Beading Times: How long have you been making beads?

Starleen Colo’n: I began to make glass beads, marbles, and eventually small paperweights in 2004. 

What got you started making beads? Did you take a class?

I am a self-taught glass worker. 

Collecting glass art lead me to creating my own. While searching the Internet for a nice paperweight, I stumbled on a photo that looked as if someone drilled through the center of a beautiful glass object. It was a very large photo of an encased glass bead.  Something inside me just snapped and I said to myself "I can do this". I researched glass manufacturers, tools, and equipment. A studio was built and stocked across several years as I worked a corporate job. All this was on blind faith, not even knowing how to light a torch. This thought made me nervous so I did attempt to take a workshop that was a complete disaster. To keep the interview positive, I will not go into the details. This resulted in me pulling on skills acquired during my corporate years. My former job was to go into database systems that no one understood, figure them out without any manual or roadmap, diagnose and repair problems encountered, then train groups of 2 - 200 on how to use their department's section of order processing databases. In my mind, problems and barriers that prevent one from obtaining a skill or goal are just temporary gaps of understanding that can be worked through. Understanding glass was no different. It was a new and welcome problem solving adventure! This lead me to develop an exact system of glass manipulation.   Research was carefully documented and techniques refined into a series of personal glass procedures. Procedure was then turned into easy to understand teaching outlines and my unique system was then taught in workshop modules to anyone interested in learning my flameworking techniques.

Were you interested in making beads before that?  

(Insert warm smile). I had no idea that beads could be made of glass.

Did you have an artistic or craft history before that? How has that translated into the beadmaking, if at all?

I am an illustrator. Anatomy, botanical & wildlife are my primary studies.  At times I think I enjoy sketching out new glass processes in airports as much as sitting in front of my torch.  

Can you share a photo of some of your other works with us?

Gladly!  Here is an example of a sketchbook page.

What has surprised you most about working with glass?

Glass has a way of harnessing your soul. It demands your entire mind and insists control of your "will"  as you remain focused on the task at hand. Your emotions are forced to take a back seat, and time begins to have no meaning. In time, as one becomes more skilled, it is almost as if you're in a perfect state of quiet peace. For me, working at the torch gives me time to meditate and spend time with the one who created me. 

I am also in awe of the many glassworkers in the world. Each artist brings something uniquely different to the table. The diversity of what has been produced by the founding glassmakers of the past, to current contemporary glass masters is a wonder to behold. Not just in terms of visual beauty, but the technical ability that at times seems to have been stretched right to the edge of impossibility!  When you are aware of this, objects become even more beautiful to observe in the museums as it surpasses superficial visual beauty. Think about Josh Simpson's Megaplanet. Read on the technical challenges he encountered while going after his vision to produce the largest paperweight made at a whopping 107 lbs. Stand in front of that magnificent work and tell me it is not a wonder to behold!   

Have you had anyone that you consider to be a mentor? Tell us about them.

My mentors are my Mother and Father. They taught me by example that anything you have a strong enough desire to accomplish can be achieved. Obstacles are unimportant and can be resolved.

Whose beads inspire you the most?

The Japanese glass beadmakers. Their uses of murrine as elements of fine detail are breathtaking. Their resolve to perfect technique is admirable.

Do you sell your beads? Do you sell the beads by themselves, or already made up into jewelry?

Presently, only the beads themselves can be purchased.

You can find my beads for sale online at www.StarleensStudio.com

Did you intend to sell your beads when you first started? What got you started selling them?

Yes.  I had desired my own business for years. 

Have you ever taken part in a bead or art/craft show?

I attend 25 -30 shows yearly along the East Coast from NY to FL.

What was the biggest challenge you encountered? What did you enjoy most?

Keeping the family cat off my keyboard as I type is my biggest struggle. Then I would have to say, development of a strong retail and wholesale product line that encompasses the entire price range of .79 to $269.00 per bead. 

How do you feel you have benefited from the experience?

I have product on hand at all times to fit all customer budgets.

