handcrafted glass jewelry
ampworking is a method of softening and manipulating glass rods in an oxygen-propane torch. The glass is wound around a steel mandrel to form beads, or worked freeform to produce other shapes. I use an Italian soda-lime glass that is available in an extensive pallette of colors, which provides me with a great deal of inspiration. As long as it remains warm, the glass can be manipulated with steel and graphite tools to change the overall form as well as the surface pattern. The piece is kept evenly warm to prevent cracking, cooled down slowly, and later annealed in a computer controlled kiln. This removes any remaining stresses from the glass, rendering it able to survive the normal wear and tear involved in being worn as jewelry.
As an admirer of all types of glass as well as of jewelry, I draw upon the long traditions of both in my work. After taking a workshop from Nancy Potek in 1993, the rest of my lampworking education has been self-taught. Many of my pieces developed out of the experimental exploration of the unique qualities of glass and the technical challenges of trying to replicate traditional techniques from all types of glass work. I also draw on images from the expansive history of jewelry and personal adornment around the world, both to develop new ideas and to refine my experiments into practical wearable jewelry. I have a more formal education in metalsmithing and spent four and a half years as a production goldsmith.
My early lampworking focused on beads; refining basic techniques, playing with color, and exploring the sculptural possibilities. In the past few years, I have been exploring freeform shapes which can be developed without the design constraint of working around a hole. A recent series focuses on the effects that can be achieved by sandwiching enamel or chips of glass between opaque and transparent glass. Most recently, I have begun carving my own molds out of graphite into which softened glass is pressed. While people often find my pieces suggestive of various natural and man-made forms, I enjoy keeping them semi-abstract so that each wearer can discover their own associations. I see myself as a jeweler as well as an artist, and strive to create pieces which are comfortable, sturdy, and both visually and tactilely appealing to the wearer.
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e-mail: kait.schott@tilsner.net | phone: (651) 291-0130 | studio: #509
