the loss of the fall leaves the beauty of the structure beneath could not have been found. 

As I observe trees I realize how resilient they are.  They are strong and sturdy but can bend in the wind. When injured they often have a remarkable ability to heal and grow despite the loss of a limb or damaged trunk.

These glass tree beads represent the gifts and beauty that nature gives through the changing seasons of our lives and remind us to strive to incorporate the tree’s resiliency into our life.

Welcome to my blog

A big thank you to Pam for helping me learn how to make this blog and how to take better photos using a home made light box. Here's a photo of one of the beads I made...which actually it belongs to Pam.  Pam took a great photo of it. 

I am a new member of the Yellow Springs Village Artisans. This is the end of my second month as a member and I am really enjoying being a prat of this group of artist. I decided to put together this blog so I can share what glass projects I am currently working on or have completed and what things I will be taking to the shop. Also just to talk about art and glass!!!!