The Glass Bead Winter 2011

A Quarterly Publication of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers Vol XVIII l Issue 1 l Winter 2011

new!

25 THE STUDIO VIEW

SAGE, TOM & BEAU

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ARTIST’S SPOTLIGHT Ronit Dagan

inside 2011 GATHERING XIX

CONFERENCE CATALOG

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Products. Service. Know-how.

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RGAD_GlassBead_Winter2011_updated CA.indd 1

1/6/11 2:11 PM

table of contents The Glass Bead l Winter Issue 2011

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INSIDE 2011 Gathering XIX Registration Booklet

25 New! The Studio View

Artist’s Spotlight: Ronit Dagan

features

in every issue 4 Note from the Editor Susan Brimo-Cox

6 Inside Out

Terri Carrol, treasurer and director of finance

10 Artist’s Spotlight

Ronit Dagan: Simple Is Big for this Lampworker Marcy Lamberson

18 Critiques & Collections

Beads to Feed Our Soul Jim Kervin

23 Studio Safety

Propane (LP Gas) Storage

Vince Henley

25 NEW!

The Studio View Sage and Tom Holland and Beau Anderson

by Diana Dugina Riebling

34 Regional Tutorials

5 In Memory of Peggy BonDurant 7 SPECIAL FEATURE

Safety and Soft Glass: Heavy Metals

By Robert Simmons, Ph.D.

INSERT 2011 GATHERING XIX REGISTRATION BOOKLET, DIVERSITY & CREATIVITY Louisville, Kentucky

North: Judy Nordine West Central: Margie Shanahan

Eye Candy On Vacation, See You in the Springtime!

ON THE COVER: Ronit Dagan- Glass loop shawl.

ABOVE, FROM LEFT: Sage Holland-Mask; Glass Bead by Ronit Dagan; Cover of 2011 ISGB Gathering Registratrion Booklet

THE GLASS BEAD (USPS 022-885) is published quarterly by the International Society of Glass Beadmakers, 85 E. Gay St.—Suite 707—Columbus, OH 43215. Periodicals postage paid at Columbus, OH, and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Glass Bead, 85 E. Gay St.—Suite 707—Columbus, OH 43215.

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International Society of Glass Beadmakers

a note from the managing editor

Susan Brimo-Cox

2010 is coming to an end as I compose this, and it has been a busy year. I came to realize this fall that I needed some time off to recharge my creative batteries.

So, I have been doing a lot of reading. Fall and winter are good seasons for this kind of pursuit. I read a book titled Easy as Pi by Jamie Buchan. It is all about numbers.

Henry Mitchell’s One Man’s Garden currently has my attention. And Birdology by Sy Montgomery is next on the nightstand. I mention this because one never knows from where a creative idea may come.

Writing is a creative occupation, as is creating glass beads. There are art books in my stack, as well; for example, a book about Alexander Calder and one titled The Soul of a Tree: A Woodworker’s Reflections by George Nakashima. I think I can learn a lot from Nakashima— his artistry and philosophy—that will inspire me to become a better artist and craftsman.

I can use a little inspiration when it comes to marketing my work, too. I enjoy the business side of my art; though not all artists do. But I feel like I’m in a business rut. To tackle this, I’m reading a book I purchased at a demo during the Gathering this past summer, Milon Townsend’s Making & Marketing Better Artwork. It is a thoughtful examination of a variety of issues that the studio artist should consider.

Did I mention I like to read? I like magazines, too.

Compared to books, magazines offer shot glass-size articles that provide information, inspiration and ideas.

That’s what we strive for with The Glass Bead.

In this issue of The Glass Bead, you’ll see beads inspired by many things: the foods we eat, flowers in the garden, the human figure and much more. Tutorials, articles featuring glass bead artists, and images submitted by readers all serve to make the creative juices flow. On the other hand, Studio Safety and a special article about heavy metals in soft glass will remind us that there are inherent perils in our artistic craft that we need to acknowledge and make efforts to safeguard against.

With the New Year comes new possibilities—for creativity, for craftsmanship and for our businesses, if beadmaking is also your livelihood. Here’s to 2011. May the economy improve and our art community prosper!

CORRECTION: In the fall issue, the names of Mario Dei Rossi and Katsuhiro Arai were misspelled in “Critiques & Collections: Embellish Your Beads with Mosaic Cane,” and Arai referred to as “her.” We apologize for these errors.

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Board of Directors 2010 Officers

CANADIAN REGION Susan Hood - canada@isgb.org

PRESIDENT Terry Hale president@isgb.org

INTERNATIONAL REGION Liz DeLuca - international@isgb.org

VICE PRESIDENT / DIRECTOR OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Alethia Donathan vp@isgb.org DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION Margie Shanahan education@isgb.org DIRECTOR MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Diana Dugina Riebling marketing@isgb.org DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP Marjorie Langston membership@isgb.org DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & TREASURER Terri Carrol treasurer@isgb.org DISTRICT DIRECTORS Genevieve Martineau - northeast@isgb.org Nancy Puffer - eastcentral@isgb.org Annemarie Herrlich- north@isgb.org ISGB EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Kendra Bruno - executivedirector@isgb.org ISGB ADMINISTRATOR Sarah Riggle - admin@isgb.org

Regions / Regional Directors EAST CENTRAL Nancy Sells Puffer - eastcentral@isgb.org Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee

MID-ATLANTIC Karen Leonardo - midatlantic@isgb.org Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington DC

NORTH REGION Annemarie Herrlich - north@isgb.org Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Wisconsin

NORTHEAST REGION Jan Keady - northeast@isgb.org Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont

NORTHWEST REGION Laura Bowker - northwest@isgb.org Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho

SOUTH REGION Nina “Sam” Hibler - south@isgb.org Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas

SOUTHEAST REGION Gerry White - southeast@isgb.org Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina

SOUTHWEST REGION Lori Greenberg - southwest@isgb.org Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah

WEST REGION Hayley Tsang - west@isgb.org California, Hawaii

WEST CENTRAL REGION Jennifer Bull - westcentral@isgb.org Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska

Additional International Positions PUBLICATIONS EDITOR IN CHIEF Diana Dugina Riebling marketing@isgb.org ISGB WEBMASTER Janelle Zorko - webmaster@isgb.org ADMINISTRATION MANAGER Sarah Riggle - admin@isgb.org International Office

ISGB PO Box 82226 Columbus, Ohio 43202 USA 866- 473 - ISGB (4742) info@isgb.org www.isgb.org The Glass Bead: A Quarterly Publication of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers MANAGING EDITOR Susan Brimo-Cox - PA — editor@isgb.org COPY EDITOR Katherine Wadsworth - LA DESIGNER Diana Dugina Riebling - PA — marketing@isgb.org CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Jim Kervin - CA — collector@isgb.org CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Vince Henley - WA — safety@isgb.org ARTIST’S SPOTLIGHT EDITOR Marcy Lamberson - GA EYE CANDY EDITOR Cindy McEwen - IL — eyecandy@isgb.org ADVERTISING MANAGER Marilyn Johnson- AL — advertising@isgb.org ISGB Mission Statement The mission of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers is to provide education related to contemporary glass bead making, to promote the continued renaissance of glass beadmaking and related glassworking techniques, and to preserve the historic tradition of glass bead making.

Disclaimer The Board of Directors of the ISGB, its members, authors, reporters or publishers make no warranty regarding the accuracy, authenticity, value or other aspects of information provided by contributors to this newsletter. Processes, methods, tool uses, and equipment presented herein have not been tested or verified by the ISGB. Persons using this information do so at their own risk. Beadmakers and others are advised to exercise prudent care before using any information provided or described by the ISGB. The ISGB specifically disclaims any responsibility or liability for damages or injuries as a result of any of the aforementioned items. Likewise, the ISGB specifically disclaims any responsibility or liability for damages or injuries resulting from participation in any classes listed in this newsletter. Classes are listed as a service to our members and the public.

The ISGB does not recommend or endorse specific classes.100% of membership dues are used to support our organization. Individual and student level membership dues are not tax-deductible.The ISGB would like to thank all of the sponsors in this issue for their continued support.

in memory of Peggy BonDurant Diana Dugina Riebling with special thanks to Jim Kervin and Sharon Peters When I heard of Peggy BonDurant’s passing, I couldn’t help but remember how sweet a women she was when I met her several years ago, and how attentively Jim Kervin, her husband, watched over her.

