Mix Color April Artist: Karin Spohn
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Set contents: 3 glass rods each, approx. 30cm, in the following colors:
Effetre:
G00.591064 Black
G00.591264 Light Ivory
G00.591027M Dark Petrol
G00.591012 Topaz
G00.591452 Dark Brown
G00.l3203ORB Reichenbach Pastel Blue
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Interview with Karin Spohn:
How long have you been making glass beads and how did you get started?
I have been infected with the "glass virus" since 2013. While looking for creative professional development, I came across the "Glass Bead Making" course in the Migros Club School program. A Saturday course with a very unmotivated instructor sparked my interest. The questions from us course participants were always answered with the standard response: "Oh, that's difficult, you'll have to look that up on the internet." Which is exactly what I did, of course, and soon I had set up my first workshop in our garage with a single-gas torch and a bit of glass.
During my training as an optician, I was already in contact with glass as a material during my apprenticeship. Back then, the training was still very hands-on, and we had to spend hours grinding glass on a ceramic whetstone into the shape of the selected spectacle frames, adding facets, drilling glass, etc. In the shop, we had a display case with glittering Swarovski figures which I always found kitschy, but the precision with which the fragile glass can be shaped fascinated me. So glass has always been a theme for me since my apprenticeship and also in my subsequent studies.
What did you find most difficult to learn?
Of course, at the beginning of bead making, heat control was always a topic.
Who is your role model?
I don't have a role model in the classic sense. I admire all glass artists who develop their own style. Privately, I really like the design and style of the Bauhaus period, and therefore I like graphic and clear shapes. I find what J.C. Herrell conjures up with stringers simply admirable.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I love nature and find many ideas there.
What are your goals?
My goals are to have more time for creative work. Besides my full-time job, my position on the board of the "Mutperlen" (Brave Beads), and two other social commitments, I don't have much room for creativity. I would like to implement many ideas, but simply don't have the time for it. Therefore, my goal is to finally implement the ideas I have. I work in St. Gallen, and St. Gallen is known for its textile industry. I have wanted to combine traditional lace with glass for a long time.
What do you take away from this challenge? What did you enjoy about it?
The colors of the challenge were not at all "my thing," and I had to step way out of my comfort zone. I would never have chosen this color combination voluntarily. Murrini are also not my specialty – when I go to the torch, something needs to happen quickly; an hour of preparations like pulling murrini is a challenge for me – and I therefore decided to create something with murrini from these colors.
