Mix Color November Artist B Josephy
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Set contents: 3 glass rods each, approx. 30cm, in the following colors:
Effetre:
G00.591273m Violetta pastel
G00591204 white
G00.591026 transp. Petrol
CIM 511661 Evel Queen
CIM 511655 Eggplant
CIM 511558 Troi
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Interview with: Barbara Josephy
How long have you been making glass beads and how did you get started?
For nearly two years now, I have been dedicating a portion of my free time to lampworking in the Neus-Shop workshop. How I got into it: I have been fascinated by fire and flames since I was little. A few years ago, I stumbled upon the first season of "Blown Away" on Netflix, a glass sculpture competition in which ten artists compete against one another. From the very first moment, I was "blown away." In my next life, perhaps I will be a glass artist in a massive glass studio with giant furnaces... – or a grill master. In my current life, sculpting glass is beyond my capabilities, not least because of the physical demands it entails. However, creating much smaller-dimensioned glass beads is also extremely fascinating to me.
What did you find most difficult to learn?
In my opinion, everything about lampworking is difficult to learn, just like any other activity you want to perform at a certain level. What I am already quite satisfied with is the shape of my base beads before the bead is decorated. Everything else remains challenging for me time and again, starting with placing dots—that is, placing them where I want them to be and not where they want to go. For bead making, I need regular practice, numerous repetitions, and also constant reflection on what went well and why, and what could be changed and optimized for the next bead. Perhaps the hardest thing for me is ensuring the bead turns out exactly as I had imagined it beforehand.
Who is your role model?
I particularly enjoy watching the YouTube videos by Robin from Scottwood Research. For me, Robin radiates incredible creativity and a willingness to experiment when working with glass rods. Through her videos, Robin repeatedly opens up new dimensions for me regarding what kind of beads can be created from glass rods and, above all, the methods for doing so. Moreover, Robin always manages to convey two thoughts that are important to me: "Just have fun" and "Everything doesn't always have to be perfect."
Where do you get your inspiration?
A source of inspiration for me is always Robin’s beads, because in her videos you can easily follow and understand how they are created, and then you can easily recreate them yourself. The bracelet and earrings with the dark violet beads and the transparent turquoise triple drops on a white background are based in a slightly modified form on one of Robin’s glass beads. I would describe the jewelry with the green-and-white beads as an original creation; I haven't seen them like that anywhere online or in a book.
What are your goals?
Over time, I would very much like to find my own "handwriting" – the "Barbara Style."
What are you taking away from this challenge? What did you enjoy about it?
In glass bead making, there are so many different glass colors, glass properties, bead shapes, bead sizes, manufacturing techniques, etc. There are really no limits to one's own creativity. This sometimes leads to me not knowing where I would most like to start.
That is why I enjoyed the challenge—it allowed me to focus exclusively on the specified colors over a longer period of time. I found this "staying power" very enriching for my creative work. At first, I tried various things before selecting two or three bead subjects and then making several beads of each. What was new for me was that, while making the two or three bead subjects I favored, I was already able to develop a fairly clear idea of the bracelets and earrings in my head that would ultimately be created from these beads.