As you know by his many contributions to the ISGB, Jim’s character is one of utmost dedication and sharing in every aspect of his life. With this in mind, I asked Jim to share with us some of his thoughts of Peggy.

The following is Jim’s remembrance of a special woman many in the beadmaking community may know.

P

eggy BonDurant passed away over the Christmas holiday after a decade-long fight with Alzheimer’s disease. Peggy loved people, especially little children, and had a way to make everyone feel welcome. Although mainly a quilting artist, Peggy eventually caught the beadmaking bug and was really disappointed when her husband asked her to please stop working on the torch unsupervised after forgetting to shut things off one too many times.

She really enjoyed interacting with all the beadmakers at the Gatherings and the local SGB NorCal meetings she attended. She loved the little glass treasures that she helped collect

and displayed in her home. She enjoyed watching all the beadmakers teach classes in her garage and would practice what she had seen after everyone had gone home. She will be forever immortalized in the painted bead shown here by Bronwen Heilman and in her husband’s heart. Without her wanting a stained glass lampshade, her husband Jim Kervin would probably never have gotten into glass.

For those that would like to do something to memorialize Peggy, Jim suggests you make a donation to your local Alzheimer’s association, and then go give your loved ones a big hug.

Peggy BonDurant, glass bead by Bronwen Heilman >

Bullseye Rods for Torchwork www.bullseyeglass.com/products 5

inside out

Advertising

a note from Terri Carol,

treasurer and director of finance

My experience working in the accounting field for many years has taught me that no matter how fortunate an organization may be financially, a few more dollars would always come in handy to implement projects on our wish list. Unfortunately, that situation rarely happens, therefore, it is incumbent upon us to spend what dollars we do have wisely.

In drafting our annual budget, a crystal ball would certainly come in handy, but I have yet to find one that works. We make our best educated guess using figures of previous years to help predict the future. So where are your membership and fundraising dollars spent? ISGB allocates funds in the following areas:

Administrative Costs These include the costs of maintaining an office, supplies and the salaries to run the day-to-day operations of ISGB. In our home office, any time one of our members contacts ISGB, they are greeted by the friendly voice of ISGB’s office administrator Sarah Riggle. Part of Sarah’s roll is to assist our members and the board of directors as needed. The position of executive director holds the important responsibility of keeping ISGB daily operations running smoothly, by coordinating and planning the Gathering, researching and obtaining new member benefits, obtaining grants, building relationships through communication with vendors and museums, preparing budgets, and coordinating and implementing new programs for the organization.

The Glass Bead Publication Costs to publish The Glass Bead include editing, printing and delivery the magazine to our members. We do sell advertising space in our magazine to help offset some of the expense.

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Promotion of ISGB is a crucial part of sustaining our organization, ensuring its future. Promoting the art of glass beadmaking is a significant benefit to our members. Both are accomplished through advertising in trade publications and websites.

Education Part of our mission is to promote and provide education of glass beadmaking. This is accomplished through scholarships around the world. The ISGB also provides educational opportunities to our members who wish to teach beadmaking and coordinate glass beadmaking instruction through classes at the Gathering each year.

The ISGB Website and Forum The ISGB’s website provides information and support around-the-clock to all of our members worldwide. The F0orum also encourages our members to communicate with each other, whether it is sharing photos of their work, technical problems and solutions in their studio, or their personal and professional successes.

Events, Member Shows and Exhibits Each year the board of directors strives to provide opportunities for our members to challenge their skills through activities such as Perspectives and Convergence.

Stretching dollars to benefit our members is the board’s No. 1 goal. We review the proposed expenditures to make sure your dollars are spent wisely. The generous donations of time, energy and supplies of our members stretch those funds and we couldn’t be successful without the continued support and dedication of our members. It truly is a group effort of each and every one of us.

Thank you to each of you for your continued support and dedication to an organization that remains near and dear to our hearts.

special feature

safety and soft glass

by Robert Simmons, Ph.D.

the art glass world

has undergone unprecedented growth in the last 20 years. What was once a highly specialized art form has found its way into the lives of people who in the past would never have had access to the equipment and information needed to participate at the hobby or even semi-professional level. While new equipment and glass colors are now readily available to the causal user, information resources about the chemical formulations of glass and the hazards associated with the craft are less common. Glass has been used as an art medium for hundreds, if not thousands, of years and yet the formulas for making glass and colorants have traditionally been closely held secrets. As more artists work with glass it becomes important that they become aware of the physical and chemical nature of the medium in order to protect themselves and those around them from potential hazards.

Metallic compounds (oxides, chlorides, etc.) are commonly used as coloring agents in glasses. Lead oxide was first used in “lead crystal” on an industrial scale for crystal production by George Ravenscroft in the mid-seventeenth century (1) and continues as mainstay in the fine glassware industry. Lead oxide is not considered a colorant on its own but rather it

: heavy metals

changes the refractive index and dispersion characteristics of glass and gives cut and polished “Lead Crystal” its characteristic colorful flash. This type of glass has been shown to present no health risk from lead exposure, but it is recommended that leaded glass not be used for storage of acidic foods or beverages. Other metals, including some precious metals such as gold, are used to color glass. Gold chloride imparts a pink-red color to glass, and iron compounds often lead to the greenish cast often seen in less expensive commercial glasses. Manganese often yields shades of purple and selenium dioxide, while non-metallic, is often used in trace amounts to cancel out the green color resulting from iron contamination yielding a water-clear transparent glass without color cast. Higher concentrations of selenium in will produce a deep ruby red glass quite different from the pinkish red seen in gold-containing glasses. Colored glass chemistry is quite complex and is a constantly evolving

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area of study for manufacturers, with new colors frequently appearing in the marketplace.

This study of art glass is restricted to “soft” glasses (COE 104) and was designed to introduce scientific data to demonstrate both the nature of the glass surface itself as well as show how the chemical nature of the glass might influence torch plume contents. X-ray microanalysis (also called X-ray fluorescence) was used to demonstrate the presence of heavy metals on reduced glass surfaces as well as show that these elements may be carried by the torch plume into the artist’s work area.

The images and X-ray spectra depicted here were produced using a scanning electron microscope fitted with an X-ray spectrometer in order to show both the structure and localized chemical composition of glass surfaces.

Metallic-appearing “reduction” surfaces can be very colorful, attractive surfaces and are popular in art glass jewelry. This type of surface is usually produced by exposing a glass with a relatively high metal content with a flame with a high fuel to oxygen ratio (aka reduction flame). This flame tends to remove oxygen from metal oxides and leave the pure metal on the surface of the glass. The resulting surface color is often assumed to indicate the elemental metal in question. When combined with stock color names, this approach may lead end users to reach erroneous conclusions about the actual chemical nature of the surface. Gold appearing surfaces are often assumed to be gold, silver surfaces silver, etc. Analysis shows that the apparent color may not be a good indicator of the actual metal on the surface. Other surfaces popular in art glass and art glass jewelry are created by interactions between socalled “reactive” glasses. “Ivory” glass is produced by more than one manufacturer and is well known for it’s propensity to produce dark lines at points of contact with a range of other colors, leading to what is often described as an “organic” style of art glass.

Five glass colors from two manufacturers were purchased on the open market. Glass samples from Effetre 456 Rubino Oro (3 samples), one sample each of Effetre 264 Light Ivory, Effetre 271 Silver Plum, Effetre 254 Purple (Effetre Glass, Murano, Italy) and Kugler 215 Gold Brown (Friedrich Farbglashütte GmbH, Kaufbeuren-Neugablonz, Germany) were used in this study. Each glass type was supplied in (approx) 5mm diameter rod form. For the surface analysis experiments sample beads were prepared by making two small, round beads (8-10mm approx) with each glass in a neutral flame. One bead from each pair was kept as a control and the other was treated in such a way 8

Figure 1.

A. Rubino Oro beads showing a metallic reduced surface (left) and the non-reduced red color of the glass.

B. Silver Plum showing the metallic surface vs. the normal color of the glass.

A.

B.

C. D. E. F.

Figure 2.

