The Glass of Murano, Italy

Murano in the map by Jacopo de'Barbari.  Venice, Correr Museum.

When I was 22, I hit a very rough patch in my life.  In a fit of "why ever not", I threw all caution to the wind, sold almost all of my worldly possessions, and did what I'd only read of in books -- I ran away from home.  Where did I end up?  Venice, Italy.

While there, I marveled at the amazing Murano glass and listened to the shopkeepers explain the history of this storied island.  At the time, I hadn't caught the beading bug, but I certainly knew pretty when I saw it.  Having a love of history, though, I set out to learn more.

in the Murano Glass Museum

Murano glass is named for the small island of Murano about 2 miles from Venice.  I remember vividly sitting on the steps of a huge historic building, eating fresh bread for lunch and looking out over the water towards the island.  Many people know that the Murano glassmakers moved to the island to guard the secret of glassmaking, but they also moved there because they were an enormous fire hazard to Venice in the 13th century.   Oops.

some of my own lampwork beads

In the 1860's the Glass Museum of Murano was founded, and this helped reintroduce the old glass blowing techniques, which had fallen into a bit of a funk due to the glass centers for Tiffany, Bohemian, and Lalique.  The Murano glass industry continues to thrive and no longer shuts its island doors to the world.

photo via EuropeForVisitors.com

Since my sojourn in Italy, I've taken a glass blowing class, and it's amazing watching that gather of glass turn into something cool (in my case, a paperweight and a shot glass that had walls so thick it would break your toe if you dropped it on your foot).  I've longingly run my hands through bowls of Venetian beads and wished I'd bought some while I lived amongst them.  As I sit at my lampwork torch, I find myself thinking about the Piazza San Marco and Murano and glass.  

And occasionally, pigeons.  There were millions of pigeons in that Piazza.  Yikes.  

But I digress.

Basilica San Marco -- amazing inside and out

You probably don't want to sell everything that doesn't fit in two suitcases to venture to Venice, but as an art bead lover, it should be on your top five list of Places to Go.  My life changed so much during that trip, and learning about the beauty of glass was one of the highlights of those months.

So call the travel agent.  Mark your calendar.  Make a concrete plan, a "yes, in 2012 I WILL go there" plan -- I promise you won't regret it.

the paperweight and shot glass I made in my first glass blowing class

Lori Anderson creates jewelry for Lori Anderson Designs.  She writes the blogs Pretty Things and An Artist's Year Off.  She lives in Maryland.

Fit to Print Book Review - Sculptural Metal Clay

I am a huge fan of Kate McKinnon's work.  I can remember years ago when I was first starting to do seed bead designs and I would find one of her projects in the magazines - I could tell it was her work instantly.  Even with seed beads Kate has an unmistakable signature.

When this book arrived it was like enjoying a gallery show.  The projects are so amazing.  And you'll soon discover they are deceptively simple.  At least Kate makes them seem that way as experts often do!

My favorite projects in the book are the findings - bead caps, clasps, decorative headpins, branch connectors. I love that she offers a collection of techniques that you can adapt to your own style to use in your creations. 

The book has three sections.  The Basics covers tools, techniques, firing, finishes and safety. The next section, the Elements, covers the components Kate uses in her projects.  And finally the last section has 10 step-by-step projects for inspiration.  The best part of this book - it comes with a DVD where Kate walks you through the key techniques to complete the projects in the book.  If you have wanted to dive into Metal Clay, this is a great place to start for a solid education and a mega-dose of inspiration.  And if you've been working with metal clay for a while, I have a feeling this book is probably already on your shelf - it's one not to miss!

Buy the book.  Visit Kate's website. 

Tie One On

Looking for a new twist in your jewelry designs?  Add texture with silk ribbon, leather or crepe cording and  crystal chain.  All of these can be found at Ornamentea along with a collection of innovative tutorials showing different ways to incorporate these items into your work.  Check them out!