I've been Interviewed by Cyndi Lavin

Quick note from Snow Farm where my week-long class is coming to an end unfortunately...
Wonderful people and a beautiful landscape day and night, up and down.

In the meantime, Cyndi Lavin has interviewed me and here's where you could read more
http://www.blisstree.com/jewelryandbeading/
Here's an excerpt:

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Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
Glass and metal, fire and oxygen, good health and brain matter

What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
Process. Process. Process.

Work gets frustrating more often than I care to admit. Unfortunately, it happens when I have deadlines. Before, I would push to try to complete the task at hand. Now I often go back to basics and allow myself to be a beginner so that I can get back in touch with the material and the process.

Playing at the torch sometimes results in what I call carbohydrates; These are pieces that are so big that the wearer is guaranteed to stay on the ground on a very very windy day. I will keep working on a piece till I absolutely have to stop because I need to use the restroom and can’t hold it anymore

A source of relief for me is designing and making jewelry. I spend as much time designing with wire as I do with glass. Most of the connections have to be cold so I devote much time engineering and creating them. This process can be quite entertaining, especially when I succeed.

I like taking breaks and looking through books and magazines.

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Let me know what you think.
Cheers :)

Busy September

I'm sitting on my butt and NOT twirling a mandrel in my hand for a change.

September has and will be very busy for me as I prepare for two SOWAs

• this Sunday, September 13; it's not going to rain - wheheeeee!!!
• and next week-end for both days September 19 & 20. It's the South End Open Studios week-end and I can't wait to be there.

On September 20th, after the show I will get in my car and head to Snow Farm - I'm teaching a week-long workshop. I can't wait to meet new students and some returning ones whose sense of humor I appreciate very much.

The next day my workshop is over Sam and Tony - good and lucky friends of ours :) - are getting married and I know it's going to be a great party and wonderful energy. Many many years filled with health and spiritual wealth and a house of stone.

Whew! Now I have to do all this :)

Cheers.

Artist Statements that I enjoyed reading and more

I've been surfing internet this morning for a few reasons:
1. I like to renew items in my etsy shop in the early hours of the day.
2. It is a nice way to wake up when I find something curious to read and see.

Here's what I found:

• Pam's Corwin blog which I found very informative, easy to read and quite entertaining. http://businessofcrafts.blogspot.com/

and

• an artist statement written by Mark Rosenbaum, an artist glassblower. http://rosetreeglass.com/artist.html

I enjoyed every image and emotion that this statement evoked in me and remembered the time when I was an artist-in-residence at Worcester Center for Crafts. We all had to write our artist statements for our graduating exhibit. I wanted to tell a story and a story within a story because that's what working with glass and getting to glass has meant for me. To see my statement click below.

• http://lilianabead.com/statement.htm

If you're looking to write your own artist statement, there are a lot of resources out there on how to write one: google "arist statement". As far as examples of artist statements, there are thousands and thousands out there. The ones that appeal to me are grounded in journeys through process and thought.

• Read Julian's Voss-Andreaehttp statement to experience a wonderful journey: http//www.julianvossandreae.com/Work/Statement/Statement.html
• See this video of the "Magic Wave" which is an artist statement in action http://www.reubenmargolin.com/waves/magic_video.htm

Be inspired by poised statements about connections of art and life, art and science. Make them your own and start your journey. Have a wonderful day!

Peace on Earth and in Poland - September 1939

I'm working in the studio right now and can't help it but feel thankful for peace...

Today is September 1st. In 1939 on September 1st Nazi Germany invaded Poland and September 17 was the day when the Soviet Union invaded Eastern Poland. Imagine that day and every day thereafter till 1945 when WWII ended.

I'm thankful today for the little peace that some of us do enjoy nowadays and I hope that every human being will get to experience peace from beginning to end of their lives in the 21st century.

Peace to all.