Name: Barbara Svetlick
Website Link: http://www.barbarasvetlick.com
Where are you located? Florida
Tell us a bit about yourself: I am by profession a paralegal in criminal law and have lived in Fort Lauderdale since I was in high school. My true passion is found in my fiction writing of short stories and poetry, working with pen and watercolor washes, my complete obsession for music [and my well known love of musician Chris Isaak and the Silvertones] but my muse is definitely in glass sculpture art. I have always created in one art form or another but glass art has held my interest longer then any other form. I am a member of The International Society of Glass Beadmakers [ISGB] and work as a volunteer for the Self Representing Artists Project [SRA] for glass beadmakers. I love encouraging artists no matter what their muse and I love instilling passion in life.
After the Ball
When did you start designing jewelry/art? I started designing jewelry around 2001 and creating glass beads and sculpture flowers around 2002.
What do you make? I make small sculptural flowers and leaves with soft glass and enamels.
What materials and methods do you use? I work mostly with Bullseye Glass [soda lime glass] and Thompson Enamels. Everything is created using my GTT Lynx torch and a variety of small tools for shaping and molding the molten glass. My flowers are all made on the mandrel with glass bails in the back for using in jewelry and are designed specifically for jewelry artists.
Where do your design inspirations come from? Mostly from the music and the nature found all around me. Living in South Florida the foliage and natural settings is abundant. I now design my flowers then test them in my own jewelry designs to test them. I am currently working on flowers that can be used with silk ribbons and natural stringing materials.
What is your best working environment/where is your studio? My personal studio is in my house and my larger working studio is in a small cottage in my backyard. My best working environment is with my Ipod on and the world tuned out so that it is just me and the torch.
Where can your products be seen? http://www.barbarasvetlick.com
http://www.riverofglassstudio.com
http://www.beadartists.org/BarbSvetlick
Upcoming events: I don’t do shows except for the I.S.G.B. Gathering which is held annually.
Magazine articles or press: I am published in Bead Review Book 2 published by Brad Pearson; Beaded Jewelry – The Complete Guide by Susan Ray [Jewelry Artist Sandra Webster using my flowers]; Glass Bead Workshop by Jeri L. Warhaftig; The Annealer Magazine [Winter/Spring 2008]; Metamorphosis the Life Cycle of a Glass Bead by ISGB [2007 Exhibit and Catalog]; Out of the Box by ISGB [2008 Exhibit and Catalog]; The Herald Standard 6/28/07; Pittsburgh Post Gazette 6/4/07; and my flowers will be in the October 2008 issue of Bead & Button.
Rosebud bracelet
Who are you a fan of? Pam Dugger who is my mentor, partner and best friend is my favorite artist. Then probably Barbara Becker Simon, Sara Sally LaGrand, Wayne Robbins and Lewis Wilson. Becky Meverden is my favorite Polymer Artist and designer and Barbara Becker Simon is my favorite PMC and Glass artist and designers and Sara Sally LaGrand is the most innovated glass artist I have ever met. Pam, Wayne and Lewis encourage my sculpture work by their talent.
Tell us a little about one of your favorite creations (shown below): My favorite piece is call ‘Key’s Hibiscus’ that is one purple hibiscus flower surround by yellow hibiscus. It’s clean and simple but just pulls you into nature with a great force. I grow hibiscus and they are the most difficult to create but they are stunning.
Anything else you wish to add? I do nothing in life or in my work that isn’t done with passion. You will frequently find my love of writing, painting and music intertwined with my glass sculpture work.
Key's Hibiscus
6 Comments
August 23, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Oh, wow, you have such imagination. The flowers look so real. Great work!
August 23, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Barb makes the most amazing flowers I have ever seen. I have long been an ardent admirer of her stunning work…..which just seems to get better and better!
I am honored to have used some of her exquisite flowers and leaves in one of a kind designs that I have offered to my customers over the past few years.
August 23, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Fantastic artistry! I have a beautiful necklace made by Barb that hangs as a “light” chime when I’m not wearing it. Barb’s creations receive more compliments that any other jewelry I wear.
August 25, 2008 at 2:40 pm
I absolutely love your flowers! I think yours are the most realistic ones being made today. The flowers in that necklace you showed above (next to the question about when you started designing) are very similar to ones I bought from you on Ebay. I hope you will continue to make more like those, especially with the gradient colors!
August 25, 2008 at 7:17 pm
What an honor to do this interview.
Pippit those are my spring flowers which actually went into a sculpture piece [with over 60 flowers] but I’ll try to get more made in the next few weeks because they are some of my favorite in colors.
September 3, 2008 at 11:39 am
I have found a new bead maker for my favorites list. You do beautiful work!