Do you have any tips for first time exhibitors?

Strive for quality and practice excellence in all that you do. Do not compromise this in order to have a table filled. I would rather be proud of a few hundred well-done beads than a table filled with poor quality product. There is no shame in this.

Do you sell your beads in stores or other venues?

Yes, wholesale buyers place product in their stores and galleries. 

Do you have a website or auction site that you regularly sell you beads on? If so, what is the url/id info, etc. 

www.StarleensStudio.com

www.StarleensStudioStore.com

What do your friends and family think of your beadmaking?

Everyone thought I lost my mind. To leave a good paying job to make beads. The negativity from co-workers was tough. But I believed in my business. If I had stayed within my traditional job when the economy went bust, I would have lost everything.  Glass has provided a better living for me than any formal job could. Success has a way of closing your critics down all on it's own. 

What sort of set up do you have for making beads?

N.M. Knight burners, GTT burners, Carlisle burners, Japanese Torches, and two large 24 x 24 x 20 interior dimension production kilns. Florida studio is now being equipped with my first crucible and glory hole in addition to the student torch stations.

What type of glass do you use?

I work equally in 104coe / 33coe / 96coe / 90coe and the Satake coe ranges for beads, marbles, small paperweights and fusing projects. At least one pound of every color from every manufacturer in all coe's is on hand within the Florida shop. I think I am a bit of a glass addict!

Do you have any favorite colors or combinations of glass rod to work with?

The chemical interactions of borosilicate really hold my interest.

Do these colors create a special reaction when used in a certain way? Tell us about it. 

In borosilicate, there are so many variables that can trigger off different effects as well as coloration against the same rod of glass. To combine all these known effects and trigger them off controlled in one object captures my attention.  It is amazing to pick up a rod of glass that looks black and dead, then trigger off so many colored effects from that same dark rod. It is like examining the many facets of a single beautiful stone one at a time. 

Do you have a favorite product, i.e. bead release, glass, etc.

Dirty Louie Bead Release mixed half and half with Fusion.  Great for all glasses and has yet to let me down in the cold winters of New Jersey or the hot & humid weather of sunny Florida.

Do you have a favorite beadmaking book or piece of instructional material?

My absolute favorite book is Josh Simpson: Glass Artist.  He is the international poster boy for becoming a successful glass artist as well as believing in your dreams. 

Do you have a favorite technique?

Encased floral bouquet beads. They challenge all my skills. Each one takes me between 2 - 6 hours to complete. No breaks once the process begins. They are a labor of love.

Are you a “set” person or a “focal bead” person?

I am a focal beadmaker at heart.  Production sets are a necessity, but my passion is to create focals that resemble the inner world feel of a paperweight.

Have you developed a “signature” bead, a unique type of bead that is recognizably yours? Tell us about it, how you developed it, etc.

My Floral Bouquet's, Geometric Beads, and Gothic Elegance series are my primary signature works. The famous paperweight makers of past and present inspired Florals. I greatly admire their interpretation of nature in glass. Geometric's were happy mistakes while practicing common air entrapment techniques. The Gothic series was born out of love for all things made during the Art Nouveau movement, combined with a touch of old world gothic art mysterious fantasy objects.  The struggle to form detailed shape from metal laden glass grants each pendant a unique shape, never to be duplicated.

What was your biggest obstacle to overcome?

Being patient with the fact that glass takes many years to understand. Glass is such an unruly medium. We are forced to sculpt material that we cannot touch and it has a mind of it's own. It is not until we mature across many years that an artist can execute complex detail and design that matches what is seen in your minds eye. It will take a lifetime for me to acquire certain skills above the bead platform and I have just become comfortable with this.

What is the hardest kind of bead to make for you?

Encased works demand the most from me technically.

What is your favorite kind of bead or technique?

Murrine construction is my new time consuming interest.

Do you still have the first beads you made? What do you think of them now?

I do. I keep them and show new students that if I can take this first bead to what you see in the gallery, then YOU can do the same if your willing to pay the price at the torch.

