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Barbara Svetlick – Sculpture Glass Artist

Barbara Svetlick - Keys Hibiscus

Are you strictly a bead maker or do you also create sculptures or figurines?
I am basically a glass sculpture artist though my flowers are beads and are made on a mandrel.

Do you have a favorite style of lampwork beads, such as animals, perfectly placed dots, organic, etc?
I don’t know if I have a favorite style though I tend to lean towards organic inspired beads and encased floral focals.

Do you remember the first time you saw a lampwork object? What was it? Did you want to learn how to lampwork as soon as you saw it?
The first bead I saw was a Clown Fish on a necklace made by Pam Dugger, and I whined so much she gave it to me. It’s still my favorite necklace, but it was probably another few years before I decided to learn.

What is your favorite color or color combination?
I think Gold Purple and Pumpkin Orange.

Do you have a favorite tool?
I have bought a lot of glass tools, but my favorite are ordinary things you find in the store like all of my needle nose pliers and a little tiny spoon for my powdered glass.

Barbara Svetlick - Midnight Passion

If you had unlimited resources, how far on the planet would you go to get a lampwork bead or sculpture that you wanted?
There would be no barriers, but I’m much more interested in meeting the artist than collecting. I think inspiration comes from the passion that artists put into their work, and I am always amazed at how incredibly innovated the mind can be.

Where do you hear about new techniques or see new beads?
Mostly in magazines or books. I rarely look at work or techniques online.

Did you learn how to lampwork by teaching yourself or from a friend or from a class or book?
I sat down in front of the torch with Passing The Flame and just practiced until I made something that resembled a bead. Once I mastered keeping the glass on the mandrel I moved into sculpture flowers and haven’t gone back to beads though when I am stressed I love making hollow beads.

Do you ever visit lampwork forums?
If so, is it for the social aspect, to see the beads being posted, or to learn a new technique?
I occasionally visit the forums but only for socializing. I’ve made a lot of incredibly good friends from the forums and shows.

Other than lampwork what else do you enjoy doing?
I love writing fiction and quirky poetry, I love music and going to concerts, creating sculptures in mixed mediums, I draw with pen and ink when I need inspiration, and I love adding silver and other metals in my jewelry designs.

Barbara Svetlick

What is the hardest technique you have ever attempted, ie florals, implosions? Stringer control. I know it should be easy but I can’t draw a straight line using a ruler, so it eludes me. No matter how many techniques I use, I can’t get an acceptable stringer down.

What is the next technique you would like to learn?
To make off the mandrel sculptures and to create better canes for my hibiscus flowers.

Do you love your wonkie beads as much as your other ones?
Nope. Making beads is like learning to cook and I don’t talk about those recipes that made the trash either.

Barbara Svetlick – Sculpture Glass Artist