X-ray spectrum collected from the reduced surface of Rubino Oro indicating the presence of lead (4).

Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the reduced surface of Rubino Oro showing small particles (4).

X-ray spectrum of Gold Brown indicating the presence of lead (4).

SEM of the surface of gold brown showing the distribution of small particles (4).

X-ray spectrum of Purple 254 indicating the presence of lead.

SEM of the surface of Purple 254 showing the distribution of small particles.

Figure 3.

A. SEM of the Silver Plum surface showing the distribution of metallic particles (bright spots) on the surface.

B. X-ray spectrum generated by Silver Plum consistent with the presence of manganese and zinc.(4)

as to develop a metallic surface (Figure 1).

Three samples of Rubino, one of Purple and one of Gold Brown were prepared by melting the ends of single rods, flattening the tips and exposing them to a reducing flame to develop the reduction surface.

The Silver Plum glass was exposed to a high oxygen flame to develop a metallic surface. Microanalysis of the Rubino, Purple and Gold Brown samples showed the presence of lead in the unheated glass while Silver Plum was shown to contain manganese. Ivory glass generated spectra consistent with the presence of zinc.

Reduction surfaces of the three lead-containing glasses showed that lead formed very small particles on the glass surface. Examples of these are seen in (Figure 2).

The Silver Plum surface generated an X-ray spectrum consistent with the presence of manganese and zinc (Figure 3).

“Fuming,” deposition of metal on glass from a metal vapor source, is commonly used in art glass. As a rule a small amount of the pure metal is melted near the base of the torch flame where some of it will boil and enter the torch plume in vapor form. The object to be fumed is relatively cool and is placed downstream in the flame where some of the vaporized metal will condense on the surface. Fuming should only be undertaken in the presence of excellent ventilation and exhaust.

An Ivory bead was fumed in the torch plume from Rubino glass melted in a neutral flame. The Ivory glass assumed the streaky grey color typically asso-

ccontinued on pae

ciated with its reaction with Rubino or other metal containing glasses. X-ray spectroscopy showed the presence of lead on the Rubino-fumed Ivory surface, indicating the presence of lead vapor in the torch plume (Fig. 4).

The visual appearance of many reduced glass surfaces would suggest that the surface might, indeed, be either silver or gold. Both of these elements are defined as heavy metals, however they are considered safe for skin contact and are prized as materials for jewelry making.

Lead, another heavy metal, is not considered safe for human contact. It not allowed for jewelry production and is currently the subject of restrictive legislation by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (2). Lead on jewelry surfaces exposes the wearer to potentially hazardous skin contact. Contact dermatitis reactions to chromium, cobalt or nickel in jewelry alloys are clear demonstrations of potential skin contact hazards.

Metallic lead exposed on art or jewelry glass surfaces might be interpreted as a coating and fall under the statutes outlined in the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). This Act limits the lead content of a surface on any materials which continued on page 42

A.

B.

Figure 4.

Ivory beads, left fumed with Rubino Oro; right non-fumed control.

X-ray spectrum generated by the fumed Ivory surface consistent with the presence of lead and zinc.

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artist’s spotlight by Marcy Lamberson

RONIT DAGAN...

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All photography courtesy of Ronit Dagan

simple is BIG for this lampworker.

ISRAELI GLASS ARTIST RONIT DAGAN describes her work as “mixed styles.” Sometimes the viewer will notice a modern bent, and occasionally a folkloristic style will be observed. When looking at her art, her very colorful and very vibrant colors may show both.

Dagan’s past filters into the present. Before working in glass, Dagan painted with oils, with the subject matter being mostly portraits.

Borrowing from that art form, she loves playing with colors and mixing them. The viewer is to discover her art layer by layer.

And again, her art segues from oil portraits on canvas to now, as she is blowing borosilicate beads and painting faces on them. Dagan mentions that she loses some of the real proportions, but the shape of the approximately 4-inch bead gives her interpretations “a very interesting look.”

Perhaps you’ve seen her gorgeous glass chains—both in clear and in colors. She is fashion-oriented in her work and loves simplicity.

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Dagan remarks that “simplicity can be more intricate than a complex piece.”

She speaks about how sometimes you wake up and everything can go wrong. Success can be painful, because often it takes a lot of trial and error.

She doesn’t settle for “not good enough,” but keeps focused on what she has envisioned.

The year 2000 was the first year Dagan started melting glass. Making beads was easier to do, because there were few glass instructors in Israel at the time.

Dale Chihuly had a “breathtaking” exhibit in Jerusalem that year, which piqued her interest. There were one or two furnaces for blowing glass and a well-known family from Hebron, who didn’t teach. So, she kept looking.

Then she met Alex Arbell, who lives in an artist’s village in Israel, Ein Hod. He is a scientific glass maker, respected artist and teacher familiar with the Glass Artist Society Conference and he introduced Dagan to the International Society of Glass Beadmakers.

Dagan is quick to acknowledge people and organizations who have helped her through the years.

She credits most of her education to the ISGB, and notes her materials were first bought while attending the Gathering. Beni Kedem, who works in borosilicate, has helped her with technical problems.

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Last year a metalsmithing instructor from Shenkar asked Dagan to teach a class about the feeling of glass. They used small butane torches for that.

Dagan likes to create in big scale, whether it’s using larger mandrel for her blown hollow beads or bending soft glass or borosilicate.

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artist’s spotlight continued

She has no preference for glass brands, but looks for the specific colors that she can get from them.

She uses a National torch for borosilicate because of its strong flame, and a Baracuda torch with the softer flame of the outer ring for her hollow beads.

Tweezers and graphite are her primary tools.

Dagan enjoys lampworking and uses few tools. She doesn’t need much equipment to bring out her art. She also prefers to work alone, enjoying the privacy and being by herself.

She says, “Time passes quickly.”

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artist’s spotlight continued

Herzliya is a city next to Tel Aviv, not too far from the seashore where Ronit and her husband live.

She says she is thankful that she “doesn’t have to sell, but can make exactly what I want to do.” Rounding out the family are three adult daughters. They also have a 1-year-old Jack Russell terrier that keeps them quite busy.

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Dagan’s background is interesting. During her time in the Army, She was a gymnastics and fitness teacher for pilots. In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, she worked with injured soldiers doing rehabilitation with sports. That led to seven years as a teacher with the Israeli Association for Injured Veterans. She did more rehabilitation work, this time for soldiers who had lost arms and legs.

She also has a master’s of art in art history. Her major influences have been Dale Chihuly and Robert Mickelsen.

You can find Dagan’s work at Pismo Gallery and the Museum of Art & Design in New York.

She has had two large exhibits in Israel and belongs to the Association of Israel’s Decorative Arts, which represents Israeli artists in the United States.

Ronit can be contacted at ronitdag@zahav.net.il.

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critiques & collections by Jim Kervin

beads to feed our soul?

Let’s examine beads inspired by things

day-bound is our last type candy—pepper-

to eat! When I first selected this topic, I

mints. The peppermint bead shown here

envisioned there would be a multitude

by

of beads from which to choose. Imagine

freshening wrapped candies.

my surprise when I found this was not

The next type of sweet is one that

the case. Perhaps part of the reason is

is making its way back into fashion, at

because much of this market has been

least in my town. We just had a gourmet

eaten up by cheap imports from China.

cupcake shop open with the most tempting

So, I guess my fellow beadmakers

delicacies.

believe the market just isn’t there for

Cathy Millagin and Peggy Festerling have captured this treat’s

these delicious creations. Well, after you

essence in their cupcake beads; Millagin’s,

devour this article, I hope to change your mind about this category of beads.

Melanie Egan

with its chocolate cupcake base, white icing and rainbow sprinkles, and Fester-

Probably the most common type

ling’s, with her pistachio cupcake with

of food bead are those patterned after

buttercream icing and rose decoration.

sweets—and these are almost as sweet

I would be happy with either of these on

as the original thing. The first of these

my plate. Lastly,

I would like to present are the candy

different take on cupcakes. She sees them

beads. Some of these are synony-

for the evil tempters that they really are in

mous with certain holidays, such as

her “Death by Chocolate Cupcake” bead,

candy corn with Halloween or autumn,

where she has staked through a cupcake’s

which accounts for their festive yellow,

heart before it can suck the life out of us.

