|
angelinabeadalina's Gallery
|
|
Fluidity. I love the flow of glass! It is 5 o'stillalmostdark thirty here, and I can't get back to sleep because I'm thinking about what to sculpt today when I torch...which will be at another 3 hours from now! Guess I ought to try to go back to sleep for another hour, whaddya think? Sweet dreams, happy Friday, and Peace, Ang
This page has been viewed 26268 times
by 16475 visitors.
(Not including visits today. Stats updated nightly.)
|
In a moment of silent contemplation, she stands before you.
I torched, annealed, cleaned, and put together this glass sculpture in my southern Illinois studio, but I'll be darn if I can tell you what she'd contemplating. Aren't we all that way sometimes, though? Silently contemplating life. . .could be good, could be bad, could be happy, could be sad. We stand with our heads bowed, thinking "where do I go from here?" It never seems to be a waste of time, either, does it? That's why I like this one-- she seems to know some secrets that I could discover, too, if I only stood still long enough to contemplate them.
(6 images)
|
Anticipation. . .
Do you remember it? Those last few days when the waiting occupies all your mind? Those last few days when a peaceful acceptance of all things about to change descends upon your world?
Give this elegant memento of those days to a mother-to-be for a shower gift, or give it to your own mom with along with a "thank you for carrying me then and now" letter.
(6 images)
|
If Mother Nature wants you to turn that cool piece of branch upside down, then maybe you ought to do it. . . Turns out, she was right about this piece of branch. I thought it looked good the other way, but when I turned it "upside down" I discovered that it sets firmly on the cut off pieces. In fact, I kinda like the way Mother Nature balances herself atop her fallen log, leaning back just a tad, as if she were walking across a tree that had fallen across a creek. If you've ever done that yourself, you know the feeling of confidence that will take you to the other side of the creek with nary a drop of water touching your dry feet. It isn't until you've experienced the wobble that did end with you in the creek that you realize the zen-like feeling of the successful tread!
(5 images)
|
She hovers lightly next to the branch, beckoning you to come closer and talk to her.
(6 images)
* Featured Page *
|
Guardian of the light of the soul, comforter of the heart, nurturer of the ever-developing mind. . . she stands ready to help when needed. In fact, if you glance out of the corner of your eye during a quiet moment of soul-searching, you may find it feels that she is helping without being asked.
(5 images)
|
She's a laid back chick, yes, she is...and that's all I can tell you about her. She's so laid back that she really isn't concerned about anything except what is happening in this very moment.
Now, I'll bet you don't have time to be that laid back except maybe when you're on vacation! Even on vacation, you probably get to be the one in charge of the daily schedule and keeping everyone on it so no one goes home bemoaning the fact that "we went to Florida but we never even got to see the ocean".
Here it is springtime, and it's hard to not daydream about the almost nonexistent laid back chick you'd like to be, isn't it? Well, hell, why not let this Laid Back Chick be your statement to the world? Let this Laid Back Chick say it for you-- YOU MAY THINK I'M JUST A BORING, RESPONSIBLE ADULT BUT THERE'S MORE TO ME THAN WHAT MEETS THE EYE ;-)
(4 images)
|
Let her take your mind in her hand,
Let her cradle your heart within hers,
Let her show your soul how to fly.
This Faerie's mission is that of soul pilot, giving lessons to those who would believe, giving comfort to those who might not believe but have been touched by the need for whimsy.
(5 images)
|
My son comes up to me, not with arms outstretched to be picked up like he did when he was a baby, but with arms ready to hug and a body stretched just as tall as he can make it. He says proudly, "Look, Mom, I'm almost as tall as you." I smile at this because it seems only seven days ago that he was a toddler grabbing my knees. I know it will feel as if only seven months have passed by the time he stands towering over my head and says, "Look, Mom, I'm waaaaay taller than you." I hug my almost seven year old tightly and let him believe that he is indeed almost as tall as Mom.
(5 images)
|
I showed Katie this faery last night, and both of the boys even turned toward her and said, "Ooooh, that's pretty!" How's that for magical? I'll let her whisper her story to you when you get her, because I think she has many magical stories tucked inside that gift bottle she's holding.
This faery sculpture was torched, annealed, cleaned, and joined to what felt like a bazillion seed beads when I was completing it here in my southern Illinois studio! The glass faery torso is made of dark ivory Effetre glass sculpted to show her wings and her faery bottle. The torso is epoxied to eight copper wires filled with an assortment of seed beads. She stands alone, and you can also gently adjust the coils of seed beads if you'd like. The entire sculpture is approximately 5" tall, with her approximately 4" diameter being adjustable.
