Glassy Chat

From wearable art to glass sculpture

2012-02-09T13:33:00.000-08:00

After a long school holiday period and manic sales, I can finally take a mirco breath and compile a brief blog entry! My little work space is just wonderful, I'm loving it! The smithing bench is set up too now so you'll see more silver, copper and brass complimenting my pieces this coming year.

Lately, I have been working up lots of ideas for glass sculptures. This is an area that has always interested me as it offers so much scope for implementing the many bizarre and whacky ideas that occupy my daily thoughts.

I started recently with a very functional thought - I love fresh flowers but buying them in summer seems futile since the summer heat always seems to make them wilt very quickly. The solution for me was to compile a floral arrangement using various sculpted glass beads mounted on floral wire. Above is an example of the first design concept - rather fun and whimsical isn't it?

Albeit I do admit this type of sculpture is quite safe, unlike my current project/body of work. A little hint, it is science based, it is controversial & thought provoking and perhaps even a bit shocking! All will be revealed very soon.....

Good things come to those who wait...my new glass playhouse!

2011-11-20T00:38:00.000-08:00

Hey woop woop!

I know I'm kind of totally histerically excited right about now..that's because I finally moved into my new studio! This has been two long years in the making and to be honest, the timing could not have been bettter. I've had a fantastic couple of months in sales thanks to all my wonderful and gracious customers and, I dunno, perhaps I feel kind of deserving... My hard working husband has been a true gem in getting the place painted so much so that not even I was trusted with a paintbrush in hand within the premises of my own pad! Gotta love the results though..

Honestly, it feels great having this space now because it symbolises alot of hard work and dedication to my craft. Even as a child, I always knew I was going to be an artist in some shape or form but my parents soon talked me out of it. Hey, I can understand their skepticism but I truly believe you can achieve anything with passion and hard work. I've got a grand old way to go but it feels like things are coming together bit by bit..

So I'd like to welcome any visitors to my little atelier, have a coffee (Puhoi coffee of course!), try on some wearable glass and perhaps even watch a glass demonstration/have a go at making a bead yourself. Oh and if you get lost and only get as far as the village, the Puhoi Art Gallery also has my work on display.

Well, I'm beat and it's a case of over and out - better make some more beads... or at least, think about the beads I will be making tomorrow.

New studio arriving end of August!

2011-08-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it's August already? The year has been racing away, I guess when you're really busy it goes even faster. Much to my great delight, sales activity has been great and I haven't implemented my marketing and advertising strategy as yet.

That's because I've been waiting for my studio to arrive. I decided to go with a kit set which will be erected on site in a few weeks. The studio will have a large work space as well as a retail/showroom area which will stock glass and precious metal jewelry.

The ultimate plan is to offer a range of craft related classes (facilitated by expert teachers) and one to one tuition, in a gorgeous country setting a short drive from Auckland city.

But first there is the task of fitting out the studio! No mean feat but ever ambitious, I hope to be finished at the end of October, ready for the busy summer tourist trade here in Puhoi.

With all that exciting stuff happening, I'll also be exhibiting in the Rugby World Cup " All Glass" exhibition in September/October.

And not to mention I continue to do my studies - could life get any crazier?

In the meantime, keep the orders coming! Best sellers this month have been earrings & pendants. I'll have more pictures posted next week of new pieces.

Inge :)

Crafty ways to be arty

2011-06-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

I've always believed being creative is good for your brain. During my days as a fully fledged marketing professional, I swear I used to get home with a sore head from all that thinking which of course got me thinking maybe it is good to close the door on analysis paralysis for a bit and go with the creative flow.

This is how creative addictions invariably start, mine happens to be jewellery & glass. I was telling my disbelieving and bewildered 7 year old that I used to think in colors as kid - you know, Monday was white, Tuesday Blue, Wednesday Orange and so on so this is me getting back to my roots in a way.

So I would encourage anyone, especially those with stressful right brain oriented careers to think about ways to be creative, whatever that is for you. Here are some ideas (some which I have observed from friends and family over the years as well as some of my own ideas:

Create a puzzle from a favorite photo. Print the photo out, laminate it and cut it into pieces. This would make a great gift or something for your kids to do at home on a rainy day!
Given the cost of greeting cards, why not make your own? Take some well priced scrapbook paper and fold it over in half. Put a folder piece of plain paper the same size or slightly smaller (white or colored) inside. With both pieces folder over, hole punch the spine and weave the two papers together with a ribbon.
Be creative with your kids. Take an I Spy book and re-create a scene shown in the book. We recently made a space station using all sorts of stainless steel pots, graters, cookie cutters, aluminium foil. It was played with for ages!
Make a light shade from rice paper. When my son was little, I made a light shade using two colors of rice paper. I cut shapes out in the top layer with the other layer showing through. Next step was to stick it together with steel rods on all four sides (I used masking tape). Very cool!
Make a piece of jewellery! Keep an eye out for my new "bead it kits" (to be released in August 2011) which will feature some of my own lampwork beads and other items so you can make something unique and fun.

