Solamente

All that glitters

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Art glass pendants galore

As the holidays approach, I’m turning out lots of fun and colorful glass pendants using lampwork focal beads from some of my favorite glass artists.

From wise owls and cute pups to seasonal, wintry themes (I love the steaming cup of cocoa), I’m having a blast creating lots of swishes and scrolls to embellish these fun pieces.

Just a few of the dozens of glass pendants on my work bench

The wire in these pendants is copper that’s coated in colored enamel. It comes in so many shades, so it’s easy to find the perfect match with specific hues in the glass beads.

The wonderful thing about pendants is their simplicity. You can wear them with nearly anything—from dressing up your jeans or adding a little pizzazz to your favorite turtle-neck dress.

I’ve been collecting lampwork beads by various talented artists for years,  and it’s been so fun to revisit my favorites. I am always amazed by how much creativity, sparkle, and whimsy they bring to creating focal beads. I might have trouble letting go of a few of them!

With creative embellishments and colored wire to highlight each unique piece, each one becomes wearable art for everyday or the holidays!

I’ve created about 50 pendants in advance of the holiday season and will be displaying them at three different local art galleries. If you’re in the Fresno area, you’re invited to visit and take your favorites home with you!

It’s an honor to have my work featured at these creative local galleries. If you need a little more sparkle in your life (or know someone who does), I hope you’ll come by!

A juicy necklace for my next art show

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Every year since 1994, Madera (CA) County Center for the Arts has hosted a juried art show centered around our region’s agriculture. This year, I’m entering a necklace called “Central Valley Slice.”

While I’m saving the full reveal for the show itself, I wanted to give you sneak peek (details about attending the show at the end)!

lemon citrus glass bead

Inspiration

Where we live, produce is all around us. One of the most important crops grown in our area is citrus—from mandarin “Cuties” to lemons and navel oranges. All year, we watch the cycle of trees in blossom, ripening, harvest, and pruning—citrus, tangerines, nectarines, peaches, plums. We drive around and through it all the time.

Because of this, the Celebrate Agriculture show is on my mind year-round. Recently, when a beadmaker posted these citrus beads,  I jumped at them, knowing immediately that I would use them for this show. I love how accurate and juicy they look!

All the juicy materials

This necklace is completely hand-forged using copper-enameled, green art wire into a lariat-hybrid design. With citrus slice art glass beads made by Olga Boiko, and the lemon tree bead by Debi Cogwell, the piece makes a beautiful whispering noise when worn. It also includes Lucite leaves, lead-free pewter bead caps and spacers, and smaller glass beads.

What I love about the Celebrate Agriculture show

It’s a fun show and dear to me. I especially love the variety of artists and mediums and seeing their interpretation of each year’s theme. It’s a friendly competition between local artists.

To participate, a jury reviews all the pieces and decides which gets into the show. Then, there a second process in which each category is judged and awarded first place, second, or honorable mention. In 2017, I received an honorable mention for one of my submissions, Night Watchmen.

Want to see the finished piece?

You can see the finished work (and those of many other talented artists) by attending the Celebrate Agriculture reception at Circle Gallery on September 12. Not local? You can also follow me on Facebook where I’ll be posting images afterward.

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No matter which way you slice it

These gorgeous beads inspired this year’s submission to the Madera County Arts Council art show, Celebrating Agriculture with the Arts. Slices of lemon and orange lampwork adorn this lariat-hybrid necklace. Here’s the inspiration for its creation!

A juicy necklace for my next art show

You otter see this!

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The project

As an artist, you think you’re in control, but sometimes the materials make demands on you.

I took this photo of “what’s on my bench” last November. With a whole season of flowing, water-themed work behind me, I already had coils made up. In this tray of materials, you can see ocean blues and foam spray with white and metallics. That was the idea, anyway.

The inspiration

Then Otter showed up. This bead has been talking to me since it arrived.

otter close up

This lampwork art glass bead is by Joy Munshower. She’s really good at animals and gets great personality and sparkle into them.

He’s really cheeky. It looks like she’s using dichroic or silver glass–something under the surface that catches the light and reflects it back out. Even though it has a matte finish, the eye is still shiny and sparkling, just like in nature.

For months, I’ve been carrying this otter bead around, looking at it, putting it near the top of  the “I wanna do that” pile. I kept thinking I would get to it.

Well, he hopped right into the middle of all my watery blue coils to stay. I had the idea that he’d have a little pearl or some treasure, and the blue water background would highlight it nicely.

The challenge

In spite of my efforts, the concept of the otter necklace wouldn’t come together. Sometimes that happens.

I moved things and reshaped, but I couldn’t get the necklace to work. Eventually I realized it didn’t want to be a necklace. But that’s always a big decision because once I cut it, it won’t be a necklace anymore!

Once I snipped, otter hopped right into the frame. The piece changed shape for the better, and the pearl and starfish went more easily into place than on the necklace. I’m finally happy with the way this bead is set and glad this sweet little guy has a home at last.

Otter on view!

I titled this finished piece, “Same Ocean, New Tide,” since it combines my theme of watery colors with a new visitor. I’m thrilled it’s being included in the first Madera Circle Gallery‘s art show of 2017. If you’re in the area, feel free to stop by to see their New Journeys show.