(5 images)
|
I called her A Pretty Mistake when I listed her for sale yesterday. She really is so pretty, but she really didn't turn out the way I wanted...ah, but she's already arrived at her new home and informed her owner of her real name-- On the Rocks. She is now sitting in a nice groove in a rock garden, and I am so glad she's already settled her behind into the perfect spot for her :)
(4 images)
|
They're only little once. She sighs as she looks back over the years, remembering the scent of a baby after the nighttime bath, remembering the feel of pudgy arms and legs wrapping themselves around her, remembering the sound of a baby's first giggles.
They're only little once.
(5 images)
|
It's so beautiful here today! I got distracted by all of nature's unsung delicacies after taking just one picture of this goddess. . .I will include more of her later, but for now, I had to share the wonder of a spring morning!
(13 images)
|
She kept whispering to me as I sculpted her, "Melt in the lines, melt in the lines". She's an elegant woman with a Grecian turn, minimalistic and elegant with a trio of bold swirls to stand in for hair and gown. "Melt in the lines, Ang, melt in the lines. . . and then find me a sundial, for I feel like basking in the gloriously warm midday sun." How could I refuse? I hunted through me stash of tiles, chipped a piece or two of slate, and still it wasn't quite the thing. That's when I remembered the broken clay flowerpot that I could recycle and turn into the semblance of a sundial. Ah, now she's happy in all her glory!
(5 images)
|
She's just sitting in the springtime sun, reading a good book until it's all done. She wraps a thin soft blanket over one shoulder to ward off the slight chill of those springtime breezes. She listens to the cardinals chick-chicking in the maple tree. She waits with her head aside and her eyes glancing out of the corners, hoping to see that mama cardinal land on the bird feeder two feet away.
(5 images)
|
Morning after the concert, tousled hair, scruffy face, and worn blue jeans. The rock star sits on the edge of the bed, playing his guitar.
Morning after the concert, soft blue eyes, dreamy smile, and where did she leave her blue jeans? She steps out of the shower, drapes the towel over one shoulder, and listens quietly while his guitar gently weeps. . .
(6 images)
|
|
The short answer is women are more fun to sculpt.
Men are nice to observe. I never saw a pair of biceps in a plain white t-shirt that didn’t appeal to me, for that seems to be masculinity boiled down to a “t” for me. Voices, too. It’s nice to listen to deep voices. Yes, men are nice to observe, and if my husband decided to splurge on my art and hire a male model for me to sculpt, I’d force myself to endure the ordeal, I’m sure.
Yes, men are nice to observe, but women are more fun to sculpt.
Warning, if you have a Y chromosome, let me save you some trouble before you keep reading in hopes of hearing sordid tales and lurid fantasies. . . I don’t sculpt women for sexual reasons.
It took me a months of sly remarks from male friends to figure this out, but the reason I sculpt women is spiritual. Yes, I’m serious. I’ve read books about goddesses, and I’ve chanted mantras from a book about Hindu goddesses. I’m a skeptic about all organized religion, about anything involving higher powers and spirits we cannot quantify with science, but I’m also one of those people who needs spirituality. What a quandary, huh? My solution is to enjoy reading about religions and cultures who worship goddesses (and gods for that matter, but it’s usually the goddesses who attract my attention) and then use that information for inspiration when I’m melting glass. Lately, I’ve been thinking about why I choose the goddesses. It’s the whole idea of empowering females, giving women confidence. I don’t ask for women to be superior to men, that’s not it. What I ask is for all women to feel they are equal in value to the world.
Sculpting a graceful, beautiful, powerful female imparts some of that grace, beauty, and power to me as I form it…and I hope it does the same thing for you as you look at it or hold it. What more reason would I want for sculpting?
(2 images)
* Featured Page *
|
The Winged Protectress of the Garden stands atop her throne, er, recycled soda bottle. She probably won't scare away any hungry bunny rabbits trying to nibble on the fresh lettuce, and it's doubtful that any deer will change their mind about snacking in your garden because they see her. . . but you never know! It seems to me that she would make a cool storage bottle for odds and ends you might need in the garden or for tiny pebbles you find or maybe just fill the bottle with colored water and watch the sunlight play in it.
(5 images)
|
Sculpted woman.
(3 images)
* Featured Page *
|
The WoodLand Warrior Queen stands upon her throne, protected by the hollow log, yet able to see afar. She waits quietly for battles that might begin, but she has no fear. She has many years and many triumphs behind her, and she has the marks to prove it.
(4 images)
|
What does go on in the mind of a woman? Oh, chances are, you'll never know half of it...I think it's really true that women tend to see more of the big picture, tend to spend more thought on connecting various thoughts, tend to have many different thoughts all swirling together at the same time while still staying individually defined. What goes on in the mind of a woman? Maybe the most that you can know is simply that beneath a peaceful, contemplative face such as this one, there lie many thoughts.
