Archived Featured Bead Artists
Ania Karolina Kyte,
Amy Waldman Engel,
Barrie Edwards,
Jodi Lindsey,
Rebecca Voris,
Karen Elmquist,
Allison Turner,
Debbie Dimoff,
Margaret Zinser,
Slava Popov,
Faith Davis Ferris,
Helen Harvest,
Dwyn Tomlinson,
Kristy Naray,
Connie Paul,
Rosemary Tottosy,
Jennifer Gurganux,
by: Dwyn Tomlinson
| Beading Times: What
got you started making beads? Jinx Garza: This is a little tale about how one thing leads to another. In 1981, my sister introduced me to Sculpey, the polymer clay you can bake in a toaster oven. It was fun to play with, and I made some beads with it, but I found that I really have no knack for working with clay. I really admire the artists who work in that medium. Beading Times:
Were you interested in making beads before that? |
 |
Beading Times: Did
you take a class?
Jinx Garza: I
didn’t know what to do with the (polymer) beads I made so my best friend Jill
found a bead store (bead store - what a concept!) and we took their three-hour
bead stringing class. That class introduced me to gemstone beads, and for the
next few months I concentrated on making semi-precious gem earrings and bracelets
for family and friends. It was one of those friends who told me about a glass
beadmaking class she had taken. Glass beadmaking? I wasn’t sure I’d heard
her correctly. "Do you mean you buy glass beads and string them into jewelry?"
"No, no," she said, "you actually melt the glass yourself!"
I was fascinated. I told Jill about it, and she promptly signed us up
for a glass beadmaking class — against my wishes, I might add. I was still
having fun with gemstones and wasn’t ready to jump into yet another new thing.
Luckily Jill didn’t listen to me and we took the class.
Beading Times: How
long have you been making glass beads?
Jinx Garza: The
class Jill signed us up for was a one-day Hot Head class in March, 1995. I bought
the kit that very day, and have been making glass beads as a weekend hobby ever
since.
Beading Times: What
has surprised you most about working with glass?
Jinx Garza: I
hadn’t realized how accessible this medium is, both in terms of setting up in
one’s home, as well as how easy it is to learn.
Beading Times: Have
you had anyone that you consider to be a mentor? Tell me about them.
Jinx Garza: I’ve
taken several classes with Kate Fowle Meleney and consider her a friend and
mentor. I could gush all day about how influential she has been, but suffice
it to say, her wisdom and guidance have been invaluable.
Beading Times: What
does your husband, family and friends think of your beadmaking?
Jinx Garza: Everyone
thinks it’s great. I mean, what’s not to love about it? My husband has held
and admired each and every single one of my beads – that’s over 300 beads per
year! He has a really great eye for what works and doesn’t work in a given design.
Beading Times: What
sort of set up do you have for making beads? (Type of torch, gas, kiln, etc.)
Jinx Garza: Minor
torch, Paragon kiln.
Beading Times: Do
you have a favorite product, i.e. bead release, glass, etc.
Jinx Garza: Since
I make a lot of canes, I love the stability a Pyrex punty provides.
Beading Times: What
type of glass do you use?
Jinx Garza: Mostly
Effetre, some Lauscha.
Beading Times: Do
you make sets?
Jinx Garza: No,
but I am so impressed by the work of those artists who express their vision
in pieces that go together in different ways.
Beading Times: Which
do you prefer to make, a pile of beads or a single perfect bead?
Jinx Garza: Neither.
I usually make four to six beads in a session. I’ve never had the desire to
crank ‘em out. Each one is a wonderful adventure, whether it’s "perfect"
or not.
Beading Times: Whose
beads inspire you the most?
Jinx Garza: My
designs can be inspired by almost anything, from the colors in a television
commercial to the atmosphere in a beach town. Oddly enough, I usually don’t
derive inspiration from other beadmakers’ beads; that said, there are many bead
artists whose work I admire. Here’s a link to part of my collection: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/bgould152548/pix/bead.collection.htm
Beading Times: You
have developed a "signature" bead, the "eye bead," that
has become recognizably yours. Tell us about it, how you developed it, etc.
