Beetles on Rocks
This body of work builds on my Beetle series, reflecting the influence on my work from a sculptural furnace-working class with artist Karen Willenbrink. Karen’s techniques for creating rich texture and color on her large furnace worked pieces inspired me to adapt the applications for use in the flame. To create the rocky base of each bead, I layer and mix enamels and frits, and carve into the bead to give each piece a unique, un-glassy form. Then the base for the sculptural beetles is added in the flame and the piece annealed and cooled. I paint layers of vitreous enamel on the surface to give each beetle color and detail. Then, each piece is returned to the flame to “melt” the enamels onto the sculpted base. Beetles on Rockas available as:
Focal Beads, $125 and up
Rock Sets, $40 and up
Pairs well with:
Solid Accent Beads, $5 for a set of 6
Enamel Accents, $15 for a set of 6
Enamel Gradient Sets, $25 for a set of 10