(6 images)
|
She looks around the forest, nodding to the wispy leaved newly awakened willows at the edge of the pond, gently whispering to the maples that their reddish clusters of opening buds are a welcome sign, searching for the lavendar buds of her own kind. Ah, the forsythia and dogwoods are awakening, surely the red buds must not be far behind in their spring schedule!
(5 images)
|
You know, I think it's hard to imagine Buddha meditating inside a photo cube, so I am so grateful that spring has arrived. . . oh, the pictures I can take (or attempt to take) now!
(6 images)
|
Oh, Honey,
I'm smilin',
but you see
my hands on my hips?
Oh, Honey,
I sure hope
for your sake
that ain't no lie
crossin' your lips!
Oh, Honey, you don't wanna go there, do ya? I mean, seriously, can't you tell this is not a good time to be messing with this mama? Maybe you need her to stand guard at your desk or workspace, just to let everyone know without a doubt that you mean business. . .some people still won't get the idea, but you'll at least get the satisfaction of knowing that others have been enlightened!
I don't know where her attitude came from, but it's there, honey. Heehee, okay, so maybe, just maybe, I have an idea how she might have wound up with a smartass/bossy attitude ;)
(5 images)
|
As dusk approaches, she makes her way to other planes. Other times, other places, she goes in search of familiar souls.
Half remaining in our sight, half melting into the vision of others, she stands upon the threshold of many worlds.
Then she journeys, to return when she has found what was sought.
(5 images)
|
Uh, huh. You thought what happened in ______(insert your favorite sin city here) stayed in ______, didn't you? Looks like your secret is out, but it was pretty much worth it, wasn't it? It's a shame you couldn't call your best friend for bail money, though since he/she was sitting right beside you in the cell sighing, "Damn, that was FUN!"
These fine friendship memories will linger with you both forever, but just in case one of you would also like the pleasure of making nosy people wonder just what you did in your wilder days, why not get this Wild Weekend sculpture as a little token of those days? Really, how can ya resist that raised eyebrow?
(4 images)
|
Magical is the moon. Shows her gentle spirit in many places, sometimes even in the soft expressions in our own faces. Magical is she, she who from thousands of miles away can lean down and softly whisper in your ear. Magical is she, she who from the other side of night can send her soothing touch to a piece of glass forming in daylight. Magical is she. . . and here is a little sliver of her being, a piece of glass transformed by her spirit.
(7 images)
|
This is Abundant Flora Spirit Peeking from the Leaves, but I just had to include this picture as the main one when I listed it on Etsy. This cat of ours lets my daughter haul her around like a floppy baby doll, but does she let me snuggle her? No, not unless I'm trying to do something else. Then, the cat urgently needs my attention. I couldn't snap the picture of her when she had her nose up to the sculpture because she was wound so snugly between me, the glass, and the camera strap. As soon as I untangled myself, I took the pic :)
(5 images)
* Featured Page *
|
The liminal space or point is the place where the boundaries of different planes collide or connect, and these are the places of folklore and shamanistic expression, the places where those with the power to move between planes enter and exit those planes. . . and that was what I was thinking about as I torched and sculpted this Astral Traveler. Thinking about those liminal places, those places such a springs and caves and other such spots where worlds collide. Thinking about the flow of water associated in some way with almost every one of the places mentioned in the books I was reading at the time. Thinking about the swirling, tangled waves of time and space a traveler must navigate. Thinking about the movement of the soul and how the body must feel to be joined once more to the free-flowing spirit when it returns.
(5 images)
|
Filled with symbolism for Christians, this combination of a three-dimensional labyrinth leading to a crucifix in the center shows the path to finding your center. Remember, I do not belong to any particular religion, so I don't attempt to speak for any religion...but I do think that the "Tree of Life" inscription I added on the back of the cross is an apt description for those who follow the Carpenter. Finding him is often a labyrinthine journey, never straight to the point as that would be too easy, but instead winding through life with plenty of time to experience and learn. Whatever you find at your center, I wish you joy in the journey!
(5 images)
|
|
Wayward Spirit of the Rock
We found her fossil rock, Mother and I, one late winter afternoon. On the verge of spring, we were looking at one of Mother's bigger flower gardens, talking about where she might put the dahlias this year, bending down occasionally to sift through the pebbles and rocks covering the pathways. Eventually, of course, the treasure hunt for pretty and unusual rocks among the pebbles takes over the conversation.
When I return home, I find myself thinking about the spirit in this fossil, wondering what he or she looks like if you're allowed to catch a glimpse. It's fascinating, this idea that every rock, every plant, all of it, they have their own elemental spirit within. An elemental akin to the faeries and pixies but not quite the same. . . and here is the sweet and delicate but wayward spirit who came out of the flame when I thought of this rock. Yes, she is wayward. No, the photo is not askew. I kept moving her while the epoxy that fastens her to the fossil dried. I would stand her up straight, she would lean. I would prop her up, once wedged between the kitchen wall and the handle of the coffee pot. . .she would lean.
