Photos from the Ottawa Glass Bead Artists 2009 Show

The excitement and buzz has died down and now it’s time to reflect on this years show.  It seems like everyone agrees that the Hellenic Centre was a great venue for us, and that we’ll be back there again next year!  Plans for the OGBA 2010 show are already underway!

This year we had more Artists and more technical vendors than last year.  You would almost expect that with 25 glass bead Artists in one room that there would be some overlap with styles and designs, but each and every table was different.  There were beads that included tiny complicated murrini – creating paperweight effects, beautiful florals, fused glass and dichroic items, edgy modern styles, wonderfully sculpted beads, bright, happy colours, beads that looked they had been pulled from the ocean — too many to mention, but most certainly a feast for the eyes and soul!

Our technical vendors brought another dimension to the show with jewellery supplies, kits, glass, tools and books – truly something for everyone.

Here are  a few pictures from the show – we hope you enjoy them.

Grace Edwards

Susan Hood

Lunacy Glass

Reid’s Beads

Maureen Henderson

Louise Ingram

Studio F

Debra Tomkins

Lois Ireland

Carole Tilman

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Ottawa Glass Bead Artists on Rogers Community TV

Grace Edwards (Beads By Chance & the Lauscha Lady) was invited to participate on a segment earlier today talking to the Daytime Ottawa TV hosts about our show this weekend, lampworking, and artisan glass beads and jewellery.

The segment was posted online for future viewing.  Click the picture above to see…

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ShebaMakeda Glass Art – Ottawa Glass Bead Artists Show 2009

Artist Name

Evelyn Duberry – ShebaMakeda Glass Art

Website

http://www.ShebaMakeda.com

Tell us something about yourself/bio/other interests?

I’m a part-time glass beadmaker who since discovering this molten glass obsession has given up all other hobbies including my former shoe addiction (ok, maybe not entirely gave that up –  just severely cut back).   I’ve always loved glass beads and now being able to make my own is like a dream come true!  I currently live in Ottawa, have a somewhat off-beat sense of humour and try to enjoy life here despite the crazy, sub-zero winters.

How long have you been making glass beads (or beading, or designing jewellery)?

I’ve been designing jewellery for decades (wire-wrapping, polymer clay, stained glass, etc.), however, i’ve only been making glass beads since 2006.  As my beadmaking skills progress, i’m slowly moving back to making jewellery again – this time with my own beads.

What inspires you?

Imperfection, the abstract and age… I love abstract modern art, outsider art and the ancient art from many different cultures.  You’ll see those influences constantly through my work.  I quite deliberately don’t strive for perfection in my beads – i like to let the glass flow and mix and play with the flame chemistry to see what will develop.  I try to stretch the traditional definition of what is  a glass bead each time i sit in front of my torch.

Tell us about your best beadmaking/jewellery moment…

Every time i open the kiln – it’s like opening a present after each torch session.  Because i can’t tell if the bead or design is a success when it’s hot, i usually wake up in the morning and run straight to the kiln to see what i’ve made.   When most everything in there is a success it’s just the best feeling…

Tell us about your worst beadmaking/jewellery moment…

In my first few months of beadmaking  i seriously burned my fingertip making a bead.  The memory of the smell of my own burning flesh combined with the taste (i was dumb enough to pop that burnt finger straight into my mouth) has ensured i’m much, much more careful since then.  And eventually my fingerprint even grew back!

What will you be bringing to the 2009 OGBA Show?

I’ll have my usual selection of sculpted goddess beads, pendants and new fall bead styles for the Pandora & Troll  bracelet ladies.  I’ve been on a heart kick lately so i’ll have some of those as well.  New this year:  I’ll also have some finished jewellery.

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Rick Foss – Ottawa Glass Bead Artists Show 2009

Artist Name : Rick Foss

Website : ricksilver.ca

Tell us something about yourself/bio/other interests?
I like to
skate, create…

How long have you been making glass beads (or beading, or designing jewellery)?
I have been making jewellery for thirty years. Fifty years ago my father showed me how to melt glass in the family hibachi.  I started melting glass again a few years ago to add my own decorations to my silver jewellery creations.