Donna Conklin has a

orange and white colors. I came across

And then there is my wife’s favorite

a number of these, and the ones shown

sweet, ice cream. Our two favorite ways

here by Melanie

to eat ice cream are in cones or sundaes.

Egan are some well-

made examples.

Here we present examples of each. For Debra Kallen

we naturally think of those we buy for

Holly Dare, Nancy Peterson and Keiara Wells.

loved ones on Valentine’s Day. None have

Dare gives us a tempting orange pineapple

Debra

cone. Peterson gives us two big, double-

Kallen. Her lampworked creations look

scoop cones with sprinkles. These are the

good enough to eat, and the box makes

kind that invariably run down your arm on

their display all the more appealing.

a hot summer day. Wells gives us another

Next, when we think of chocolates,

captured that theme better than

cones, we see the beads by

The next candy bead is one that

delicious double scooper of black cherry ice

reminds me somewhat of Christmas:

cream over vanilla with fruit on top. Doesn’t

candy cane pendants, like the one by

that just make your mouth water?

Brent Earnest. A close relative of

Jennie Lamb and Kate Fowle Meleney give us some gorgeous sundaes

candy canes that is not so strictly holi-

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Jamie Rose captures these breath-

Brent Earnest

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Jamie Rose

Cathy Millagin

Peggy Festerling

Donna Conklin

Holly Dare

Nancy Peterson

Keiara Wells

Jennie Lamb

Kate Fowle Meleney

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critiques & collections

continued

to match these cones. Lamb’s is a strawberry vanilla swirl with fruit on top, while Fowle Meleney’s is a vintage vanilla caramel swirl sundae with whipped cream and a cherry on top. That would do me in.

Next we move on to vegetable beads. The most popular of these seem to be pumpkin beads. The first of these is the nice hollow pumpkin bead by Kandice

Seeber. The other example is the pumpkin arrangement by Kim Fields, which offers a pumpkin for everyone.

Another autumn vegetable bead is corn-on-the-cob beads.

My favorite example of these is the strand by

Marty Meade,

interspaced with peppers, corn kernels and flowers. I like how Kandice Seeber

she has used thread to represent the corn fibers. The other corn-on-the-cob bead that I just had to include is the zany one by

Terri Gray, because it made me laugh. Those eyes got to me.

The last vegetable is for our Southwestern friends—the chili pepper pendants by Jenny Trevino. Is there anything that doesn’t go better with chili peppers? I think not.

I couldn’t find much in the way of main dish beads. There were the Chinese hamburger and hot dog beads, but few that are not mass produced. About the closest thing I could find was the rubber chicken bead given to me by Greg Fuchs. I bet you don’t see many of those around.

Another type of bead you don’t see much of is libation beads.

Kate Fowle Meleney used to make some of those, too. Here we see two sets of these vintage Fowle Meleney beads: beer and Kim Fields

champagne beads. She had both pale ale and stout beer in a nice cold foamy mug. What a great thing for a hot summer day. The champagne set was targeted for the New Year’s party bunch and consists of a bottle of bubbly with two glasses.

The last type of food beads that we are going to peruse are berry beads. The first of these is the nice strawberry bead by

Christine Gant. Doesn’t it look mouthwatering? I love strawberries. The next berries are a collection by Elizabeth Johnson. I was blown away with how realistic her berries appear.

The stems are made from wire and are used to string them. She makes great blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, gooseberries, raspberries, salmonberries and strawberries. I hope you enjoyed this banquet of food beads and, maybe, have come Marty Meade

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away with some ideas to digest for your own production.

Terri Gray

Jenny Trevino

Greg Fuchs

Kate Fowle Melaney

Christine Gant

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Elizabeth Johnson

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studio safety by Vince Henley

( LP Gas )

Propane Storage Let me be blunt about this: There is no safe way

the reality is that valves and fittings can age and develop

to store propane inside a building used as a residence. This

leaks that are too slow to be noticed immediately, but after

applies whether the building is a detached single-family

sitting around in your home for a while can accumulate

home, an apartment or condominium in a multi-story

an explosive mixture. One cannot depend on the odor-

building, an attached townhouse or a mobile home. There

izer used in LP gas, either. It can decrease in effectiveness

are additional restrictions on the use of propane in all

over time or be so slight as to escape notice until a serious

apartment buildings with three or more floors. That person

hazard develops.

with a propane barbecue grill on the fifth floor apartment

The same applies to one-pound canisters. After being

balcony is illegal in any jurisdiction in the United States.

connected and disconnected to a torch a few times, the

There are exceptions for other classes of buildings, such as

valve can fail to seal fully after use and leak ever so slightly.

industrial buildings.

I’ve seen this happen more than once.

In general, I am speaking here about portable, refillable propane tanks containing two or more gallons of liquid

So, how should one store LP gas cylinders between uses? I recommend the following practices.

propane, but the restrictions also apply to one-pound canis-

Store all portable, refillable LP gas cylinders outside or

ters of propane, butane, MAPP or any other LP gas. In

in a well-ventilated shelter when not actually being used.

the case of the one-pound canisters, no more than two are

By “well ventilated” I mean a structure that has constant

permitted to be on the premises at any given time. Strictly

outside air flow and openings at floor level that would allow

speaking, that instructor teaching a class with four hot-head

any leaking propane to flow away and be dispersed. One’s

torches in their home studio is violating this regulation.

garage will not generally be the right place, unless it is

There are two considerations here. The first is the regu-

detached and meets the ventilation requirements.

latory restriction or what the local fire and safety codes in a

Avoid working in basements or other areas where the

given community require. The second is the actual physi-

heavier-than-air LP gas can accumulate and form an explo-

cal danger of fire or explosion with the potential for severe

sive mixture.

property damage, injury or death. The two are related in

Store any inventory of one-pound canisters of LP gas

that the codes strive to remove the danger from the public

in excess of two canisters outside in the same manner as a

domain and create a safe environment for all, even while

portable, refillable tank.

allowing the use of a potentially dangerous flammable

Check with your local authorities for any local regula-

gas for legitimate purposes. The regulatory objective is to

tions specific to LP gas. Normally NFPA 58 is the model

ensure that LP gas can be safely used for maximum benefit.

code used to regulate most uses of LP gas, but other codes

Special regulations exist to prevent LP gas from being

also apply, such as the International Fire Code, the Interna-

used in places where it might accumulate and become

tional Mechanical Code, the International Fuel Gas Code

an explosive mixture, such as a basement or a pit. These

and others. The codes change roughly every four years,

regulations vary across the country and from jurisdiction

and what one thought to be correct a few years ago may no

to jurisdiction, so it is always best to find out what restric-

longer be so.

tions apply to a specific installation. Check with the local

Much of this is common sense once you understand

authorities before beginning construction on your dream

the hazards of LP gas. You can still have a productive studio

studio or that unused corner of your basement.

and be safe, so long as you follow these very simple rules.

One might ask what harm there is in storing a propane cylinder in your closet or home studio if the valve is closed

Contact Vince Henley on the ISGB Forum at www. isgb.org or via e-mail at safety@isgb.org.

and the equipment disconnected. It is a good question, but 23

23

The next 24 page section is YOUR 2011 GATHERING XIX REGISTRATION BOOK.

It’s packed with exhibit opportunities; presenters and demonstrations; activities and events; and all of those wonderful classes we offer each year!

Enjoy browsing the pages, and we do hope to see you in Louisville this year!

You can remove the insert by opening the staples and removing the pages with red borders, then close the stables up and your issue of the Glass Bead remains intact.

24

the studio view <

intersecting circle bead by beau

orward with Sage and Tom Holland F t s & Beau n Pa A derson a Q&A with Diana Dugina Riebling and Sage Holland.

In this inaugural Studio View, we have expanded one of the most important missions of the ISGB–educating and exchanging information about the art and science of glass beadmaking around the world. In every issue of The Glass Bead we will be featuring the educational opportunities and personal studios of the skilled instructors who spread the art of glass beadmaking.

Along the way we will be meeting many generous beadmakers who share their skill and passion with their students, colleagues and with all of the ISGB members.

