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Jenny's
love affair with glass - and making jewelry - goes back farther
than she can remember. Even her first play blocks had holes in
them. Jenny's interest in glass grew as she moved from
Native-American style beadwork into metalwork. "I wanted to
learn glass when I first enrolled at the University of Oregon in
1984" she says , "but they only offered metalsmithing.
So I took that instead, and learned many skills I still use
today - like making two earrings that match." In 1992 Jenny
had her first class in glass beadmaking, or' lampwork', at the
Pratt Center for Fine Arts in Seattle.
Lampwork
is an ancient method of making beads, by melting rod glass in an
open flame, and forming it into beads freehand, at roughly
14-hundred degrees. While many glass bead makers see the bead
itself as the finished product, Jenny sees it as part of a
process. "Because I am a jeweler first, and a bead maker
second, my work is somewhat different" from that of most
other glass artists. Jenny envisions a completed work, then
prepares components as parts of a whole. She also draws
inspiration from the traditional Venetian glass beads.
"I've always adored the antique beads, and like to capture
that warmth. And because I use the Italian glass, I'm drawn to
classic color combinations." But she isn't limited by the
old -- her updated versions of ancient 'eye' beads are decidedly
space-age, fittingly called "Sputniks" after the early
Soviet space capsule. Some of the beads are made from dichroic
glass, a scientific spectral glass used in the space shuttle and
supermarket scanners. Even traditional 'latticino' twist becomes
'DNA' in Jenny's hands. Once cooled, the beads are strung with
silver, semi-precious stones, pearls, crystal, cut glass or
antique beads for a sense of balance. "I especially love to
mix the intricate, sterling silver from Bali with my bright
glass beads." In addition to her hours at the torch and
jeweler's bench, Jenny spends three- quarters of her working
time behind a microphone at public radio station KLCC in Eugene.
Since
1988, Jenny has been the mid-Oregon voice of Morning Edition, a
news program from National Public Radio. "I really love
radio" she says "and it gives me some freedom to
pursue my art. But I still hate to get up so early in the
morning!" Jenny is also an armchair musicologist, who puts
her African music collection to work as a substitute host for
Tropical Beat, KLCC's world music program. In addition, Jenny
does freelance voice work, and sings whenever possible. As for
the personal stuff? "No kids, no dogs, no husbands - just
careers, and a lot of laughs". Jenny and her friends - -
the Retronesians - - relax with cool beverages and swinging
tunes in their own backyard Tiki Lounges. "Tiki is a state
of mind, located somewhere near the intersection of Tahiti and
the '50's" says Jenny. Maybe that explains all those
tropical flowers in her beads! |
