Befriending a dragon
Dragons are magical. Their scales glimmer. Their eyes shine. Their wings take us soaring to far-off, mystical places. Of course, they do have the ability to breathe fire from that huge snout or slice with fang and claw. But the dragons of my imagination befriend us humble humans for exciting adventures.
Given my love for fantasy and embroidered tales, it was only natural that dragons came into my art bead collection. It was a lovely day, perusing the work of my bead-maker friend, Robin Poff, when I saw her dragons made in art glass.
It was fairy-tale love at first sight. Ivory in color, her glass dragons are pure whimsy and imagination. Three-dimensional and weighty, and each one has its own personality and facial expression. I had to have them.
Another lampwork artist, Kerri Fuhr, also conjures dragons from glass. I began to collect her beautiful beasts more recently. Her two-dimensional portraits have lots of texture and dragon colors like gorgeous blue-green, emerald, and chartreuse. And those quintessential fierce eyes!
Dressing with dragons
I love using dragons in my necklaces. Wearing one helps you be feisty and fanciful at the same time. Dragons help shy people express their bold alter ego. If you want to feel brave, keep a dragon close to you. Their big, powerful presence will inspire you to be courageous.
I dream of dragons
I once found The Dragonology Handbook, A Practical Course in Dragons by Ernest Drake. It lists all the different kinds of dragons—just like an Audubon bird book—and includes Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced Dragonology lessons.
If I had my own dragon, it would be pink and sparkly with wings. It would breathe fire with glitter. My dragon would fly at sunrise and visit me to be scratched behind its ears and fed hard-boiled eggs. Until that happens, I’ll keep including glass dragons in my art.
My dragon necklaces
Because the dragon beads are glass, the pieces I make with them are heavy. (See my article on how to wear dramatic art necklaces with confidence.) My dragon necklaces are carefully balanced, designed to rest on the breastbone, rather than hang (or possibly pull) on the neck. Several of the lovely beasts pictured in this article now belong to collectors and inhabit a shadow box or a neck stand perch for viewing.
