One thing about artists... we get bored easily. Well, at least I do. But that is a good thing because boredom spurs creativity. It pushes me to create new beads and designs. When I first started making beads I created ones that had dots, wraps, etc. Somewhere along the way I gravitated to designs that were more about color, shape, texture, and movement. That is when I started making beads in their more basic form. I love the pure color of the glass and it was more about the composition of the piece than the embellishments on the bead. I call my work "compositions" because I feel that all the components of the piece come together to create the piece and to me it is more about the design than the function. Because I started out as a painter and worked in more traditional arts I find myself drawn to creating a palette for the piece the same way I would approach a painting. It's probably also why my workbench looks like a giant painter's palette!
Lately I have had the desire to make more intricate beads again. I have been making "dot" beads and incorporating them into my work as a focal bead. The beads are primarily tonal with lots of layers and texture. I believe they are my new favorites, however, my signature leaf beads will always be my first love.
Today while I was having a "dot" frenzy in the studio I decided to document the process. It was an impromptu photo shoot and I found that it is not that easy to take a photo with one hand and trying to keep it in focus while you have a hot bead in the other and a torch going. So some of the photos are a little fuzzy, but you "get the picture". I have kidded that I should call these "caffeine-free" beads since I cannot make them after a vente coffee from Starbucks!
In preparation for the beads and dots you need to pull "stringers". They are thin pieces of glass that are created by heating a glass rod and then gently pulling it with pliers into strings. Sorry.. no pictures of that process since it requires two hands! These thin strands of glass are used to apply the dots to the bead.
After all the white dots are evenly placed on the bead, each is covered with a dot of blue glass. It is important that these dots are centered over the white so they melt evenly.
Once all the dots have been applied the bead is brought back to a molten state and the dots are melted evenly. Keep rotating the bead at this point so you do not lose the shape or get the bead off center.
The pattern emerges once the bead is heated and all the dots have been melted onto the base bead. The blue dots have a ring of white around them. Using a transparent glass, or in this case an opaline color that is not as dense as an opaque, over the white will give you the best effect. You can play with a variety of color combinations and see what different effects you can achieve.
Fuzzy photo alert!! Clear dots of glass are carefully added in between the white dots. I love the effect this has on the bead giving it texture and also fills in the "gaps" between the melted dots. The dots of glass are heated into the bead just enough to attach them to the bead but not melt them into it. You need to practice a bit so you learn how to control the heat of your bead. You don't want it to be molten at this stage, just hot enough for the dots to adhere to the bead.
The finished bead! But wait... you now have to be patient while the bead cools. Since my beads are not very big I use a fire blanket which brings the temperature of the bead down slowly. If you were to leave the bead at room temperature it would crack and break. Once the bead is cooled it is cleaned to remove the residue from the bead release. I use a diamond bit on my Dremel to make this process go faster, but have to admit it is my least favorite step since standing over a sink "reaming" beads is not very exciting.
The colors I used in this demo is my favorite combination and I love the pale aqua combined with the periwinkle glass, but I have been playing with other palettes. The photo above are a few that I made today. The black with dots of white covered with dots of goldstone have a great look. I have been layering pale blue over white for the cobalt bead and then put another raised dot of "sparkly blue" in the center and goldstone between the dots. Lots of dots today! I can't wait to play with more combinations!
A few pieces with the new beads (click on photos for more information). I'll be posting more on my Etsy Store and website as they are created. I'm having a lot of fun with these and they have spurred new designs.
So that is what I have been up to lately! Feel free to ask me any questions about making the "dot beads" or lampworking in general!