How have your beads changed? Since you started or over the years?

I think they reflect that I am learning and growing slowly into an artist. I am starting to see some of what I would like to achieve in the work.

What was your scariest beadmaking experience?

Reviewing how much money I spent on raw material at the end of each year  :)

Do you have a humorous beadmaking experience or moment to share with us?

I had one lady from Germany who was very reserved and somewhat professional in all her communications during workshop sessions do jumping jacks outside of my studio right before class on the final day. I just about died laughing before I joined in on the fun and surprised her right back. Did I mention she was singing at the same time? Hmmm...  what a sight. It goes to show that you don't know what lies beneath the surface on some of those quiet people.

Have you had any “glass epiphanies” while working – some revelation or understanding? What were they?

Understand that glass needs to be loved into shape not forced. The moment you attempt to hard will the glass into what you want it to be, you will destroy its beauty.

Do you have a technique, method or tip to share?

Understand heat control. Knowing how much heat is in or around your glass at any given time is essential. It is also wise to practice gradient heating and observe building heat in an object as a form of practice exercise. It will make knowing how to heat through specific layers easier when it counts the most.

Do you have any advice or encouraging words for someone who is just starting out in glass?

Understand that annealing is an art form within an art form. Unless you anneal the glass according to the technical specifications for the mass of an object, and shape of the mass it is a structurally unstable time bomb waiting to be compromised. On a related topic it is not wise to intermingle coes. Tell a seasoned glassblower that you use 5-10% of one coe into another and he will begin to smile quietly.

Have you “invented” any new tools, or recycled something that wouldn’t ordinarily be thought of as a tool for lampworking?

I believe that tools complicate glass processes.  I only use tweezers, some pokers, graphite table marver, a couple of optic molds and parallel mashers. I purchased thousands in tools my first three years to just sell them off basically new. I admire pressed beads, however I am a gravity shaper.

Could you share with us some pictures of your studio set up?

You can view my NJ studio setup online at www.StarleensStudio.com

How much time do you spend making beads (in hours) per week? Is it enough?

10-14 hours daily is spent in the studio on an average of 5 days per week. 

What about photographing your beads – what do you use to get your pictures and do you have any tips or tricks to share? 

Invest in a high quality camera, and edit the background without compromising the coloration of the bead in hand. Do not edit out flaws. Let the buyer see your product as is.

Is this a job, or a passion? Or both? How much of making beads/playing with hot glass is about just making them, vs. making a living? 

Glass is my passion that happens to provide a nice living for me. At times, production work is very tedious and there is a temptation to just do it so so, but it is your integrity that drives you to make every bead to the best of your ability. Even the inexpensive ones. Practicing excellence compels you to do your best and accept nothing less. It is an internal measuring stick. Your customers love those little inexpensive items; love making them and it will always be both appreciated and reflected in your work.

Where do you see yourself going with lampworking/glassworking in the future? Or, where do you see it taking you?

I yearn to understand ornate Venetian glassblowing and bench paperweights. The only way to get from where I am now to where I want to be is to just do it. The next phase of my business will be to take some time away from teaching as I spend some time alone hugging my new glory hole and larger studio setup in sunny Florida. It is time for me to break away and become a student for the first time myself. I plan on studying with seasoned artists on topics such as: glass blowing, coldworking, and large-scale sculpture. In a year, or perhaps two, the eight new torch stations will be open to the public for workshops once again. The time away from my students will be missed, but I have waited a few years for the opportunity to break away and take some of the notebooks filled with sketched concepts and processes from paper into reality. Wish me luck!

Do you have a favorite bead, a “best bead.”  Can you share a photograph with us?

My favorite beads are not my best beads. They are samples of concepts and trials of ideas that were somewhat successfully transferred from my paper notebooks to reality. I think one of my nicest beads would be Japanese Water Garden. One of the most technically challenging beads made so far.  All those micro layers of think encasements... whew, makes me tired just thinking about it.