Monday, December 15, 2008

Some of my Beads Amaze Me!


When I work on the torch making a bead, I often have a specific idea in mind of what I would like to accomplish. Sometimes it's the use of specific colors for reactions. Most often, it's a technique I would like to practice. The beads that I have showcased here were beads that amazed me when they came out of the kiln. The final product was not what I had intended and had not been planned. I didn't see the result on one bead until I attempted to photograph it and held it in the light.



When I looked at this bead, I immediately saw a Christmas or pine tree. I had used a special glass called filigrana to see if I could achieve a different effect. The result was not what I expected. Can you see the tree?


I've shown this bead before. I used a combination of shards (thin pieces of hand blown glass that are broken into pieces) and fine silver wire. I melted in the shards to the molten glass that was already on the mandrel, then I added the wire which melted into droplets of silver. I pressed the bead, and put the bead in the kiln. I knew that both sides of the beads would be different after soaking. I didn't know how different they would be. What do you see on the second bead? I see a lady in the stars with the lights of sunset behind her.






This bead is the bead that amazed me only after I tried to photograph it with the light behind it. What do you see? I see a side portrait of a man in the transparent blue.









The last bead is one I have named Tornado. I added different glass colors to this bead, including silvered ivory stringer (SIS). I just wanted to rake the layers to mix the colors. When this bead came out of the kiln, I saw it! Tornado!











Let me know. Do you see what I see or do you see other things? I'd really like to hear your ideas!

3 comments:

angelinabeadalina said...

Oh, Tornado is a gorgeous blend of colors, Mallory! I could see the man, the Christmas tree, and the woman (geisha) in the shard bead. Cool stuff when you take glass out of the kiln and get a bonus like that, isn't it?

rosebud101 said...

Ang, I hadn't thought that the woman hidden in the bead is a geisha. You are so right! Yes, it's great to get that bonus! I am so amazed. The man in the bead is the most amazing one to me. I didn't see him until I held the bead up to the light to photograph him. Yikes! I was shocked because he looks so life like!

Cindy Gimbrone said...

I love all of them but love tornado best :-) I see a set of wings - gorgeous!

Thanks for sharing those amazing beads!

Cindy