BSSDC Programs

Judy Carlson, an artist inspired by Nature  

For those of you who can’t see a connection between beadwork and scuba diving, lampwork artist Judy Carlson says the answer is quite simple: inspiration.  “Anything can be inspirational but Nature is definitely my favorite inspiration,” Judy told SDCBS members that attended our March 15 meeting at the Mingei Museum.

Judy overcame some audio and projector malfunctions to show a wonderful series of slides on her pc.  She showed slides of sea creatures, their bead counterparts, and some of her making the beads.   

Our guest speaker recalled how she played with beaded jewelry for years but never felt she “was doing something special enough” until she started making lampwork beads.

“I was always intrigued by the idea of what goes into it (a glass bead) and how glass can be manipulated”, Judy said.

But besides making glass beads and jewelry, her biggest passion lies beneath the sea. She was certified 13 years ago as a scuba diver and in the depths of the ocean is where she finds most of the inspiration for her fabulous bead work critters.

 “The animals are inspiring but so are the shapes, the colors as well as the beautiful and bizarre creatures”, said the Redondo Beach resident who has no qualms admitting her passions for scuba diving and beadwork have taken over her life.

What is Judy’s favorite critter? The sea slug (nudibranchs) which, thanks to the magic of her torch, we were able to see up, close and personal as a whimsical glass bead along with clown fish, stingrays, coconut octopus, dolphins, seahorses, seashells and other unusual sea animals.

Her advice to anyone interested in experimenting in lampworking: practice. “The key to lampworking is to practice. Some things are harder than others to make but it’s all a matter of getting used to the glass.”  

To learn more about this artist and to see Judy’s unique creations go to her website: www.jujeebeads.com