Spotlight on Rosa Caird
While searching for jewelry to wear at my wedding in 2011, I found a magazine with some really fun glass jewelry. But instead of telling me where to buy some, it told me how to make some!
My first lampworking class was at the Glasscraft Expo in Las Vegas and I have learned countless other techniques there since. Every year I learn something new and head home with an overloaded suitcase and a head full of ideas. Some of the other techniques I’ve learned there are fusing, mold making, soldering, enameling, screen printing, sandblasting, electroforming, and working with metal clay.
I have also taken various lampworking classes, which are great because you get to meet such lovely instructors, facilitators, and fellow students. Some of my lifelong friendships have started that way. I’ve made other fabulous glassy gal pals through groups such as my local Pacific Pyros, the ISGB, and the ASGB. And of course, it has been so fabulous to join the Glass Dragons group, virtually meet many awesome people, and attend such fun zoom meetings. We live far away but feel close in spirit.
With covid forcing us into primarily online communication, there have been more opportunities for online courses. I commend the instructors who have adapted and persevered, and been the pioneers of these new online formats.
My home is Vancouver Island on the West Coast of Canada. It’s a very lush, green place with lots of wildlife both in the water and on the land. Inspiration for creating glass art is everywhere!
For more than two decades I worked for the Department of National Defence in the health and safety field, helping to prevent our sailors from sinking their ships and the maintenance crews from blowing anything up unintentionally.
When the covid isolation and working from home provided me with more free time, I started making daily interchangeable ring toppers and posting them to Facebook. A little torch time and seeing what little treasure was emerging from the kiln each morning helped me keep my sanity and some optimism.
I hope some people get a chuckle from my daily post. Most of my work is cheerful, fun, and optimistic. I try to capture happy moments in time or put an amusing spin on life’s challenges.
One of my favorite things to do in the studio is putting together larger pieces of art, embellished with smaller lampworked pieces. Clocktopus is one example, it’s an 18” clock with a soldered octopus hanger.
The fused base includes twisties, copper cutouts, and murrini. And there are lots of lampworked fish and urchins tack fused or glued on top.
It’s practically guaranteed to make you chuckle when you check the time.