At times, we may introduce you to arts and crafts facilities that invite your favorite instructors to teach, inspire and share. These centers might be distanced by mountain valleys or metropolitan streets, but their common mission is dedicated offering the classes you want in the environment that suits you! Let’s start on our path with Sage, Tom and Beau!

a Sage bead being a wedding bead by Tom

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the studio view <

window pane beads of Tom’s As a young man Tom was introduced to the subject and history of beads through scouting. It was through these adventures that he became fascinated of their history and lore. During the late 1980s, Tom’s bead fascination was rekindled, and he’s always happy to tell tales of his quest for the illusive knowledge to help him create his own.

DDR When did you and Tom start to teach glass beadmaking? Have you ever partnered with other instructors?

SAGE My teaching career started with mentoring a few

DDR Thank you, Sage, for being the first in what we hope will become a long list of interesting interviews with experienced studio instructors who share their insights, personal history, teaching philosophy and environment with ISGB members. Please tell your fellow glass beadmakers a bit about yourself, Tom and Beau, and how you started working together and building your various studios.

SAGE In the late 1980s I gravitated towards glass beadmaking after working in several other mediums. My lifeline has always been the arts. In 1987, in Bellingham, Washington, I was healing from my second back surgery. While recuperating, I wanted to stay in the creative mode, so I turned to bead design and wearable art. During that time, my path crossed with Brian Kerkvliet of Gossamer Glass, and a summer-long apprenticeship with him sparked the commitment to glass beadmaking and motivated me to build my own studio.

During this period, Beau was about 7 years old and attending the Waldorf School, which encouraged parent involvement and the arts. Hence, he loved to be in the studio with me. Beau was home-schooled, as well, and that made his time at the torch more available. Beau stuck with it and found that the beadmaking art form fit into all of his other interests.

Tom Holland’s education in the arts was achieved more formally at Southeast and Northwest Missouri State Universities. He earned two fine arts degrees, one in ceramics and one in sculpture. Tom and I where born in Jackson County, Missouri, however, I was raised in the west and Tom stayed the “Missouri Boy.”

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boys and girls in Bellingham. But, I made a decision to not teach formally until I had a least five years of experience under my belt.

Tom was busy with his endeavors in founding the Stone County Recycling Center at that time. Initially Tom and I met at The Bead Museum’s first Contempemporary Glass Beadmakers Exhibit in 1993. Then, in 1994, Tom and I— along with Kristina Logan—taught at a Bead Expo in Sante Fe, New Mexico. Since then, no other opportunity arose except, of course, sharing with Tom or Beau, or both. I find that every time I teach the spirit of cooperative exchange and collaborative dynamics develops with returning students and students that have previous experience. In a sense, the class members often become partners in the teaching process.

DDR How quickly did the demand for glass beadmaking classes grow? Do you feel that the demand is still growing or do you feel it’s reached a plateau?

SAGE During the mid-80s it seemed as if no one was aware of the art form; it wasn’t easy to find information or a way to exchange resources and that kept its growth slow. I have to say that at times I wanted to hold to that period when everything about flameworked beads was a mystery. I was under

up in smoke portrait bead by Sage

More of Sage’s bead beings

the illusion that this media was a new and rare phenomenon in the art world, so I was always searching for more information and fellow beadmakers.

In Seattle in the late 1980s, I put myself out there in the different shows and saw very few fellow lampworked beadmakers. this was true with galleries that I was in as well.

Shortly after, serious exposure to the subject came in the form of books and publications. Lois Sherr Dubin’s The History of Beads: From 30,000 B.C. to the Present and articles in magazines starting with Ornament Magazine where Kaio Asao’s work was highlighted, then Lapidary Journal, Bead & Button and subsequently many other publications opened new horizons for my work. Then there was a rise in gallery and museum exhibits created by both artists and curators in influential cities like Washington, D.C.; Baltimore, Maryland; Seattle, Washington; and Prescott, Arizona. These exhibits help to expand knowledge of the craft, and they created opportunities for teaching. For me, that’s how it all began.

Now the field is topping out to an apex of competition for high-quality teachers. Every time someone teaches a glass beadmaking class, it inevitably creates competing teachers by

photo courtesy of Morgan Contemporary Glass

students becoming increasingly skilled. Many of these new teachers will reference their original instructors, but one can’t deny that the supply of instructors is currently overflowing.

Fortunately, this medium is seemingly infinite with techniques to share, but one should give due diligence to honing skills with time spent at the torch. At times, I wish I had the flexibility in my schedule to take a few workshops with artists whose work I admire, but Beau was the lucky one who got to take a class with Lucio Bubacco a few years ago. He is really using the knowledge he gained and combining it with his prior educational experiences.

While there are many different and excellent instructors, I’ve seen an increasing amount of less-experienced people who offer courses using a learned technique or two. I feel that they should consider combining those techniques with

27

the studio view <

an array of Beau’s beads

the skills acquired through dedicated torch time, so that they can offer a well-rounded course in the various aspects of lampworking glass beads. As in all things, the best suggestion I can offer is to check with your friends, look at the work produced by potential instructors, and ask for references from previous students.

DDR What is your forcast for future of glass beadmaking in the United States and abroad?

SAGE I think the future of glass beadmaking will be assured and enhanced by the endeavors of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers. The organization keeps the art form relevant by adhering to its core mission of history and education, while continually broadening its mode of expression.

In this light, contemporary glass beadmakers might consider looking into the work of Venice’s mid-19th century Giacomo Franchini’s masterful murrini beads, and then to the mid-20th century art of Kaio Asoa for helping to carry the time-honored traditions and techniques of many cultural influences to where we are now and, hopefully, beyond.

Also, I must give due credit the Bead Museum in Arizona, and to writers and researchers such as Robert Liu, Lois Sherr Dubin, Cindy Jenkins and others who are contributing to the knowledge and promotion of glass beadmaking.

Similar to pottery, textiles and other artisan mediums, the continual development of styles, versatility in technique and collaborative exchange will keep the art form fresh. However, like any business, this is a tough time to expand. The lesson is to pace oneself for the long haul and weather the ups and downs. Remember nothing is certain, but death and taxes.

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The Studios DDR Please tell us about your previous and current studios.

Are there particular details that differentiate your studio setup? Share with us information about the area in which your studio is located, its history and your presence there.

SAGE Our personal studio is in transition and we are no longer teaching at Meadowcreek, but we are teaching in the scenic town of Mountain View, Arkansas.

I put together a proposal for a grant to build a studio in the town of Mountain View. Fortunately, we received the grant, and we got to work.

Beau installed it and it houses eight spacious workstations. He chose Nortel Mid-Range Plus torches. This torch allows students to work with larger gathers for cane work and create off-mandrel sculptures, in addition to traditional-size glass beads with more delicate details. The studio features high ceilings, and it has an incredibly effective ventilation system with efficient heating and cooling systems. Beau and I are very excited about the 12-inch Crystal Master lapidary grinder from Kingsley North that was requested as an equip-

DDR How many work stations does your studio have and what make of torch do you use, and what is the seating arrangement and ventilation method? How do you implement safety and protection practices?

SAGE It’s a big advantage to have at least 4 feet of distance between students and comfortable chairs with wheels. Over the years we have tried to acquire comfortable chairs with back support.

These are some of our workhorses

ment need of the proposal. We can now offer our students instruction in faceting and coldworking. The Olympic kiln is brand new, as well. It features a bead door and space for small and not-so-small sculptures.

We are also building a permanent studio to be located in the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View. It is here that we plan to bring the trade bead tradition of glass beadmaking by creating an annual Rendezvous program. During Oct. 7–9, 2011, Tom will be one of the lecturers and it will focus on the fascinating history of glass beads within the context of the North American and international cultural exchange through beads. The Rendezvous will also include many other historical Arkansan trade arts, such as knife making, blacksmithing and others.

March 2011 kicks off the opening of the Folk Center studio with the Glass Beadmaking Fundamentals class during the weekend of March 7–9 and the Flame of Mind class during the week of the 21–25. Both classes with feature international glass bead educators Beau Anderson and French native Vanessa Bunet. Afterwards, Beau will teach a two-day lapidary class at the Arkansas Crafts School March 26 – 27. Students can learn and work for weeks!

