Dancing Moon Shadows
Art Glass Creations by Andréa Simeral-Boyer
My newest passion in art, is a very old art form called, 'lampworking'.
No, I do not make lamps. (I hear that question a lot!)
The 'lamp' is a very hot, 1600 degree farenheit torch, and colored glass rods, enamel, frit (crushed glass), and sometimes even the addition of dichroic glass, silver foil, gold foil and silver wire. I wind the molten glass onto a 1/16" or 3/32" dia stainless steel mandrel, rotating the mandrel in and out of the flame. I shape the core of the bead, add decoration in many stages and layers, and then I either finish it with final shaping, or encase the creation in clear glass which magnifies the subject underneath. (Think about a paper weight!)
After creating the beads, which can take up to 2 hrs for a single, one of a kind art piece, each must be annealed in a kiln for strength and durability. Annealing lessens the chance of the bead breaking from the internal stress created during the creation of the bead due to the continuous heating and cooling required. Basically, annealing aligns the glass molecules in a more stable fashion.
Yes, my beads are for sale. You can find my current stock on Etsy. Click on any of the thumbnails below.
#S198