I'd love to hear some of your ideas too. Feel free to share on my Facebook kleurglass page.

Finally my own studio & showroom!

2011-05-25T22:09:00.000-07:00

There's not much of a nip in the air just yet with the balmy temperatures continuing on and even the torch seems too hot near the hands (a most unusual thing at this time of the year!). I must say though that the flame trees lining the property look unbelievably stunning this year - a reminder that Autumn's grace is upon us, even if the weather isn't co-operating!

Lots of exciting things happening over the next fews months including the much anticipated set up of my own dedicated studio on the property here in Puhoi which can only mean I can finally move out of the garage (the mice have not been good company I can assure you!).
The anticipation of it all has me researching studio set ups of crafts people around the world and boy, some of the studios I've found are nothing short of glorious. If I was ever able to make my studio look like that, I would be inspired for a lifetime! I will post pictures of progress and of course, the finished product.

The other really great thing is that my new website is now live! Check it out there are lots of yummy beads and jewellery for sale.

Well, that's it for now. As always, come see me if you're looking for jewellery that's one-of-a-kind, special and made especially for you. I now have a small showroom open for viewings.

Inge :)

Say it with flowers

2011-04-14T15:13:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we're half way through April already - where is the year disappearing to?

It seems I never get enough time in the studio each week but I bet that is a common gripe amongst us artists! There has been a bit of re-organisation to make way for some new gear, namely a metal working bench, soldering set up and generally, lots of fun power tools! Of course, hubby is not too pleased with me taking over almost the entire garage space so I'll have to bribe him with a few new pairs of cufflinks!

When I do get in the studio, I can't seem to get enough of flowers at the moment. Prior to each season, I research the fashion trends and at the moment, it's all about strong motifs in jewellery. Motifs can be flowers, leaves, owls, skulls whatever the imagination conjures up. Currently, I'm designing a range of rings and cuffs that feature glass flowers.

If you're wondering why I haven't been posting a lot of work lately, it's mostly because it is either selling immediately or out at various stockists. But you know if you need something made up especially, you can drop me an email inge@kleurglass.com. You are also most welcome to visit my studio and showroom for a consultation . One the things I enjoy most is to help you chose the glass colours you love and make bespoke jewellery for you that no-one else has.

On the technology front, my new website is not too far away hopefully. I have lots of new pieces to show you, some of which will incorporate my new found silver smithing skills and flowers of course!

Anyhow, happy Easter to everyone and don't eat too much chocolate!

Inge :)

Wearable Art Glass - THE fashion statement of the future

2011-03-27T03:20:00.000-07:00

Hey I know I'm addicted to working with it but if you own and wear glass jewellery, you know it feels great to wear - it's warm on your skin, reflective, alluring, kind of magical in a way. Is this why it has such a following overseas?

It's interesting though that in New Zealand hardly anyone has heard of "wearable art glass" as a jewellery category. We're all familiar with the usual diamonds & gold we find at the jewellers (and even Pandora, a brand that's been around since the 1970's has only taken off in recent years). And then of course on the polar opposite, inexpensive bling courtesy of "made in China" is everywhere (most of it falling to pieces in due course). But "wearable art glass" - what's that I hear you say?

Some years back, Hoglund Glass made a strong appearance on the radar of Art Glass in New Zealand. We've come to know and love them for their amazing glassblowing but again, their jewellery range is restricted to a small selection of fused glass pieces.

Internationally, wearable art glass is BIG NEWS. The US alone is rife with Art Glass Galleries, as is the UK, Israel, Australia and my country of origin, the Netherlands. And artists who sell their work in these galleries command exceptional prices (prices we would compare with jewellery made from precious stones and metals).

Buyers of wearable art glass are typically looking for something handmade, unique and one-off (as opposed to mass produced). They have an appreciation for the exacting craftmanship that goes into making art glass jewellery. I also believe that in Europe particularly, there's an inherent understanding and appreciation about the history of art glass jewellery and it's esteemed tradition which can be traced back to Murano (Italy).

As an art glass jeweller, it's quite exciting to participate in developing the wearable art glass category in New Zealand. At the same time, it's a tough road to convince New Zealanders how unique and special it is!

So I recommend that you buy a piece of wearable art glass, even if it's a simple pair of earrings. You never know, one day it might be a collector's item!

COLOUR MY WORLD

2011-02-17T16:13:00.000-08:00

As our Indian Summer continues, spare a thought for us "glassies" suffering in the stifling heat of the torch and kiln in the name of art!

It's been an interesting start to the year but certainly not a quiet one! As the creative juices and ideas start to flow once again, so do the resulting pieces. My current obsession is really bright colours and in fact, I've used up my entire stash of red, yellow, purple and turquoise already. One of the things my customers and fellow glass artisans often say to me is that I come up with some happily unusual and striking colour combinations.

As well as continuing to make finished pieces, I'm getting more orders now for my beads interestingly enough, mostly from jewellery designers but also collectors. This is of course, good news as making beads and working with raw materials at the bench is what I love to do.