The Ozark Folk Center is a state park that features arts and crafts demonstrations, the music of the mountains, and the lore of local herbs, plants and foliage. The grounds feature trails and accessibility to the woodlands. We are happy to know that it resembles the studio at Meadowcreek.

The Folks Center’s artisans and staff constantly hone their skills by collaborating and interpreting traditions in the arts and crafts. For an individual escape or for a family excursion, the scenery, classes, music and food are just a few reasons to go there. For the little ones, there are large, safe and natural grounds for exploring, and the friendly staff offers fun and educational programs for kids of all ages.

Some of the other glass beadmaking studios that Beau has planned and built are Pascal Gugans in Paris, France, which has a history of glass beadmaking that’s been handed down through the family. The studio fell dormant after the senior beadmaker retired after a long career. Beau, with help of Vanessa Bunet, brought it back to life by offering classes once again. Then there’s the studio that Beau designed and installed for Cheryl Cobern Brown in Ireland, the Essence of Mullraney. He worked on this project about three years ago. Although I have only seen it on the website, it looks like a dream come true for any bead workshop.

The most recent workshop studio upgrade Beau has completed was in the city of Darhampsala, where the Tibetans, along with the Dalai Lama, await the end of their exile.

The Tibetan artisans had access to an existing studio, but it was in need of inspection and repair. During a teaching session in Denmark, a Tibetan student asked Beau to improve their standards for safety and make the needed repairs. With limited supplies and finances, Beau upgraded the studio so that the artisans were in a safer and more efficient environment.

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the studio view <

A short history of the mountains view area of Arkansas:

30

the red woman & one of Tom’s life ring

Layers of varied populations of ancient people have lived in this area for thousands of years. Digging is forbidden, but artifacts such as pictographs, arrowheads or spear points are frequently found during a casual hike around the area.

A good friend even found a stone bead on his land; one of the pictographs in this area has a 4-foot tall red woman with big earrings!

The climate and access to water along with good hunting made this an attractive and fecund home for many tribes, including the mound builders.

While the area has been through too many changes to list here, today it is a vibrant cultural center for folk music, art, natural foods and glass beadmaking.

When you are visiting with Sage, Tom or Beau, allow them to fill you in on all of the fascinating details.

visitors at the Arkansas Folk Center In longer sessions this can be a major player on performance. I have taught in science labs at universities on bar stools and I couldn’t wait for the class to be over, but if I am in a comfortable chair time flies too quickly. The torches don’t need to be the fancier ones with all the bells and whistles; we use the workhorses, Nortel Minor Burners for the bead classes and the Mid Ranges for small vessels, sculpture and the cane created for lapidary bead classes.

Our classes generally seat six to eight people. But with a smaller class, there is more one-on-one time and it’s easier to hear what’s being discussed or demonstrated. We ventilate our studios with individual velocity, or dilution cones, to each station. These pose little obstacle to the artist’s freedom of movement, it’s a more concentrated exhaust system.

Intermediate to advanced beadmakers usually have a strong grip on the necessary safety practices, like always wear you’re didiniums, wear non-flameable clothing, never cold cut glass dry, and the need for proper ventilation. For the beginning classes we prioritize safety measures before we light a torch. More students are using oxygen concentrators, which lowers the explosive gas question on the list of precautions, but if they are using oxygen tanks we make sure that proper fuel tank practices are understood.

DDR What is unique about taking a class with Sage, Tom or Beau? Please explain your approach to your typical teaching day.

SAGE When teaching, we provide our list of over 100 techniques and subsequent offshoots that stem from our researching authentic samples of ancient bead and glasswork. Most of the list has to do with detailed surface patterning and control of the methods for creating new designs by combining effects from ancient times, like refined stringer work and feathering

Beau’s beads

with custom color layered stringers. We also include a realm of cues for complex stratification and dot-work designs, a variety of Islamic folded beads, murinni-making, geometric and twisted cane creation, plus techniques for hollow bead success and more. Contemporary design techniques are covered, such as creating sculptural shapes including floral sculpture and patterns, clear casing, and working with reactive glasses.

If the length of the class is long enough, we cover bended, double-bead shapes and multiple-part beads. We cover as much as the individual student is ready to digest—the more techniques learned, the more pathways to individual expression. In two-day workshops, we choose a smaller percentage of the options, which is why we prefer teaching three- to five-day courses. An inspirational bonus for the class is to view the detailed photos of 2,000-year-old beads as part of a highly researched slide-show presentation. We prefer to present it at night, over a nutritious salad and decadent pizza.

Our typical teaching day at Meadowcreek through the present is different than when we are invited instructors. It was our tradition to allow folks to work into the night as long as there was a teacher on hand. I was usually maxed out by 10 at night, but if folks were up for it, Beau would burn the midnight oil. Our habit is to demonstrate a technique and then let the class try what was shown, but the dynamics of each group brings with it a pace that’s unique to each class. Some people want to see as much as they can, covering more on the list than if they were practicing between demonstrations.

Some want to take notes, and others want to record the class with a video camera. My preference is for students to take notes and then practice later.

So, from 8:30 in the morning to around 6 at night, and often times right through an ordered-in lunch, we keep dishing it up. But if the class stretches over several days and has a more relaxed feeling, we may delve into deep breathing and stretching exercises. Sometimes we invite the class for an inspirational hike or a treetop rope course on the new Loco Ropes park at the Ozark Folk Center. During the five-day course, we’ll pick a sunny day and take the class on wildlife safari in canoes on the White River, where we search for eagles, otters and other wildlife.

DDR Explain to us the similarities and differences between teaching out of your studio and teaching at facilities in the United States and abroad.

SAGE For me, it’s always a little more comfortable teaching in your own environs. Planning happens at a personal pace.

If we visit a facility, I’ve noticed that when a set up of torches and manifolds need to be broken down at the last minute this can take away from the euphoria of a completed class. So, workshops in our permanent studios are an advantage.

Teaching abroad is a treat, but it’s difficult to break away from projects at home. Consequently, Tom and I don’t travel as much anymore. Beau is a bit more available since he is younger and more flexible. He has a very firm grip on the list of new and old techniques and loves to work with people in every way.

The last time Tom and I had a chance to teach out of the United States was in Canada. The studios where excellent, but the budget was limited and they couldn’t afford the both of us as a team. Tom gives the great history lectures, so I chose to stay home. That way we could honor the engagement. Before that Tom also taught a class for the Turkish International Bead Conference in Istanbul. I opted to stay home to keep the studio active and keep our dogs out of a kennel. However, I loved teaching at Glass Design in scenic Hamburg, Germany. I rented a bike and experienced the city on my favorite mode of transport.

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the studio view <

Sage’s mask, crescent & bird beads

down to the garden and picking vegetables for dinner when I should have been demonstrating, but I think the class was kidding me because we’re known for our “rapid fire demo” teaching style.

In 2009, the workshops we were able to teach in Murano, Italy, were a dream come true. But, in our pursuit to finish the new studio, we are now committed to stay here and buckle down.

DDR Where do students stay and are their meals provided?

SAGE When folks come here to the town of Mountain View for a class either at the Ozark Folk Center or the Arkansas Craft School there are several choices of hotels or B&Bs, but the Folk Center offers a deal for participants to stay at their lodges on the park grounds. The lodges offer multiple occupancies, so it’s a great place for families or groups. The area has some good restaurants and there is one located right at the Folk Center. Remember, if you want a glass of wine this is a dry county, so we tell everyone to BYOB. When we taught on the Meadowcreek Wildlife Refuge, I kept a huge garden. Much of what we ate was cuisine from the previous year’s harvest, as well as fresh mixed greens for salads. I purchased by bulk, so we didn’t have much trash. We are big into recycling; within our sphere of friends we are all into recycling. Tom’s serves on the Stone County Reclamation Center’s board of directors. I also find that if you accommodate folks for five days, mealtime preparation can be a big part of the sensory satisfaction. I love good food and enjoy preparing it. Of course, that meant I spent a lot of time back and forth from the kitchen to the studio with Tom and Beau being the studio sentinels. Once, I got some flak for running

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DDR In 2011, what can glass beadmakers look forward from you, Tom and Beau?