Finally, I got her message. All is not as you think it should be. All is the way it should be. I was trying to set her in a stone, but what I was really doing was trying to follow what's set in stone-- keep the figure standing straight or laying down, but not leaning awkwardly. Ha! There is nothing awkward about her! She is standing as she wishes, a spirit hovering near her rock, a spirit flowing and moving with the waves of nature and time.
(6 images)
* Featured Page *
|
When no one is looking, the water sprites come out to play in the aquarium. Peering into those little castles with the moving draw bridges, they sometimes play a game to see who can race across the bridge before it closes. When the fish gather closer to watch the game, the water sprites invite them to play, too. Oh, the fish love the fun spirit of the water sprites, love them so much that even the skittish ones will let a water sprite ride upon their backs. . .and thus began this tiny sprite's water adventure!
(6 images)
|
Once upon a time, I had an idea for an elaborate Zodiac sculpture with a Sun/Moon center surrounded by the astrological signs. Um, never happened. I got stymied by how to make Libra's scales look as neat as the other pieces. So, here are four beads that I'll be selling as a set in my Etsy shop. The Scorpio has to be my favorite. I love the way the scorpion looks carved in relief, the way it wraps around the bead.
(4 images)
|
Resting for a moment, the Geisha Butterfly gently drops her wings around her body as if to robe herself. She has been floating in imagination for so long, lighting here and there, whispering to the flowers in the moonlight season after season. Ever youthful, even as the years have flown, she graces the garden of moonlight anew each evening.
(5 images)
|
Well, the name is fairly unusual, isn't it? Tree spirit? Whoever heard of such a thing...just kidding. Ms. MonkeyLips is a very nice person who happens to have an outrageously funny online avatar. It's a closeup "portrait" of a funny monkey who is smiling and wearing lipstick. Anyway, I'll see if I can figure out how to load that pic, but in the meantime,this is a tree spirit I made as a gift for Ms. MonkeyLips.
(6 images)
|
Rainy, gray morning. Fairy pools forming everywhere in the yard. Starlings stealing kernels of corn off an unshelled cob that fell off the porch. Robins bobbing across the front lawn in search of juicy worms. Highest branches in the maple trees, covered in buds, swaying in the spring wind.
I tiptoe out the door, camera in hand, looking for a special picture to capture the moment.
Found her, gazing into the fairy pool.
May your day be magical, too. Peace, Ang
(3 images)
|
|
Crow caws loudly from one of those winter-bare trees, wondering what I'm doing looking his way... I am merely scanning the horizon, enjoying the feel of warmth and blooms to come, enjoying the offerings of sunlight and and sound.
While the kiddos gave the feline queen of the deck her due admiration, I was drilling a hole in a small piece of slate to make a display stand for this dark ivory glass sculpture, Offerings. Finished with that task, I carried the sculpture outdoors to take a picture or two.
I'm not sure that my picture taking session met with approval from the noisy, nosy couple of crows who've been roosting in the line of trees that follows the railroad tracks. I could hear them chattering and cawing every time I moved to a different spot to try to take the pictures. Hmm, they make me think of the nosy little old ladies who used to listen to our conversations on the telephone party line years ago. Every once in a while, one of them would forget that it wasn't her conversation and jump in with her opinion on the matter of discussion :)
(5 images)
* Featured Page *
|
Already the blessings of spring begin.
Sun rises a bit higher in the midday sky.
Buds begin to form at the tips of maple branches.
Tiny miracles, each one.
Remind me that Mother Nature has not left us alone.
Blessings,
already being scattered across my backyard.
(8 images)
* Featured Page *
|
(3 images)
|
Who do you see when you look in the mirror? a youth, filled with enthusiasm for all adventures? a woman, glad to have matured into self-confidence and self-acceptance? a self-confident elder who extends that acceptance to all in her realm? Looking past the image revealed in the mirror, looking deeper into the soul, I hope to see all three mingled in myself. . .
(9 images)
|
Gourd Drum Woman walks the land through the seasons, beating a rhythm on her gourd, speaking to the plants and animals with each pulsation. She travels by daylight, dawn, dusk, and night. Hers is the soft tread of a gentle mother in the middle of the night, the bold stride of a protective mother as the storm approaches, all the while accompanied by the cadence of her gourd drum. She winks at the chattering squirrels, whistles with the songbirds, trades secrets with the coyote. She strokes the velvet moss, gently bends the briars as she passes among the thicket's growth, blows a kiss to the first daffodil. Gourd Drum Woman, Hear Her Rhythm.