Which reminds me of the other exciting news and that is I am about to start a professional silver smithing course. This is something I have always wanted to do and I believe it will add a really unique touch to my work being able to make my own silver and gold rings, chains and filigree amongst other things. Lets hope I can fit all these things into my already manic life!

I shall keep you posted and please feel free to email me with custom orders. Always happy to oblige.

new year, new focus

2011-01-17T16:33:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to everyone! With school holidays dragging on, it's hard to sneak away to the studio and play with glass. However, I have managed to get some pieces entered into the "Bead Archeology" exhibition. I chose Blaschka as a focus area and, being a relative newbie to lampworking (1 year part time so far), this was hugely ambitious in hindsight. Glass sculpture could be considered the holy grail of lampworking - so much to think about but particularly controlling the heat and understanding which part of the flame you're working under. In any case, exhibitions are an important part of establishing oneself in the art field and time and experience will no doubt prove to be an asset.

So as to the program for this year. I've been thinking long and hard about this. There are a few glass bead & jewellery makers out there (I won't name names of course!) who seem content copying what everyone else is doing and has done. They may be technically skilled, have sleek looking websites but their work is well, boring! Go on to Etsy and see hundreds of other people doing the same thing. The disconcerting thing too is that the prices being charged by some of these bead and jewellery makers is absurdly cheap. When you consider the cost of sterling silver findings, time spent making the beads and assembling the final piece, these people can't be making any money. Seriously, what is the point? Also, it drags down the glass bead category as a whole which is still gaining momentum in NZ.

Someone told me recently that Lisa Walker is NZ's most highly regarded jewellery designer. I hopped on her website and well, I can see why. Her work is highly original, stimulating and provocative. Surely that is the meaning of being an artist (as opposed to a maker) - looking to do new and exciting things with your medium, challenging the boundaries and thinking all the time about how it can be done differently.

So, my focus this year is all about doing just that. I've started out producing some rings as my customers keep asking me for rings. Most glass rings are either made completely out of glass (and always break from my experience of buying & wearing them) or are made from fused glass. Fused glass can be great but there are real limitations to what effects you can create given the size of glass you are working with so they tend to be a bit singular dimensional. So, I've developed an innovative way of making ring cabachons on the torch and attaching them to a ring setting. I have attached a few pictures so you can see the first samples. I like the organic shapes of these rings (chelsea bun and purple doughnut respectively as they are called). Anyway, more will be forthcoming after school holidays so stay tuned!

Cheerio
Inge

Mad mad lead up to Christmas 2010!

2010-12-10T14:33:00.000-08:00

This is by far, my busiest year as a glass artist with Christmas orders coming in thick and fast. Its not a bad problem to have but given all my pieces are completely handmade by me, it is a very time consuming process. This is where, as a jewellery designer, many people compromise attention to detail and overall quality, just to churn out as much product as possible.

This is something I feel strongly about - making sure no pieces leave my care without ensuring that the best possible result is achieved. Invariably that means that I cannot carry the stock volume that you would find in shops. But I always tell my customers, isn't it great that you are wearing something completely unique that will last for many years.

So, the long and short of it is yes, this week is my last week for all custom Christmas orders so that there is sufficient time to get everything done to a high standard. I still have a few items in stock but if you can't decide what to get, there's always the option of a gift voucher. When the rush of Christmas is over, the recipient can come in and chose the glass colours & style of jewellery they like so you are guaranteed to get it right - it's the perfect gift!

Merry Christmas to everyone :)

Inge

Glass Glass and more Glass!

2010-11-21T18:28:00.000-08:00

Finally I can raise my head from the torch and other commitments to get my blog underway. My new website will go live soon (don't ask why its taken so long) and the kleurglass Etsy shop is up and running yipee! For those of you who don't know Etsy, it's a global marketplace for all things handmade. Check it out - some amazing stuff for sale!

Its been such a frantic year, its hard to believe it is almost Christmas already. I'm busy filling orders and having people come to the showroom (located in Puhoi, North of Auckland) to select Christmas gifts.

I've been working hard this year on perfecting techniques, particularly colour layering (being true to my brand "kleurglass" dutch translation "colourglass"). Thank you Sarah Hornik for your wonderful E-Books which have been a superb inspiration.

The other key focus has been on defining my own unique and recognisable style in my beads and jewellery. I always used to think the term "finding your voice as an artist" was a bit, well, arty farty but hey, if you don't do your own thing, no-one will notice you! As a marketer, I used to tell my clients about the importance of having a unique selling proposition.

Last but not least, I've had a bit of fun with fusing lately, with the view of making glass homewares & assorted objects d'art. Despite a rather deep cut on my arm, I think I have tricky task of cutting plate glass down to a fine art (well, there's always the post production grinder option haha!). So, keep an eye out for my new "glassy art" range to be launched very soon!

Anyhow, if I don't post again before Christmas have a wonderful, relaxing break. Remember, my showroom will be open right up to Christmas Eve (24th) till 6pm for all you last minute shoppers! Drop me an email if you'd like to drop by inge@kleurglass.com.

Love to all xo
Inge