SAGE Tom and I still hope to get our place to that unimaginably magical atmosphere we felt was happening at Meadowcreek. We are completely off the “grid.” We have solar panels to power the facility, good well water on site, and we just got a new large-capacity septic system. Although, we did opt to put our footprint on the grid by equipping the studio with telephone and Internet service. The design of the building is complicated. It’s built atop of pillars because the studio is situated right over a creek. Every supply has to be added on a scaffold and we’re 30 miles from town, so getting the materials to work on projects can eat into the day. Always optimistic, we will get it there by 2013!

photos of brooches courtesy of Morgan Contemporary Glass

traditional beads & sculptural work by Beau I think the glass bead movement is still in an expansion phase and full of potential in its diversity and global appeal.

The movement seems to hold an inherent symbolic language that conveys a galaxy of worlds within worlds. The discovery process is endless. Plus, we are using fewer resources to create our beads, and that is a good direction for the future.

If you are interested in taking a class with us in beautiful Mountain View, just e-mail us at: sageandtomemail@gmail. com or go to the Arkansas Folk School page at: ozarkfolk center.com/crafts/default.aspx or arkansascraftschool.org.

We also participate in the Off The Beaten Path Studio Tour, theoffthebeatenpathstudiotour.com. Or, you can call us directly at: 870-363-4890

DDR Many thanks to you, Sage, in all of yours, Tom’s and Beau’s teaching, beadmaking and studio endeavors.

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regional tutorial Northern Region

[ Making Glass Utensil Handles ]

By Julie Nordine Photos by Julie Nordine

I’ve been lampworking since January 2007. With a background in interior design, my eye for scale, proportion and color has transferred over quite nicely to my beads. I challenged myself early on to set myself apart with my beadmaking style and what I wanted to produce.

I began making glass-handled utensils and other lampworked gifts (kaleidoscopes, etc.) because I didn’t want to make only lampworked jewelry.

One of the things that I look for in a beautiful utensil handle is a single glass bead that looks to be an extension of the utensil itself, where the shape flows from the metal of the utensil to the bead.

Materials for beads Effetre Dark Ivory glass CIM Stone Ground Unique or Effetre Opal Yellow glass ➧➧ Double Helix Psyche ➧➧ Karen Thomas Designs Salad Serving Set (www.karenthomas.us) ➧➧ 3/32” mandrels, dipped ➧➧ Large graphite paddle and/or favorite shaping tools ➧➧ Crunch press (I use 3-wide) ➧➧ Several 2mm silvered ivory stringers ➧➧ A few thick Psyche stringers ➧➧ Pull a 1mm Dark Ivory Stringer and a 1mm Psyche stringer just a few inches long, leaving them attached to their rods ➧➧ ➧➧

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Materials for gluing utensils ➧➧ 2-part

Epoxy (Loctite 5-minute or Rio Grand’s 2-part epoxy) ➧➧ Aluminum Foil ➧➧ Toothpicks ➧➧ Paper towels or spare rag ➧➧ Pipe cleaners

1

Step 1 Pre-planning for the shape and size of your utensil handles can be done several ways: I have a spare blank of every utensil style that I make on my workbench to use for size reference while I’m working. If you do not wish to do this (because of wear & tear on the blanks), find a glass rod that matches the diameter of where your metal blank meets your bead. You will use this for diameter reference. Mark the finished bead length on your glass rod with a permanent marker for length reference.

2

Another way to plan your size and shape is to make your finished bead shape out of polymer clay (or make a sample glass handle) and use this for reference as you make your beads. This is especially useful if you’re making matching sets.

When it comes to getting the length of your bead “just right,” so it fits perfectly between the blank and the ball end, you have to have that specific blank with you as you torch so you can compare exact length and diameter, as bead length varies from blank to blank.

I get around this issue by making my bead handles off the end of the mandrel, so that I don’t have to worry about whether or not the bead length fits perfectly. Measure the length of the utensil stem and ball end and mark this length on the end of your mandrel with a marker.

Step 2

3

On your pre-marked mandrel, make a long base bead using glass of your choice. Apply glass from the mark to past the end of the mandrel. This will be a total of 3 inches or so. I wrap Dark Ivory over a clear core and I start where my mandrel is marked because this mark will burn away quickly. Pay particular attention to this end of the bead, making sure it’s balanced and a smaller diameter than the blank. Make this end of the bead completely flat, as this will be the end that meets the blank. Keep in mind that if you plan to melt in your decoration, the added mass of it will change the size and shape of your bead. Make your base bead undersized and add decoration from there.

Step 3

4

Hold the utensil blank (or your sample bead) next to the base bead to check the length and diameter of the mandrel end of the bead, making sure to keep it narrower than the blank.

Step 4 Lay down a wide band of Stone Ground (or Opal Yellow) toward the closed end of the bead and a narrow band on the mandrel end, using these bands as a barrier between the Dark Ivory and Psyche, which react to each other in a way I don’t want on this bead.

Melt in.

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regional tutorial Northern Region continued

Step 5

5

Flanking the Stone Ground bands, lay down some Silvered Ivory Stringer. Melt it in aiming the flame across the stringer towards the Ivory base, which will fume the Ivory and allow it to web.

Next, with your thick Psyche stringer, place two rows of small dots next to each other around the wider Stone Ground section and a wrap of Psyche around the other Stone Ground section, covering the Stone Ground. Melt in and marver to shape the bead. If necessary, superheat and use gravity and your marver to distribute some of the bulk of the new glass down the bead for a more pleasing shape.

Step 6

6

With your favorite dragging tool (mine happens to be a matching stringer), superheat the dots and lightly drag between the two rows, feathering them all the way around the bead. (Insurance heat the other end.)

Next, heat a spot of the Silvered Ivory Stringer and, using your short ivory stringer rod, plunge and twist a few rotations, making small spirals. Leaving the stringer attached to the rod gives you some bulk to help you twist. Take advantage of these little spirals, putting them in places that might not be perfect, like where your stringer ends met. Melt everything smooth and marver to reshape. (Insurance heat all over.)

Step 7

7

This is the last chance to check the diameter of the mandrel end of the bead to the blank, making sure that they’re about the same diameter. Make sure this end is flat so it butts to the blank and that the edge of the end turns a sharp corner.

Step 8a At this point, you can leave the bead round, or you might choose to flatten it like I do with this style. You want to leave the mandrel end of the bead still round, so heat the bead thoroughly overall, leaving the mandrel end of the bead a bit cooler than the rest. With your crunch press, press lightly, only to the point where the entire bead is the thickness of the mandrel end of the bead, which is still round. Fire-polish both sides of the bead until all chill marks are gone.

Step 8b >

8 a

To square off the crunch shape, heat one edge of the bead and, holding the top of the crunch press upright (looking down over the top of the bead to make sure you’re sides are straight so your edges are square), lightly flatten the edge, using a light rocking motion to follow the shape of the bead.

Do the same to the other side and fire-polish both edges.

Flatten the very end of the bead.

Step 9 > If you wish, choose the front of your bead and spot heat the center of the feathered section and, using your short Psyche stringer rod, plunge and twist as many rotations as you want, making a large spiral. I also like to make a small spiral on the very end of the bead using the ivory stringer rod.

36

Step 10

8 b

Almost finished! Warm your bead all over, turn your propane up slightly to produce a reduction flame and give the bead a few seconds wash in the flame. Bring the flame back to neutral and wash the bead in the flame a few seconds, burning off the high metallic shine, revealing blues and greens. If it’s too green, bring it back into the neutral flame again. Too dark blue? Reduce again.

Back to neutral, heat the entire bead evenly and put it in your kiln to properly anneal.

Making matching sets

9

Making a matching set is done like a little dance. If you have a kiln where the mandrels stick out and it’s situated within reaching distance from your torch, make your first undersized base bead and put it in the kiln. Then make your second base bead, quickly pulling your first bead out of the kiln to compare size and shape.

Decorate the second base bead first, put it in the kiln, then pull out your first base bead (quickly use a wet towel to cool off the hot mandrel) and slowly reheat the base bead completely (starting at the back of the flame) and decorate the bead. Again, quickly pull the completed bead out of the kiln to compare finished size and shape. If this isn’t possible because of kiln placement or style, use your sample or polymer clay bead as a gauge to make your beads. Or, instead of trying to make your bead set match perfectly in design, purposely make them different enough, yet still coordinate with each other.

