Handmade Lampwork Glass Bead Jewelry by Artist, Patty Kampmann
Fellow beadmakers and designers, I am inspired to create new things wherever I look. Whether it is a new top for a special occasion,a customer request, or a bouquet of flowers with a wonderful arrangement of colors and textures, the ideas keep coming. I do market research all the time on trends and styles, and I think I have come up with something that truly identifies my work as different from others. I especially enjoy admiring the work of fellow beadmakers and designers and I am without a doubt inspired by their work. I do not, however copy their work, but use it as a springboard for my own creations. I have been at this since 1994, and believe me, I have learned the hard way throughout. My biggest lesson was to not try to be all things to all people. Narrow my style until it is just that. My style. I hope you find what brings you the greatest artistic joy and pursue it to the fullest. Nothing is more rewarding.
I recently read a lampwork book entitled" The Brightly Colored Beads and Vessels of Heather Trimlett" by James R. Kervin. The book celebrates the work of a very talented bead artist and showed step-by-step instructions on how to create the beads. While it is probably impossible to copyright a bead design, or the design of a piece of beaded jewelry, James makes a wonderful point at the end of his book. With his permission, I have included the excerpt. Beautifully stated, it may help put into focus what your goals are as a designer and bead artist and create your own sense of style.
From The Brightly Colored Beads and Vessels of Heather Trimlett, by James R. Kervin, Published by Glass Wear Studios. Glasswearstudios@comcast.net
"...If you sell your beads, do not fall into the trap of thinking that you can go out, make identical beads, and sell a bunch of them. That idea may work in the short term but if you are ever to really make it as a nationally-known beadmaker, you need to develop your own recognizable style. Selling work that is an obvious knock-off of someone else's work will not be received well by savvy customers and they will think the worse of you because of it. People in the bead community can recognize such work and word gets around quickly. So, instead, use this information as a springboard to develop your own style. This does not mean that you could not come up with your own line of hollow or squiggle beads, but the ones you come up with should be easily recognizable as something different than what you have seen here.
You can use anything as a source of inspiration. As an example, you could look to the shapes of things around you like fabric for inspiration.Their shapes can often serve as a perfect point to jump off into your own bead decorations. All you have to do is put your mind to it and you can come up with something that is uniquely yours. If you cannot do it all in one step, work at it as a slow evolutionary process. Take these new ideas and run with them. You will be better off for the experience."
I recently read a lampwork book entitled" The Brightly Colored Beads and Vessels of Heather Trimlett" by James R. Kervin. The book celebrates the work of a very talented bead artist and showed step-by-step instructions on how to create the beads. While it is probably impossible to copyright a bead design, or the design of a piece of beaded jewelry, James makes a wonderful point at the end of his book. With his permission, I have included the excerpt. Beautifully stated, it may help put into focus what your goals are as a designer and bead artist and create your own sense of style.
From The Brightly Colored Beads and Vessels of Heather Trimlett, by James R. Kervin, Published by Glass Wear Studios. Glasswearstudios@comcast.net
"...If you sell your beads, do not fall into the trap of thinking that you can go out, make identical beads, and sell a bunch of them. That idea may work in the short term but if you are ever to really make it as a nationally-known beadmaker, you need to develop your own recognizable style. Selling work that is an obvious knock-off of someone else's work will not be received well by savvy customers and they will think the worse of you because of it. People in the bead community can recognize such work and word gets around quickly. So, instead, use this information as a springboard to develop your own style. This does not mean that you could not come up with your own line of hollow or squiggle beads, but the ones you come up with should be easily recognizable as something different than what you have seen here.
You can use anything as a source of inspiration. As an example, you could look to the shapes of things around you like fabric for inspiration.Their shapes can often serve as a perfect point to jump off into your own bead decorations. All you have to do is put your mind to it and you can come up with something that is uniquely yours. If you cannot do it all in one step, work at it as a slow evolutionary process. Take these new ideas and run with them. You will be better off for the experience."
Handmade Lampwork Glass Bead Jewelry by Artist, Patty Kampmann
Patent # 6318122