I am honored to have been selected for the Stichting la Jetée NDSM Art City Artist in Residency program in Amsterdam.  Once a shipyard on the banks of the River IJ in Amsterdam Noord, the NDSM (Nederlandsche Dok en Scheepsbouw Maatschappij) wharf area has transformed into a thriving cultural hub in recent years, boasting a vibrant artist community.

 

The objective of my residency tenure is to express a unique understanding of nature through contemporary and creative use to painting and glass bead making.  Inspired by Vincent van Gogh, and the Fauvre and Cobra movements, I aim to elevate bead making as a form of personal and artistic expression.  To accomplish this, I use flameworking to create 10-15 mm glass beads based on paintings of natural landscapes to be used for artisan jewelry and inspirational (“prayer”) beads for meditation and self-reflection, thus creating “wearable landscapes” that connect people to the history and significance of glass beads in art and meditation.  This innovative approach to flameworking is an artform which uses glass as a medium and works the glass as one would paint.

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My Artist in Residency at Stichting la Jetée NDSM Art City will bring unique perspectives and influences on the local Dutch arts community, thus fostering a more vibrant and diverse artistic culture.  I hope to share ideas and opportunities across boundaries, build bridges between different artistic communities and promote understanding.  Introducing lampwork glass to local artists who may not be familiar with the concept and receiving feedback from peers will allow me to enhance my artwork further and create innovative ideas.