Hot Glass

This is how I look when I'm "in the zone". I have to tell you, the camera flash came as a complete surprise to me even though I asked Aubrey, Kathy's granddaughter (a budding bead-maker!) to take it! I was right there in the hot glass and forgot all about my request. I was describing "the zone" to El, a writer friend of mine recently, in reference to writing, and she observed that it is true for all art. Art takes us somewhere immediate and powerful. It's a beautiful thing. Her blog, Synthetic Culture, is posted at the right. I've been giving some impromptu lampworking lessons at the farm. One of my very favorite things to do is to recycle pretty bottle glass into even prettier beads. That's what I'm doing here, with a slice of brown glass. Later, I add them to jewelry I make, now as a fundraiser for the farm. I had some success with the horsehair bracelets (another kind of recycling altogether.) I'll post a picture of them soon. Next week, on Tuesday and Wednesday, I'll be offline for awhile, as I'll be dipping my toes in the Atlantic to make sure it's still there. I make the pilgrimage to the Jersey Shore once a year, just to check up on it. This year, El will be my partner in crime while Peter holds down the fort.