What inspires you?
My relation to the universe.

Tell us about your best beadmaking/jewellery moment…
Gazing at my first cabochons coming out of the kiln.
Tell us about your worst beadmaking/jewellery moment…
Late night packing before any show.

What will you be bringing to the 2009 OGBA Show?
My glass cabs and beads set in silver and not.  Other silver and commercial bead creations.  Perhaps some glass sculpture.

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Lily Sanchez – Ottawa Glass Bead Artists Show 2009

Artist Name
Lily Sanchez

Website      www.latinbeadsjewelry.com (only after November 9, 2009)

Tell us something about yourself/bio/other interests?
Since my childhood in South America I have been painting in oils, acrylics, pastels, when I learned about glass beads, I became addicted to this fun way of playing with glass.

How long have you been making glass beads (or beading, or designing jewellery)?
I started in 2003 in Calgary in Alberta College of Art.

What inspires you?
Everything that surrounds me, the wonderful colours of nature mostly.

Tell us about your best beadmaking/jewellery moment…
when I settled my studio at home and made the first bead, yeah!!!!

Tell us about your worst beadmaking/jewellery moment…
after I finish a piece of jewelry and the combination of colors is terrible!!!

What will you be bringing to the 2009 OGBA Show?
All my new creations, after experimenting with some new forms.

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Erin Maloney – Ottawa Glass Bead Artist Show 2009

Artist Name
Erin Maloney a.k.a AirWynn Glass Designs

Website
www.airwynnglass.com

Tell us something about yourself/bio/other interests?
I’ve always been an artist.  I’ve dabbled in lots of different mediums as most artists do.  When I’m not making beads; I enjoy interior design, graphic design, cooking and baking, camping, swimming and enjoying a nice dinner/night out with my loving fiance (we’ve been together for nearly 10 years now).   We’ve just purchased our first home and are looking forward to moving in March 2010 and planning our wedding!  I am an animal-lover.  I take pride in being “green” and doing what I can to help our environment.  I am also a graphic designer, with a small home-based business on the side.  I prefer diet Pepsi to diet Coke.  I love sushi, Chinese food, and Italian food!  If you want to know more about me, stop by my booth and introduce yourself!  🙂

How long have you been making glass beads (or beading, or designing jewellery)?
I’ve been making lampwork beads for 6 years.

What inspires you?
I take inspiration from a lot of different things I see in everyday life.  It could be something in nature that forms my inspiration for my more organic-styled beads or a circus clown’s costume for my bold and colourful style.  I tend to teeter-totter from one style to the other… whatever strikes my mood at the time.

Tell us about your best beadmaking/jewellery moment…
I have a “best” beadmaking moment every single time I challenge myself to a new design or a new shape that I have visualized in my mind.  After numerous attempts and then being completely 100% satisfied with the outcome, confident I can make anything I want… that gives me my “best” moment feeling!

Tell us about your worst beadmaking/jewellery moment…
I was making a sculptural rose where all of the petals and leaves needed to be made ahead of time and kept warm.  While re-introducing one of the petals back into the flame before attaching it to the stem, my pliers lost grip of the nearly-molten glass and the petal fell onto my lap.  It instantly burned right through my pants and left a hefty burn on my skin too! Needless to say it took me a while to attempt a sculptural flower again!

What will you be bringing to the 2009 OGBA Show?
At my booth you will find a large assortment of handmade glass beads, some of which will utilize subtle neutral colours and textures and others that will knock your socks off with vivid colours!  You may also have heard me referred to as “The Bone Lady” (a nick-name I can’t decide if I like or not! haha) because I am known for creating realistic-looking bone beads for the dog lover, Halloween lover, or the historian!  I will have ready-to-wear handmade glass pendants I like to call “Fairy Pods”.  Lastly, I also sell “Add-A-Bead Pendants” that are a great interchangeable pendant that allows you to slip a bead on to match whatever you’re wearing that day!
Hope you all will come and check out my booth!

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