Each month Lampwork Web will feature a new lampwork artist! The feature will include information about the artist, an interview, photos of their work and links to their website and auctions.

September 2006

All Past Featured Artists Here

Tell us a little about yourself: I'm 30. Married with no kids. I am in my last semester of nursing school and am really, REALLY, looking forward to the last day of class on November 8th! I live in Raleigh, NC and am looking forward to the day when we build an indoor studio so I don't have to suffer through the humidity of the summer while torching in the garage.

How long have you been lampworking? I've been a lampworker for just about 3 years now.

How did you get started in glass work? I used to make custom bags and was searching for a supplier for lampwork to use for zipper pulls. After a bit of research I decided that perhaps I might want to try my own hand at making these lovely creations I was seeing. I did a whole ton of reading and research on the 'net and thanks to Wetcanvas and ISGB I took the plunge, bought Cindy Jenkins' books, a Hot Head torch and a bit of glass and that was that. I was hooked!

What is your favorite type of glass to work with? I've only worked in soft glass so up until this point it's been Moretti, Vetrofond, Lauscha and some other odds and ends. I recently started using Bullseye and am looking forward to working more with this new palette. I'm also really looking forward to branching out of soft glass into Boro. My new favorite right now is the R4 silver glass by Ron and Rocio Bearer. That stuff ROCKS!

Do you have a signature bead or design? A style you are known for? Ummm, if I had to pick one I think I'd say I'm "known" for my pressed beads that are encased that usually feature vine stringer designs with simple florals.

Is there anything/anyone special that influences your work? Gives you inspiration? I'm kind of a fly by the seat of my pants person when it comes to making beads. I just grab whatever appeals to me that day in terms of colors, frits, etc and then sit down and see what I can come up with.

What is the longest time you have spent making one bead? My beads aren't really large so not all that long. I think perhaps 20 minutes to be the longest I've spent on one bead.

Some of Yee's work:

click images for larger view

What is your favorite part about making beads? My favorite part about making beads is that there is no limit to what you can do. The color palette is so vast that you are only really limited by your imagination. I love making pressed beads myself because there's something super satisfying about a crisply pressed bead - my OCDness showing here :) There is an inherent coolness factor in being able to take a common raw material and see what you can come up with that's totally unique.

Do you also make jewelry with your beads? Any favorite pieces? I am seriously jewelry design impaired so I leave the jewelry making up to the designers!

Any advice for lampwork bead shoppers? Just know that, like all things, there are varying levels of quality and a smart buyer is a knowledgeable one. Ask if the beads you are about to buy are annealed. Were the beads individually handmade by the artist themselves? Is the person you're buying from a self-representing artist (SRA)? Are the bead holes free of bead release? What is the seller's return policy?

Thank you for sharing your story with us Yee, you have created some astonishing lampwork in the three years you have been torching! We look forward watching your work over the coming years!

Want to become a Featured Artist? Send us an e-mail for an application!