AOTM July 2009 - Lorna Prime

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Lorna Prime - pixiewillow

My first introduction to lampwork was way back in 2003 when I started making jewellery as a form of therapy provided by my local parent contact worker.  I was at that point caring for 3 different family members fulltime so needed some me time!
I started making just simple beads on leather thong but soon found the bead section on ebay and the rest is history lol!!
Like most people I started buying the cheap indian and chinese lampwork but then soon discovered the US handmade lampwork and I was totally gobsmacked.
At that point I thought I would never be able to do that so began making faux lampworking using polymer clay.





It wasn't until August 2005 after 2 years of drooling over hand made lampwork that me and Les took a trip to Living Light Glass in Lichfield where I bought my little hothead starter kit.
I took it straight home set it up in the old outhouse and looked at it.  I then looked at it and looked some more!!
I finally took the plunge and fired her up and these are what I made.....



I don't actually call them beads just lumps of glass with holes in!
And thats where it all began.  I spent every spare minute in my little out house practising every chance I could.

I was fortunate enough to take a  class with Dora Schubert in 2007, 2 years after I started lampworking so you could say I am pretty much self taught.

I think my favourite artists have to be Dora Schubert (obviously lol), Hiroko Hayashi-Kogure and Dustin Tabor.

Inspiration is a funny thing.  Sometimes I am inspired by other people's work.  Sometimes it is just the colours of the rods themselves in the rack in my studio.
Of late though I am drawing great inspiration from Russian and Scandinavian folkart patterns, which I feel have become a signature style for me.





The technique that I would most like to learn that still drives me bonkers now is the taming of silver glass and raku!

These are my favourite beads...



I love them because the came from a mojo vacation but opened a whole new style of bead for me.
I hadn't got a clue what to make so took inspiration from the greeting card that is behind the beads in the photo.


I think my beads express a side of me that I struggle to let out.  I can be quite a shy and solitary person but wish I could be more chatty and outgoing but find it very difficult.  I express myself through colour and the bold patterns that I adorn my beads with.


My brain is constantly buzzing with ideas but I am working flat out on custom work....which I absolutely love!!

The vast majority of my work can be found on my etsy www.pixiewillow.etsy.com