(6 images)
|
|
Bes is a funny little Egyptian god. Look at a carving of him and his squatty body topped with big round-cheeked face, and you can't help but laugh. He's also funny in the hard to figure out sense. Is he good or bad? Helpful or mischievous?
Isis and scarabs always distract me when I look up Egyptian art and artifacts. Bes, I glance at, smile, and continue browsing. Somewhere along the way, I got the idea that he was more of a cute devil than a devilish cutie. . . so I'd leave him alone and go torch a scarab or an Isis or maybe even an ankh.
Yesterday, I stopped and read this caption under Bes' picture in a children's book, Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt by Leon Ashworth:
"Another god who protected women was the cheerful little god of the home, Bes. He watched over women in childbirth and kept the family safe from evil spirits, snakes, scorpions, and other harmful creatures."
That was enough to convince me that I needed to sculpt a Bes bead. I'll be putting him in my Etsy shop, but I just might have to make another one just for me. . . who couldn't use a cheerful little reminder that someone is watching over their household?
(5 images)
|
Isis. I'd write more, except my brain is in smartass/funky gear today, and when I started writing about Isis in my blog I quickly ran off on a tangent about Wonder Woman!? Remember her? Now, I keep trying to remember what she said when she transformed. Didn't she say something about the powers of Isis? Told ya I was off on a tangent, huh? Anyway, this bead is a great one to hold, and I think it would make an awesome pendant. Catch ya later, I'm off to torch...or maybe a quick google of Isis and Wonder Woman. . .
(3 images)
|
![[ This Page Contains Mature Content ]](Images/MatureContentThumbnail.gif)
You must be 18 years of age to view this page.
(5 images)
|
Happy moon face likes to dance!
Come join him for a little moonwalk across the dance floor :)
(8 images)
* Featured Page *
|
Some say shamanistic cultures have been with us since humankind could communicate with one another. I'm just beginning to read The Quest for the Shaman by Miranda and Stephen Aldhouse-Green. Whether or not you like the word "shaman," the concept of someone who intercedes with the spirit world and uses this to heal others is a fascinating one. In some cultures, these chosen ones shift from human to another form of being, often to that of the spirit that will guide them in the astral world.
BirdWoman the ShapeShifter comes from all the things I've read about different cultures, from Egyptian to Tibetan to South Americans. She could be called a composite, but for me, she is simply who she is. . . a woman who can commune with the birds, learning from owl's wisdom, sharing longevity secrets with the cranes, singing with the songbirds.
(7 images)
* Featured Page *
|
A reminder of the greatest gift given to Christians.
(4 images)
|
This is Essence. She’s not all there physically, but she is really all there and then some when it comes to the essence of beautiful strength. She evokes so much feeling when I look at her, even though I’m the one who helped her out of the flame yesterday.
She is one of those pieces of sculpting that is boiled down to the essence of an idea, and I am so happy with the curve of her calf, the rounded back of her thigh, and the movement of her shape. She is why I will go back to the torch, even though today at the torch was less than inspirational.
It’s the excitement of potential that draws an artist to the flame in the face of certain failure, ya know.
(4 images)
|
Nunkui, or Grandmother Earth, is one spirit revered by the Shuar of the Amazon rainforest. Nunkui is the spirit of the Earth, and I envisioned her as a warm and soulful grandmother face surrounded by animals. This is my necklace featuring Nunkui and some guiding souls-- the owl for wisdom, the fish for the water and plenty, and the frog who happily inhabits water and trees in the rainforest. I don't often wear jewelry, but I am a glass artist who needs a bio picture for a gallery...and I figured maybe, just maybe, I ought to make a piece of my own to wear in the picture :) You know what? I bought a green shirt and a soft blue cotton sweater to wear with the necklace, and now here I sit in a coffee shop wearing "real" clothes and a pretty cool necklace. Hmmmm, I think maybe I should start getting used to wearing jewelry. . . naaaaaaah, dressing up once in a blue moon is fun, but I'd rather wear old t-shirts, holey jeans, and sit in front of a really hot torch :)
(6 images)
|
You must be 18 years of age to view this page.
(7 images)
|
How could I know how my heart would grow throughout the years, and how could I know I would learn to make it stretch to cover so many friends and children and family members? How could I know that any one person would eventually become so much a part of me as to become more than half of my heart? How could I know for sure at the beginning that person would be you? Well, I hoped and I leaped and it happened in slow motion. . .and now I want to thank you for your love. You are the biggest part of my heart!
(7 images)
* Featured Page *
|
"Reduce, Recycle, Re-Use" Working on the first two, but the last one is really my favorite! Reducing consumption of energy and materials makes sense for the future, but doesn't do anything about all the "stuff" we already have. Recycling is great for commonplace items like newspapers, soda cans, paperboard packaging, etc, but it still requires the use of more energy. Re-using, though, that's my thing! The energy and materials have already been expended to make something. . . if you can re-use it instead of throwing it away or even recycling, you have conserved energy and kept something from a landfill. Not to mention that re-using is like a treasure hunt! Find it, RE-DEFINE it, and you've done a good thing! And, that's where this new goddess' name comes from: redefining--> ReDefinia. Hope you like her and her message!