Jinx Garza: Many
ancient cultures believed that Eye beads were imbued with the power to ward
off evil spirits and deflect the Evil Eye, a belief still popular in the Mediterranean
today. This perspective on personal power has fascinated me, and Evil Eyes have
become one of my trademark beads. I love making my own glass canes that I cut
into slices, or murrini chips, to give the irises color and detail.
Beading Times: Have
you experimented with making any other "ancient symbols?"
Jennifer Gurganus: I
haven't played around with making other ancient symbols, but I do incorporate
many hand images into what little jewelry I put together. The Hand of Fatima
is also a symbol of good luck.
Beading Times: What
was your biggest obstacle to overcome?
Jinx Garza: I
have yet to overcome it! I’ve been taught fuming by five different master beadmakers
and have never gotten the hang of it. Which is probably just as well, considering
how toxic it is.
Beading Times: What
is the hardest kind of bead to make for you?
Jinx Garza: I
have found that the more advanced my skills become, the more difficult my beads
are to make. Sometimes I’ll come up from a studio session and whine to my husband
that beadmaking is so hard. He’s very sympathetic and says if it were easy everyone
would do it.
Beading Times: What
is your favorite kind of bead or technique?
Jinx Garza: One
of my favorite techniques is the gravity wave introduced by Jim Smircich at
the Corning Gathering. You draw straight lines with stringer on a long bead
from hole to hole, then heat until molten hot in sections. Just watch the lava
flow!
Beading Times: How
have your beads changed since you started or over the years?
Jinx Garza: Other
than improving technically, they really haven’t changed much.
Beading Times: Do
you still have the first beads you made? What do you think of them now?
Jinx Garza:
I think they’re adorable. I remember making them as if it were yesterday.
Beading Times: What
was your scariest beadmaking experience?
Jinx Garza: Discovering
that I’d set my kiln on high then forgot about it! I smelled something burning
and ran to find blazing red walls crackling inside the 1500 degree kiln and
all my beads melted flat.
Beading Times: Have
you had any "glass epiphanies" while working – some revelation or
understanding? What were they?
Jinx Garza: I
was excited when I figured out how to make perfect circles. Not dots, but circles
as in rings. Simply wrap a large diameter clear rod with opaque, pull into a
cane, then cut slices and place on bead. I use them to let light come through
transparent irises.
Beading Times: Do
you have a technique or method or tip to share?
Jinx Garza: Sure!
In case you missed it in "Spotlight On…The Inner Child", or Wet Canvas,
here’s my Heart Pendant Tutorial:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/bgould152548/pix/Spotlight.htm
Beading Times: Have
you "invented" any new tools, or recycled something that wouldn’t
ordinarily be thought of as a tool for lampworking?
Jinx Garza: I
love the feel of my twisted metalsmith’s scribe, which I use as a pick.
Beading Times: Could you share with us some pictures of your studio set up?
Beading Times: What
about photographing your beads – what do you use to get your pictures?
Jinx Garza: Here’s
a link to my tutorial for using the Sony Mavica FD75: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/bgould152548/pix/index.htm
Beading Times: Do
you sell your beads?
Jinx Garza: Yes,
when I do make beads I sell them on eBay exclusively. I used to sell at shows
and galleries but since May 2000 I sell only on eBay. http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/jinx.garza
Beading Times: Do
you sell the beads by themselves, or already made up into jewelry?
Jinx Garza: I
usually sell single beads, but occasionally I will make up a simple pendant
or earrings.
Beading Times: Where
do you see yourself going with lampworking in the future? Or, where do you see
it taking you?
Jinx Garza: I
don’t have a vision for that. I just make beads when I feel like it. I’ve been
on hiatus for six months now, and I don’t know if I’ll return to glass tomorrow,
next month, or ever. In the past few years, however, my hiatuses have been getting
longer and longer. In fact, I haven’t made a bead in about six months. I'm
not working glass at all right now.
Beading Times: Do
you have a favorite bead, a "best bead."
Jinx Garza: Can
you share a photograph with us? This bead was featured in the 1000 Glass
Beads by Valerie Van Arsdale Shrader:
This one was in Beads of Glass by Cindy Jenkins:
Beading Times is pleased to present a monthly article spotlighting a lampwork bead artist. If you, or someone you know is interested in being featured, please contact dwyn@beadingtimes.com.
