AOTM May 2008 - Annelyse Taylor

[Sarah]

Annelyse Taylor

I was surfing the internet and I came across Laura Sparling's website by chance. I had never heard of lampwork beads before but I found them beautiful and liked the idea of melting glass as a hobby.



I made my first bead (blob of glass) during summer 2005, in one of the granite sheds in my garden (Aberdeen, Scotland).
I started on a Hot Head but I upgraded to a Nortel Minor and oxy-con mainly because of the cost of the canisters of Mapp gas.
I cannot believe now that I was worried to light the torch at first.



I was hooked as soon as I slapped the glass on and turned it into a little volcano for the first time. My fear of the torch disappeared immediately.




I took a class with Diana East in March 2006 and another one with Kimberley Affleck in June 2007.
I loved both classes and learned a lot.



I would like to take more classes but it is difficult to leave for days with a young family.
I wish I could go to bead classes without having to fly to far away countries like Germany or England.  
We need a well equipped teaching studio in Scotland.

 


I admire most the bead makers I have taken classes with.
Diana East is amazing for her creativity and glass treatment ideas. Her beads are very unique and beautiful.



Kimberley Affleck's organic long bicones are beautiful (and have to be seen in the flesh to be appreciated) and her seahorse beads are incredible.



I also admire all beadmakers who have managed to develop a style which is instantly recognizable as their own like for example Mindy MacGregor, Lesley McFarland...and many more.





I experiment a lot, look at the results and try to build on them, so very often my nicest beads come out of pot luck!
Playing with glass and the unexpected results I sometimes obtain are my main motivation and the main reason I find lampworking so addictive.




I don't think I really have a signature bead, my bead style tends to be organic but I would love to develop a more figurative, structured style.


This bead -  'Jour de vent' - is probably the bead I'm most proud of.  It was quite a different style for me to do and therefore quite challenging and I was very pleased with it when I opened the kiln.




I am a dreamy person and I loose myself in the depth of the glass when I am at the torch and that is probably why I end up making beads such as my cosmos beads or why I make organic beads.



Recently I have found a really lovely combination of glass (Top secret) and I am working on improving the design of the bead.




You can see more of my work on my website and on and I have an etsy shop




I will be at the next Scottish Bead Fair in Perth, on 31 August.
http://www.scottishbeadfair.com/