Lara Lutrick

by Lara Lutrick
(Seattle)

My name is Lara Lutrick and I have been making lampwork beads since 1997. While at a local arts and crafts fair, I saw and bought my first true artisan lampwork bead. The artist told me that there were classes at my local bead store. I took the class and was immediately hooked. Lampworking is my passion; it feeds my soul and my need to create.

Using a flame to manipulate glass into a bead is like magic. The solid glass becomes a viscous liquid, which can be manipulated into untold numbers of objects. As an art form, bead making is unique. The results are immediate and the art is wearable and can be used in creating beautiful jewelry.

My favorite type of bead is “organic.” This is a loose term for free-form or abstract beads that do not have a particular pattern. I like to use metal (silver, copper or gold) foil or leaf in my beads to help create more colors and textures than can be created by using the glass alone. It is always fun to experiment with these techniques, and the best part is the bead turns out unique each time. I also use a lot of glass twisties. These are molten globs of glass that are twisted together to form a candy-cane like rod of glass. Twisting the glass this way adds layering and depth of color to the finished piece.

Incorporating my beads into jewelry makes each mini piece of artwork wearable.

Recently I have started to collaborate with my father, David Lutrick, who is a woodturner. My dad is using my beads to accent his turned vessels.

I make beads part time, but my full-time job is as an RN in a local family practice clinic. I enjoy helping people understand their health and health care.

My beads are sold online on Artfire (www.lutrick.artfire.com) and Etsy (www.lutrick.etsy.com) and finished jewelry and collaborative vessels can be seen at Up Front (art) gallery in Issaquah Washington.