(17 images, 1 comment)
* Featured Page *
|
I was whole, the entire time I was waiting for you. My heart, though, that's another story. It was only half what it can be.
Sometimes, that's all you need to say. No dramatic descriptions of what was or wasn't missing in your life before your love came along. No waxing poetic about moonlit walks. No dedications of the Pina Colada song. Just a simple statement-- you make my heart feel complete.
(5 images)
* Featured Page *
|
Lucky Peach takes its inspiration from Chinese symbols of longevity. Shou Lao, the Chinese god who serves as president of the heavenly administration, determines each person's lifespan. In honor of his hold on longevity, he is worshipped as part of birthday celebrations. You'll see him depicted as smiling and holding a peach, accompanied by a long-lived crane or tortoise. The Chinese symbols for longevity include the Shou, as well as a few more. When the Shou symbol is carved onto a peach, it represents a long marriage. I chose to combine the peach with one of those other longevity symbols to make my Lucky Peach. . . I think any way you look at it, longevity and a sweet peach have to be lucky :)
(6 images, 1 comment)
* Featured Page *
|
Live long. That's the Chinese symbol for longevity on her back. Live well. That's the attitude she carries with her wherever she goes. She knows life is precious, knows what she values, knows how she wishes to spend her time and energy. She is past the point of needing to do what is expected of her, past the point of needing your approval, past the point of not being able to admit when she's made a mistake. She lives wholeheartedly, lives for the moment, lives for the journey. She may be you, she may be me, or she may be who we want to be. . .but what she is, that's longevity at its best, and it is not merely a matter of living many years. It is a matter of living those years well, living them with many stories to tell.
(6 images)
* Featured Page *
|
Can you feel it yet? The pulsing of life as the earth gets ready for spring? Flora is gathering her energy, preparing her kind to burst forth with buds and blooms. This Flora waits to hold your tiny treasures from outdoors, one of the first blooms or a bit of broken branch with buds.
(7 images, 1 comment)
* Featured Page *
|
|
Poseidon pursued Amphitrite. Sea goddess that she was, she still denied Poseidon until a dolphin interceded for him. Amphitrite decided to marry the rumbling God of the Sea, and she bore him a son, Triton. Poseidon, Triton, powerful gods of the ocean. . .who hasn't heard of them? But Amphitrite, who was Queen of the Ocean, do you remember her? Me, either, until now. In my imagination, she is a lovely mermaid who ages gracefully over the centuries. In my imagination, she long ago tired of the duties of royalty, instead preferring to spend her days roaming the floor of the ocean, conversing with the undersea creatures and happily looking for sunken treasure. In my imagination, she carries in her armband this mermaid dagger for prising open sunken jewel boxes and safes from the Titanic. In my imagination, she happily holds up the treasures she finds, sighing and then contently laying them upon the shelf of a reef where the sunlight reaching into the depths will on occasion make them sparkle.
(5 images)
* Featured Page *
|
Godiva with your lovely long hair, please hide my trinkets and tiny treasures. Godiva with your lovely long hair, please keep my secrets and protect my dreams.
(6 images)
|
Nu Wa, ancient Chinese goddess, made a miniature sculpture of herself to place upon the Earth amidst her other creations, the mountains and trees. The tiny sculpture came to life and called Nu Wa "Mother." Nu Wa quickly made more of the tiny lifeforms, taking care to create an equal number of males and females so they could create more of their own kind. . . and so the Mother of creation also become known as the goddess of marriage and matchmaking. She is shown here with miniature snail shells decorating her hair. According to the children's book Goddess A World of Myth and Magic by Burleigh Muten, Nu Wa's sacred animal is the snail. I can only guess for now, but I imagine the spiral of the snail's shell endears this animal to the Mother of Creation.
(6 images)
* Featured Page *
|
******************************
I don't know the words for this yet. I know the visceral feelings, and they have to do with the way our life as humanity has evolved since the Industrial Revolution and how that continuous flow of souls around and through technology is changing as the Information Age seems to make big metal machinery a thing of our past.
(10 images, 1 comment)
* Featured Page *
|
Listen, can you hear Springsteen's gravelly voice singing the haunting refrain? "Don't you feel like a rider on a downbound train. . ." As I was melting this piece of glass, Springsteen was singing "She just said, Joe, I gotta go. We had it once, we ain't got it anymore. She packed her bags, left me behind. . ." **sigh** How can you not feel the melancholy emotion in that song? "Last night, I heard your voice. You were crying, crying, so alone. You said your love had never died. You were waiting for me at home.. .I ran til I thought my chest would explode... then I fell to my knees on my head and cried. . ." Fall deep into that despair, and it might take you a while to climb back out. That's what's cool about melting glass, though. You can let yourself fall deep into a song or a thought or an image, torch it, and then bring yourself back to real life.
