AOTM August 2007 - Vika Safronova

[Isabelle]

The featured artist for August is:

In December of 2004  I started to make jewellery.
On many occasions I could not realize my idea because it was very difficult to find proper beads for that. In the autumn of  2005,  I discovered polymer clay and great ability to make proper beads myself! I just can't remember if I thought about glass at that moment, may be I just couldn't think big about glass bead making, because it seemed a very big secret, and that it is just impossible to find the key to the mystery of glass bead making. Searching for more information about polymer clay beads, I found Emma Ralph's site. That was a great discovery, because I found that in the world there is an occupation like bead maker, and get one step nearer to glass bead making , because I found one person (Emma) who makes beads using different materials: glass, ceramic, polymer clay. That gave me one great idea to try myself to make glass beads and I bought Cindy Jenkins book and read a few times and understood that I must try, otherwise I will not rest. I got a few glass rods from Laura and bought a simple torch and made my first beads on 25th March of 2006! I was very happy because I understood that I can make glass beads too.

I remember when I start to make jewelry, the first glass bead maker site I found on the internet was the site of Kandice Seeber, and I was so fascinated with her works. It seemed there was nothing more beautiful in all the world, and I really thought that Kandice is the sorceress if she can make such beads, and of course she is, because her beads are wonderful! Before I decided to make beads I found the site of Teresa Laliberte, and was fascinated with her wonderful beads. I remember that I thought how beautiful is that, and that is a great skill to make art on a few square centimeters and this art is wearable. I guess already at that time I got some thought, that I would like to try and make some beads, but it seemed unreal and impossible.

The more information I found about glass beads the more  my interest increased, and with it the wish to try and make a few beads! Don't know if I would have started to make glass beads if someone in my area did it already. I just needed these fantastic and wonderful beads, but nobody did these here in Latvia. There was no other way but to try it myself.

To this date, I have never taken a class, because there was not the possibility in my area. All I can make, I learned from books and great advice from my colleagues on bead making forums. Thank you my dear friends!
After I saw pictures by Ray about a class with Lucio Bubacco last summer I just fell in love with this great artist and dreamed to see him at least once in my life! But it seemed again very unreal and impossible. But now I can share with you that I plane to take a two days master class with this great person this autumn in October! I'm so excited about this. He will give his master class in Hamburg, so I will go to Hamburg to see him!

I love beads by Anastasia for her unique design and complicated style! Actually I love beads which are recognizable, When I feel some unique energy from the artist. I love Japanese bead makers, because their beads are very complex, unique and vivid! I think that many of this forum's members are great artists with their style and feeling.

I don't have yet kind of my own bead style, always come new ideas and things I wish to realize. Not long ago I tried to make historical beads by pictures from an archaeological book. I was so inspired and fascinated by the result, that I can't stop thinking about these beads and wish to make more and more. May be this will stay my signature bead. But time will show.

All my beads I sell on my website ( HYPERLINK "http://www.froggybead.lv" www.froggybead.lv), I work with local beady shops and sell there some of my beads!

One day I decided to be a full time bead maker, I left my stable job as sales manager in an international shipping company. I already have a nice home studio, it was finished  this spring. I'm very happy with my new occupation, I love this job, I love glass, and I love my beads.
I'm only 16 month in bead making and have to learn many things and wish to try so many new styles, forms and designs in beads that sometimes I think that I will not get finished during all my life. But I'd like to develop my skills working with glass, because it is wonderful stuff and I love it so much. I'd like to try and make glass sculptures and other art objects. Who knows may be I will do this in the future!