1000 tiny masterpieces literally glowing with creativity.

Examine magnificent glass bead works of art including jewelry and sculptural pieces from the top names in the field today, as well as exciting works from emerging artists. Their exquisite designs reflect the diversity and innovation of beadmaking techniques from around the world.Simultaneously fine art and functional, wearable and collectible, these glass treasures will astound you with their originality and artistry.

Beads, the result of an almost mystical combination of fire and glass, have special allure; they can be transparent or opaque, multicolored or colorless, utilitarian or totally frivolous. But they remain endlessly fascinating ornaments. Examine the best of contemporary glass bead design from the most exciting artists working in the field today through spectacular color photographs and accompanying notes on the work. Individual expression, diversity, and experimentation abound in these tiny glass treasures from around the world.

  Elizabeth Ryland Mears’s flameworked beads are sandblasted and mounted in a presentation box. Bruce St. John Maher’s dichroic beads are fused and then coldworked at the lapidary wheel. Leah Fairbanks incorporates metal foils and wires to reflect the intricate, twining forms of the natural world. From single beads to beads in jewelry or sculpture, lampworked to kilnformed, you’ll see it all on display here.

  Some of the pieces are whimsical. Take, for example, the jointed teddy bear by Ginny Sycuro, Karen Moyer’s chic "Ladies Who Lunch," and Michael Schmidt’s fun and funky sculpture "I Feel Good," inspired by James Brown’s song...

Introduction

The’Beads

Index of Contributing Artists

Acknowledgments