11.01.2026 - Almost 30 years ago I happened upon the art of Lampworking: making glass beads with an oxygen/propane torch, and then using a kiln for annealing them.

During that time(1998), there weren’t many glass bead artists, the internet and social media was nothing like it is today… so, with relatively no outside influence I learned the craft in isolation and easily found my own voice. The style of my beads was different enough, and few people chose to work predominantly in the clear glass colors.

…and the reason behind the transparent glass was my father, of Glassdaddy, a .com importing a German glass from Lauscha - which wasn’t as fussy as the Italian soft glass. It didn’t boil or drip, and for my purpose was a pure joy to work.

I reveled in how beautiful the colors were and how light awakened them. It became evident that the glass must “allow” the light to pass through.

When beads were not thin, I used a process I called “veiling”, using a clear core and the darker transparent as a surface layer - which still allowed the light to pass through. It became, often with textured surfaces, a dance of light and shadow.

When learning something new, you see what others have done and mimic it to learn the technique…but then it’s always important to find your own voice and make your work truly yours.

This post was about my time with glass, but now that I’m working with clay. I’m seeing a parallel in my love of texture on simple forms…

I’m in that same process of how to make my work distinctive, and truly mine… hmmm

Smiles,

Jill