(5 images, 1 comment)
* Featured Page *
|
Heaven, Lord, Mother, Whoever Is on My Watch Today, please let me look at this and see the reminder that it is. Wings unfurl slowly and gently on a human soul because we grow in increments. We do not wake up one morning and say, "That's it, I'm now perfect. Thank goodness that task is done." No, hard as it is to accept, only omnipotent beings attain instant perfection. . .and I am only human. This is a gift, though, and I have only to look closely to realize what a wondrous gift it is. The gift is this: I am free to treat each day, each week, each season, each year, as a new beginning, as yet another opportunity to begin unfurling the wings of my soul and grow some more. I am free to let those wings unfurl gently, warming in the sun, testing the breeze, retreating when necessary to gather strength for a longer flight. I am free to choose my path of flight, free to experience the world with wings newly unfurled.
(8 images)
* Featured Page *
|
She's warm.
She's caressable.
She's an heirloom in the making.
Pashmina, the Chess Queen.
This is definitely a chess piece, gotta be the ivory queen because she's so powerful and feminine at the same time. She's got an incredible texture, thanks to the properties of dark ivory Effetre glass. She's got attitude, too, thanks to me (but you already knew that, didn't ya?).
The name Pashmina comes from the Christmas present from my sister, a pashmina shawl that is soooooo caressable, soooooo warm, soooooo durable. . . and I think this particular "Pashmina" reflects many of those traits in her face.
I've been thinking about all sorts of ideas this week while I was away from the torch, and this is one of them-- instead of making an entire chess set in one fell swoop, why not make a series of extraordinary glass queens who can replace their ordinary chess piece counterparts? Each one will be a collectible, but in a very usable way. Your own signature chess piece, how's that for cool on the board?
(7 images)
* Featured Page *
|
Frosty morning, sunny morning. Gaia rises and strolls through her land, soaking in the warmth of the sun as she goes, reveling in the geometry and patterns in every tiny thing from a leaf to the frost covering it.
(7 images)
* Featured Page *
|
Dark and mysterious, lovely and powerful, graceful and intense...she is the shakti dancing within us all. She is a nameless Hindu goddess, she is every Hindu goddess. She is Kali, she is Parvati, and she is Lalita...
(10 images)
* Featured Page *
|
. . .okay, I'm a packrat, I admit it. Every time I go to Kentucky to visit my parents, I trek out to my dad's shop and dig through Pop and Bubby's junk buckets. Mind you, this is a big shop, these are big boys who play with big toys, and the five-gallon junk buckets they set aside are merely a, well pardon the pun, but they are merely a drop in the bucket. That's where I come in! To lure me away from the big pieces of junk I'd like to latch onto, the boys let me dig through their junk buckets. Dig, I do, too! You just never know what you might want to use with molten glass! Up to now, I've only made one glass goodie on a rusty bolt, but today I decided to do a little more creative mixing of media. That's what is in the kiln right now, but I thought fellow packrats might enjoy a virtual dig through the junk buckets I have :)
(10 images, 1 comment)
* Featured Page *
|
You must be 18 years of age to view this page.
(7 images, 1 comment)
|
|
The study of beauty is a duel in which the artist cries with terror before being defeated.
--Charles Baudelaire
Well, Monsieur Baudelaire garnered attention in the 1800's because the subjects of his poems were scandalous, but this quote is wonderful. What artist hasn't contemplated beauty? What artist hasn't struggled with his skills and available materials and tried to wrest a beautiful object from them?
What artist hasn't been defeated by this duel?
There are so many personal nuances in the definition of beauty. I won't bother trying to define beauty, but I do want to talk about the artist's struggle to portray it. I think all artists define themselves in relation to beauty, whether or not we want to admit it. Each stroke of a brush, each chip of stone, each gentle nudge of molten glass, all of these are made by an artist trying to define beauty in some way. Some end results are beautiful in a very "pretty" way, some are beautiful in a very soul-baring but not necessarily pretty way.
In the end, many of the things we create do define beauty in some way. Whether a particular piece of art is an affirmation of beauty or the antithesis of beauty, it lends boundaries to the concept of beauty. Whether a piece of art recreates the perfect, intricate details of a rose or reveals the inner soul of a withered rose of a human-being, it tells us something about beauty.
