I have collected all of my life, starting with rocks and shells as a grade-schooler, and progressing to limited edition art and ephemera.
In the mid-1990′s, I returned to an old love, beads. This timing was fortunate, as lamp work beads and beads in general were becoming a growing concern. I attended the Embellishment Shows in Austin and Houston, where the beauty of artist-created lamp work beads were spread before me. I joined the local bead club, and scoped out the local bead stores.
With the passage of time, my tastes grew more sophisticated, as did the lamp work beads being offered. I attended a demonstration at a club show in Austin. Then I took a lampwork bead making class, also in Austin. This class gave me the knowledge to further appreciate the skill and talent required to make the beads and to keep developing new styles.
On this site I will attempt to educate you, the reader, in the beauty and variety of lamp work beads. I am not affiliated with any organization or retail outfit, and any mention of specific artists is based on my observation of their beads. I collect lamp work beads in a relatively small way, and will continue to do so.
I am using a nom de plume in order to remain beneath the radar to bead artists and others that might try to influence my opinion (although that would not be easy). I wish to remain anonymous within the beading community in order to remain neutral to anything but my own assessments. And my opinion will be worth every penny you pay for it.
I hope you find this site useful. I encourage you to look at magazine, books, catalogs and the actual beads and decide for yourself which beads are good, which beads are better and which beads are best.