Assembling your utensils Clean the beads thoroughly and use pipe cleaners to remove all moisture from the hole.

Slide the bead onto the utensil’s stem to check the fit. If the stem is too long, cut down only as much as you need to with bolt cutters. (If you need to remove the threading on the stem, rough the stem up with a file to give it some tooth for the epoxy to grip.)

Unscrew all of the pieces of the blank.

On the aluminum foil (folded in half to protect your table surface), squeeze out both parts of the epoxy, about the size of a pea. Use a toothpick to mix both parts together for 10 seconds. You have about 2-3 minutes to work before the epoxy is unusable.

Roll one end of threads of the blank stem in the epoxy and screw it into blank.

10

Using a clean toothpick, pick up a small amount of epoxy on the toothpick tip and insert it all the way into the bead hole to deposit the epoxy inside. Do this several times to get a good amount of epoxy in the hole. Don’t overfill!

Slide your bead onto the stem. You will have to pump it up and down a few times to get some of the air out of the hole. This will help move some of the epoxy up the rod as well. Once the bead stays in place, wipe off any epoxy that oozed out with a lightly wet paper towel or rag.

Lay the utensil on a flat surface, making sure that the bead is facing the direction you want, and making sure that both the bead and the utensil are laying flat. Make sure, too, that the bead is seated firmly against the blank. You may have to hold them together until the epoxy sets up (just a few more minutes).

Note: I include a note with my utensils stating, “Hand wash only.”

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regional tutorial West Central

[ Victorian Roses and Rosebuds ]

By Margie Shanahan Photos by Ron Shanahan

I worked with stained glass for a number of years before discovering lampworked glass beads in 2000.

Floral designs are one of my favorite motifs and one of my favorite flowers is the rose, not only because it is my birth-month flower (June), but because it is a flower that has a history stretching back to ancient time. It symbolizes all kinds of celebrations, can be used to send a message (based on the color of the rose), and actually thrives in my garden without too much fuss.

It became my mission to develop a painterly-type rose that looked more realistic than the spiral-type I learned early on. When I plan an elaborate garden bead, I usually sketch out the placement of the flowers I use. Here’s how I create roses and rosebuds.

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Materials ➧➧

Effetre glass (your choice of color) for the base bead. ➧➧ Stringers for petals and leaves (I prefer cased stringer: for the fuschia pink petal stringer used in this demo, I cased Effetre opaque purple 254 with rubino d’oro 456, then clear over all. The green leaf stringer is opaque sage 211 cased with transparent sage 019.)

1 a

Step 1a To make a quantity of stringer, I create a barrel at the end of the rod about double the size of the rod. I case in a fast downward motion to the rod.

Step 1b

1 b

I use the transparent rod as my punty on one end; the opaque rod is the other punty. I pull my floral stringers 3/32to 1/8-inch in diameter. Rather than cutting the stringer with the flame, I prefer to “shock” the stringer with pliers to get a clean edge.

When I’m experimenting with a new color combination, I wrap a small amount of opaque rod with the transparent, then punty up with the rod and pull.

Step 2 Make your base bead—tab/lentil, barrel, heart, etc.

2 Step 3a All your rose petals will look like fat commas. It is OK if they are not exactly the same size. You will be placing your petals around an imaginary circle on your bead, leaving a small empty space in the center.

Place your first outside rose petal by making a small gather, dropping it and swiping it in a curve.

3 a

39

regional tutorial West Central continued

3 b Step 3b Place your second outside rose petal; the fat parts of the comma stroke (where the initial gather was dropped) should be facing each other; they can touch and/or overlap a bit.

Step 3c Place the third (and fourth, if you desire) outside petals.

3 c

These petals are placed across and opposite the first and second. Again, both sides of the petals can touch and/or overlap a bit.

Leave a small empty space in the center. If you need interior petals, add two or three comma-shaped petals inside the petals already placed.

Leave a small empty space near the center.

Step 4a To create the center of the rose, make a small gather with your cased stringer.

4 a

Drop it in the empty space you left near the center of the rose, follow the gather down with the stringer, poke the center with the stringer and twist about halfway.

Cool the stringer with a quick puff of breath and break it off.

Step 4b If the center is too high, carefully heat it and gently press it down with a tool.

4 b

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5 Step 5 The leaves also look like commas. Place your leaves so they are almost touching the rose petals. Start with the fat part of the comma and bring the end of the comma to a point. Be sure to pat down any leaf points that are too high or off the bead. When I’m creating an elaborate garden bead, I place the leaves last to fill in areas that need a little more color or balance.

6 a

Step 6a Rosebuds use the same type of center and comma-shaped petals. Make the center first, making it the same way as you did the center of the rose—small gather, drop, poke, twist and break off.

Place the first petal on one side of the center, pulling the end of the comma-shape under the center.

Step 6b

6 b

Place the second petal on the other side of the rose, pulling the end of the comma-shape to meet the end of the first petal. Pat with a tool if the glass is too high.

Step 7 Place your leaves (again a comma shape) so they cover the point of the rosebud. The fat part of the comma is placed where the rose petals meet; the point of the leaf faces out.

Step 8 Continue making flowers until the bead is just right.

7

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continued from page 9

may be contacted by children under 12 years of age to less than 90 parts per million as of August 2009 (3).

Stability or resistance to wear of the surface is not in question at this juncture, the mere presence of the metal is the issue. Producing and/or selling items with an exposed lead surface might be interpreted as a violation of the CPSIA. Another probably more immediate issue for glass workers is the presence of heavy metal vapors in the torch plume. Many lampworkers assume that the disappearance of the metallic sheen from reheated reduction surface is due to the glass reabsorbing the metal. The results above have demonstrated that lead can be vaporized from the reduced surface and become a component of the torch plume when working with lead containing glass. Lampworkers using inadequate ventilation in their work area will be exposed to varying levels of toxic metal vapors depending on the glass that they use. These metal vapors in the torch plume can condense out of the atmosphere as they cool and will become components of the dust found in most houses and/or studios. Other compounds such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides (respiratory irritants) present in the torch plume serve to increase the danger to the worker as well as others in the vicinity. The presence of these materials in the atmosphere underlines the importance of appropriate torch plume capture and exhaust from the immediate work area. This also clearly demonstrates why glass work should only be done in dedicated areas, not in the living spaces of a house or other dwelling. Kitchen, food preparation and dining areas should especially be avoided to reduce contact with potentially hazardous materials. Active and effective torch plume capture and exhaust from the work space should be considered a necessity, not an afterthought, when setting up for lampworking.

It is a long standing tradition in the glass world to keep as closely guarded secrets the exact formulas for colored glasses. Through easy access to these materials and technologies by non-specialists, however, this tradition has created a greater hazard for the end users of raw materials as well as consumers of art glass products. One simply cannot depend on the color name or the surface color of a finished glass object to determine the metallic elements that are present. Matters concerning glass composition include safety and health considerations for the artist and consumer as well as possible legal implications

for all dealing with the production and sale of these materials. Anyone working with glass should familiarize themselves with the possible chemical hazards involved and take appropriate steps to ensure safe working conditions for themselves and a safe environment for others around them. Both distributors and consumers need to have accurate information as to glass composition in order to make informed decisions about the use of these products.

All aspects of safety should be studied carefully by anyone considering glass working as a hobby or business.

References 1. MacLeod, C. (1987). “Accident or Design? George Ravencroft’s Patent and the Invention of Lead-Crystal Glass”. Technology and Culture 28 (4): 776–803.

2. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, http:// www.cpsc.gov/cpsia.Pdf 3. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, Section 101. http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/sect101.html 4. X-Ray Microanalysis of Art Glass Surfaces, by R.B. Simmons Microscopy Today, Volume18, Issue 05, Sep 2010, pp 28 - 31 Copyright © 2010 Microscopy Society of America. Reprinted with the permission of Cambridge University Press.“X-Ray Microanalysis of Art Glass Surfaces,” by R.B. Simmons, Microscopy Today, Volume18, Issue 05, Sep 2010, pp 28-31.

Copyright ©2010 Microscopy Society of America. Reprinted with the permission of Cambridge University Press.

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