I don't make "pretty" beads. This is my own assessment, and the thought that accompanies it in my mind and makes it acceptable to me is "but I make soulful, evocative art on occasion." Still, when you think about it, those soulful, evocative pieces of art are also expressions of beauty-- inner beauty. Each attempt adds to the definition of beauty, lends another image to the description of inner beauty.
Seems Monsieur Baudelaire was right about one thing-- the study of beauty is quite the inner duel for many an artist. It may not always make us cry with terror, but it sure does make us think, doesn't it?
(5 images)
|
|
Let's just be candid here for a moment, shall we? Santa is a good man and a good husband. Mrs. Claus knows this, and she proudly tells him these things at least once a day. However, Mrs. Claus has been keeping an eye on the younger generation of elves, and she's not real keen on the idea of having potential temptresses in the house, ya know? No need to be coy, we all know we'd probably feel the same way. Just because trouble speaks softly and respectfully and doesn't intend to cause you problems, that doesn't mean it isn't t-r-o-u-b-l-e. . .so, in the interest of happiness all 'round, Mrs. Claus is helping Sassy the Elf find a new gig. Mrs. Claus reports that Sassy happens to have a wickedly funny sense of humor and would be a great companion to keep by your desk at home or work. She also figures Sassy would make a very eye-catching addition to a gift for someone on your "naughty but in a very nice way" list. C'mon, help a girl out, won't ya? Big bonus, you help prevent trouble at the North Pole, and nobody really wants disruptions in the gift giving operation, do they?
(9 images)
* Featured Page *
|
This Avian Messenger to Bring Tiny Treasures to Your Nest mask bead appears in the December2007/January2008 issue of Glass Line magazine. He is part of my article "Distilling Emotion, and Pouring It into Glass."
(4 images)
* Featured Page *
|
|
". . .and in my hour of darkness, she is standing right in front of me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be."
Okay, Beatles fans, please forgive me. I know there must be a story behind "Let It Be," and I imagine it doesn't really have much to do with the Madonna even though Paul is singing "mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be."
Here's what happened, just because I like to tell the story behind each of my artworks. I was listening to the Beatles this morning, actually watching a youtube video of Paul singing "Let It Be". Well, you know, as corny a choice as it might be, "Let It Be" really is one of my favorites of the Beatles'. Now, head to the torch to make one more Madonna and Child for Christmas, still humming "And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree,there will be an answer, let it be. For though they may be parted there is still a chance that they will see,there will be an answer. let it be."
Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly if you can let your imagination roam freely across a few different boundaries, the song and the Madonna can do a dance together. Mary must have been thinking about the hours of darkness that were to come as she held that newborn. She also had to have the strength to let it be, to know there will be an answer. As I thought about this, the black swirl of glass grew around Mary's head, the coming hours of darkness.
(10 images)
* Featured Page *
|
Mike & Nancy, this one is for you. Ask your daughter how it was made-- she watched it all, and her sweetie even took a turn melting the huge glob of glass. . .Sorry you have to wait to get your youngest home, but their snow delay has made James and Kate very happy! Victoria and Tanner are here, too, and the cousins are having a great time hanging out together :)
(8 images)
* Featured Page *
|
Another sculpture from the December 2007/January2008 issue of Glass Line magazine, she is etched dark ivory glass and lots of emotion. The article is about distilling emotion and pouring it into glass, and in the end, I think she is a good example of this. She is vulnerable, slender neck exposed to the world. She is trusting, letting herself be exposed to the world.
(8 images)
* Featured Page *
|
Oshun, who loves all things beautiful (including beads), rises from the waters of the river. She is a four bead sculpture, standing 6 1/2" tall.
(9 images)
* Featured Page *
|
Dance with abandon, open yourself to life, set your soul aflame, and your heart will rejoice! Don't we all wish we could let go and live life like she is dancing, with complete abandon? Maybe you can. Maybe you can't. Maybe you have tried. Maybe you've cried. Maybe, maybe, whatever may be may be? Just let go for a moment, and let your soul free to choose its path. . .then take that moment of freedom and apply to your life in little ways. It may seem like such small changes will never make a difference, but I think you will be surprised. I think you will find yourself growing bit by bit, quietly becoming who you never thought you'd have the nerve to be. Peace, Ang
(4 images)
* Featured Page *
|
God must have cradled Jesus in His Hand, don't you think? Even an omnipotent being must feel the wonder of the birth of a tiny child. . .and I think He must have gently held the Son of Man before he let him go. Even an omnipotent being must feel the flesh being torn from his heart when he sends that tiny child into the world to certain sacrifice, don't you think? This sculpture is meant to be held, to make you think about the mighty hand that must feel the need to cradle each one of us before setting us free into the world. No matter whether you believe that being to be a He or She or Beyond Earthly Recognition, that hand must have held you. Take comfort in that thought as you go forward in life. . .
(4 images, 3 comments)
* Featured Page *
|
| | | |
