Friday, September 23, 2011

Featured Artist - Julie Van Ember


Julie Van Ember is another Canadian beadmaker. I adore her marbles! Check out her shop she has some stunning pieces. She lives in Alberta and I admit I am a tad jealous, if I could chose any place to be in Canada other than here it'd be Alberta.

How long have you been working in your medium?

I've been lampworking since 2004.

What drew you to this medium?

As with many other hot glass artists, I started out in stained glass. After several years of that, I took a beginner class at the torch.

What's your favorite piece?

Can't really say that I have one at the moment, usually it is my most current work.

What's the hardest piece you've ever made?

I think off mandrel sculptures and marbles are my most challenging pieces.

What’s the one favorite tool you cannot live without?

My brass stump shaper.

What’s your favorite thing about your workspace or studio?

What I really enjoy about my lampworking workspace, is the fact that it takes up so little space. Although a whole room or small building could be turned into a studio, my stainless steel table is really all the space I need. Having said that, my future plans once I move, is a full room with at least 3 torches set up so I can have friends over to play.

What is your other craft?

I still dabble in stained glass and stained glass mosaics. Lately, I've taken up knitting toques as a pass time during the long winter evenings. Crocheting with wire crochet while incorporating beads is another art form that I thoroughly enjoy.

Who or what inspires you? ( include links if you have them)

I've taken classes with well over a dozen renouned lampworkers, so I can't pick just one person that inspires me. But living on the bank of a river, the astounding excitement and beauty of the great outdoors is never far from my mind

What's your favorite inspirational saying?

Although I wouldn't necessarily call this inspirational, I pretty much go with 'go big or go home' for much of my work. I enjoy having a large canvass to decorate plus building beads/marbles from the inside out which in turn creates a large mass of glass.

What's one thing you've never done you always wanted to do?

Go to Australia. Even though my heart belongs in Italy (for the love of glass), Australia is on my list of things to do.


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