I began my flameworking journey in early 2000 after several years of stained glass and fusing. When I took my first beadmaking class, I really only intended to learn to use the torch to create components to incorporate into my stained glass and fused projects. However, once I got started, I was completely hooked. As many will tell you, melting glass with a torch becomes something of an obsession. How can something be so completely satisfying, meditative, frustrating, and exciting, all at once?!
My passion is for organic beads. I love using reactive glass and lots of metals. I enjoy not really knowing what will come out of the kiln in the morning. Sometimes I swear I couldn’t possibly have made the incredibly ugly beads it holds, and other times I’m amazed that I was able to get it right and out comes a wonderful surprise. Often there is just one small section of an otherwise mediocre bead that I need to explore and expand on. I can’t imagine ever getting to a point in my beadmaking that I can’t find something more to experiment with.
And my favorite color of glass? Clear! Lots of it! I love the depth and dimension large amounts of clear glass will add, and creating little windows into the heart of a bead.
I live very close to Arrow Springs and I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to take classes from Kim Osibin, Michael Barley, Andrea Guarino, Jim Smircich, Alethia Donathan and Sharon Peters…and there’s still so much to learn! On my schedule for later this year are classes with Jennifer Geldard and Loren Stump, and another with Michael Barley (I was sooooo new when I took my first one with him). Hopefully, many more classes will follow in the years to come. There is so much to learn from so many talented people, and I’m looking forward to finding out what is ahead of me.
I hope you enjoy my work as much as I enjoy creating it. Thanks for stopping by!
Toni
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Here's a picture of my studio. It's seldom this neat! The Frit Carousel on the right was made by my dad in an attempt to control the jars. It's now full, and I'm ready for a second one. |
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