Yes, she has a real name, Bonnie Lawson, (shhhh
dont
let it out) but we all know her as just Loco ! A departure
from the norm, she incorporates beadmaking and glass
sculpting into her wonderful alien figures.
Read on for more insight on this talented artist amongst
us. artists.
How long have you been making beads?
Almost four years and more than four sanities ago.
What sparked your interest in making beads?
Marbles baby! I wanted to make marbles. Those bead people
were weird!
What
other arts/crafts are you involved in, and if any, how
have they influenced your beadmaking?
I used to make Art Adirondack chairs. I haven't touched
my woodworking tools in ages!
Have you taken classes or are you self-taught? If
you have taken classes, from whom?
For the last 2 years I have attended Glass Stock. I
see it more as workshops, motivation and glassgasm fun
rather than a "class." A year ago I took a
class with Sharon Peters, Wow what a wild trip that
was! I had to be a good girl in class and that's not
easy for me. I did learn to make a "solid"
bead, and let me tell you those solid base beads in
class were difficult. I mean, it had been a couple of
years since I made a solid bead as I was sculpting on
hollows all the time.
Whose
beads or glass work inspires you the most and why?
Can I take a masters final in physics instead of answering
THIS question? No, uh
Well, there are glass people
whom I love and admire: Ms. Booger for her imagination
and skill. Deb Crowley for her laugh and all around
technical perfectness (is that a word?). Shawn Turner
for all her amazing talent and for lecturing my husband
to stop pushing me to make pretty little flower beads.
Any and everyone who makes the pretty little flower
beads I give to my husband when he asks me again to
make pretty little flower beads!
What type of glass do you primarily work with?
104! I like the colors, I like the reactions and I love
to burn it! Sometimes the voices tell me to use boro
and that's fun to burn too.
What torch do you use?
Right now I'm on a Carlisle Wild Cat, but just hooked
up my new Carlisle CC, he's hot, baby!
Do
you have a specific technique you use?
Abuse at will
Hot, fast and fun! When all else
fails I borrow the neighbors kids bubble machine and
turn that sucker on while torching, it's great inspiration!
I suppose I should get my own bubble machine
Do you have a "signature" bead? If so,
how did you develop its concept?
Woo THAT'S a deep subject
. Did I miss the lesson
on signing beads? Lets see, some people recognize my
fishing lures. I started making them because I didn't
have a kiln. Once I got my kiln I started to sculpt
on hollows because I didn't know any better. I'm now
told it's suppose to be difficult and I love a challenge
that's different. Some people recognize my Alien Elephants
and Dragons. I love to stretch the limits of the glass
and torch.
Your very first beads
..do you still have them?
Do you want to show comparison pictures from those to
your present day beads? C'mon, it'll be inspiration
for those just starting out!
Ahhhh no biggie showing them here! Heck they are hanging
right above my workbench. I even sold one, yup I sold
a bead I made on that first day of torching, it was
in a "tribute to bousky AKA Michelle Schomburg."
She was very brave saying yes when I asked her on line
if she wanted to "show me." Poor woman I watched
her make 2 beads, she watched me make 2 beads, then
she got in her car and left
I think I may have
frightened her!
Where is your studio set up? Home, garage, rented
space, etc.?
In my special world
Most people call it a garage,
but I have never understood the concept of putting a
car in a garage. It works well because my wonderful
husband has the kitchen, it's all his! The garage is
all mine!
How much time per week do you make beads?
Wow I didn't know this was going to be a test, lets
see
. Some weeks lots of time, others not enough
and sometimes
Well, my amazing husband asks "Why
don't you go torch?" I think it's because he wants
me out of his way
Is
your bead career a full time job for you? If only part-time;
spare time, what else is your career or your career
aspirations?
My beads make half of my house payment each month. The
rest of the time I have the pleasure of spending about
7 hours a week cleaning. Dirty toilets, exciting and
thrilling, I know, but it gets me out of bed!
Do you teach bead making classes?
My first teaching gig was at Glass Stock this year.
So much for offering up myself as a teachers assistant!
I had a blast sharing the fun of glass with some very
talented people!
Have you had an article published or have been a
featured artist in any publication or website? If so,
when and where?
Bwhahaha No one has been brave enough to ask, until
now
What
new techniques do you want to learn?
Sculpting boro tubing. I've got 100 pounds of the stuff
sitting behind me right now. I'm seeing oddities in
my head that I have not seen others do so I guess I
need to find me a cute boro boy who's brave enough to
show me how to bend, color and torture this stuff! Awwww
come on admit it, everyone would love to learn from
a cutie boro boy!
How would you like your glasswork to develop over
the years? Are you content with beads, or would you
like to expand into other venues, i.e. marbles, vessels,
etc.
Do I make beads? They are made on a mandrel and I suppose
you could put them on a string
But why? I see
freaky goblets and twisted candy dishes. Or maybe I
should call them "salt dishes" as I don't
like candy. Weird hanging things, crazy silly stuff
that would make others convulse in laughter. Basically
ludicrous, absurd dust catchers, that's my goal.
Any
final words of wisdom for those aspiring to learn this
art form?
You've gotta be a little nucking futs to light a torch
and melt glass in the first place so occasionally torture
the glass. Make a bead with bad ends and fix it. Let
that bead crack and fix it. Dunk that bead in your water
jar and fix it. By doing this you will learn not only
about your glass, but you won't freak when something
goes wrong. You'll know how to fix it. And if all else
fails, get a naked Cowboy in your copper tub in the
middle of your living room. It may not help your beads,
but think of the fun you could have!
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