Established since 2008
Quality lampwork glass beads, accessories and jewellery, all hand crafted by Helen Gorick.
Quality lampwork glass beads, accessories and jewellery, all hand crafted by Helen Gorick.
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what is lampwork?
Lampwork is the name of the process used to melt coloured rods of glass in a flame and manipulate the molton glass into various objects. You will also see it referred to as flamework.
about helen
Having studied metal smithing and jewellery at college, I have been dipping in and out of the contemporary jewellery trade for more than 20 years.
I first started making silver jewellery at college gaining a BTEC in General Art & Design, specialising in Jewellery. I then went on to study jewellery at HND level and in 1999 I was awarded a Princes Trust loan to set up my own designer/maker, contemporary jewellery business. I sold my work in galleries and craft shows, locally in Devon in the early days and extending nationwide. Silversmithing was my main income for 8 years and I have always been busy making something since, including engagement rings and wedding bands for friends and family.
During 2007 I discovered lampworking - the art of melting coloured rods of glass using a flame to create various objects. After developing my skills virtually full time from my very first class, I launched my business and taught my first lampwork class in 2009. Since then I have taken several masterclasses myself with notable national and international lampwork artists including: Kristina Logan, Diana East, Astrid Riedel and Lucio Bubacco.
Some of my art beads can take as long as 3 hours to create to the point where I find it difficult to stop. The challenge of keeping such a bead intact whilst working on it is huge yet very satisfying and one wrong move or distraction could find it in pieces on the bench and impossible to repair. For me this just adds to the excitement and demanding nature of working with such a finicky medium. I love to create as much depth into my beads, creating a piece you can really look into and I achieve this by layering colours with crystal clear glass. Lampworking has also awakened a hidden love of colour within me and I find the colours themselves give me inspiration and stimulate colour combination ideas continuously. I often make “sets” of beads where the design in each one may be different but the colours form the link between them, the skill being to create as many different designs in that particular combination as possible.
In April of 2014 I was delighted to be one of the 4 guest artists at the UK Flame Off, the biggest event of its kind in Europe where I hosted an advanced class and presented demonstrations throughout the weekend. I have written tutorials for national and international magazines and had work featured in several books.
If you would like to see my work in person, I attend a few high quality shows across the South West so please see the events page for the next event. I also welcome studio visitors but so I can give you my full attention, please arrange a time beforehand to avoid clashing with a class I may be running.
Teaching Lampwork and Silversmithing from my East Devon studio gives me great pleasure and I offer a range of tuition packages to suit all abilities. The excitement when someone makes their first bead is simply infectious.
I am a member of The International Society of Glass Beads (ISGB) and am listed with them as an instructor. Their website gives some valuable information with regards to choosing a good instructor and I am happy to answer any questions you may have prior to booking your class.
I first started making silver jewellery at college gaining a BTEC in General Art & Design, specialising in Jewellery. I then went on to study jewellery at HND level and in 1999 I was awarded a Princes Trust loan to set up my own designer/maker, contemporary jewellery business. I sold my work in galleries and craft shows, locally in Devon in the early days and extending nationwide. Silversmithing was my main income for 8 years and I have always been busy making something since, including engagement rings and wedding bands for friends and family.
During 2007 I discovered lampworking - the art of melting coloured rods of glass using a flame to create various objects. After developing my skills virtually full time from my very first class, I launched my business and taught my first lampwork class in 2009. Since then I have taken several masterclasses myself with notable national and international lampwork artists including: Kristina Logan, Diana East, Astrid Riedel and Lucio Bubacco.
Some of my art beads can take as long as 3 hours to create to the point where I find it difficult to stop. The challenge of keeping such a bead intact whilst working on it is huge yet very satisfying and one wrong move or distraction could find it in pieces on the bench and impossible to repair. For me this just adds to the excitement and demanding nature of working with such a finicky medium. I love to create as much depth into my beads, creating a piece you can really look into and I achieve this by layering colours with crystal clear glass. Lampworking has also awakened a hidden love of colour within me and I find the colours themselves give me inspiration and stimulate colour combination ideas continuously. I often make “sets” of beads where the design in each one may be different but the colours form the link between them, the skill being to create as many different designs in that particular combination as possible.
In April of 2014 I was delighted to be one of the 4 guest artists at the UK Flame Off, the biggest event of its kind in Europe where I hosted an advanced class and presented demonstrations throughout the weekend. I have written tutorials for national and international magazines and had work featured in several books.
If you would like to see my work in person, I attend a few high quality shows across the South West so please see the events page for the next event. I also welcome studio visitors but so I can give you my full attention, please arrange a time beforehand to avoid clashing with a class I may be running.
Teaching Lampwork and Silversmithing from my East Devon studio gives me great pleasure and I offer a range of tuition packages to suit all abilities. The excitement when someone makes their first bead is simply infectious.
I am a member of The International Society of Glass Beads (ISGB) and am listed with them as an instructor. Their website gives some valuable information with regards to choosing a good instructor and I am happy to answer any questions you may have prior to booking your class.
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