Home Studio Show and Sale

Saturday, November 14th
11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
please e-mail me for address and directions
torchsong@joycerooks.com

After many years of traveling to shows I've decided to stay at home and invite you over for a visit. I've got lots of new designs in jewelry, fused glass and glass beads.
Refreshments will be served, I look forward to seeing you!

Summer endings, fall beginnings

Sacred Heart perfume bottle.
I've done several variations of these and I think this is the best one so far.

I just returned home from the first night of rehearsals with the Palomar Symphony Orchestra. Sibelius, Borodin and Mozart are on the bill for our fall concert. I've got my work cut out for me.
This has been a challenging summer on so many levels but I still managed to have a good amount of fun in spite of it all. Bead and jewelry business has been almost non-existent for me and I was let go from my part-time job. Fortunately I've been teaching at the Crafts Center and instead of being totally bummed out about my situation, I've had a chance to experiment and play with glass a whole bunch. Nancy Nagel was in town taking a break from Tucson and I was able to spend time with her and work on my borosilicate tubing skills. She really knows how to work with color and her pieces are so much fun. Her work can be seen in Contemporary Lampworking and Formed of the Fire, both books by Bandhu Scott Dunham. It was a real privilege to get to hang with her and while I'm at it, I have to say that I feel so fortunate that I've been able to keep company with so many fantastic artists and musicians over the years. I've learned so much from those who I consider to be tops in their areas of expertise. I would never even consider myself to be a maestro or virtuoso in any of the things that I do but I like to think that I am fairly good at some of it. I can be very focused but I don't have the temperament to focus on just that one thing always. I must have some sort of artist ADD! Whatever, it doesn't stop me from continuing to learn as much as I can about whatever interests me.



I've posted my fall class schedule and some other upcoming events on my website. Things are picking up and stuff keeps getting added to my calendar. I'll have additional updates soon.

My Life and the UCSD Crafts Center

I went looking for a picture of the Crafts Center and all I could find was this picture of the rooftop and the eucalyptus grove in which the center sits. I've been learning and teaching here off and on for over 30 (yes!) years. In the beginning there were potters wheels in two small rooms and a patio along with the kiln and glaze area. The place has since expanded into a full service jewelry studio, hot shop, metal working, neon, photography, glass fusing, lampworking, the Grove Gallery and various workshop classes from weaving to guitar. I learned everything about ceramics, kilns and glazes from Ron Carlson, the founder and director of the center and I began my teaching career here. Over the years I have had other jobs but I always seem to return here. It is like a second home to me. In the early 1990's I came back after working for several years in the music business. It was here that I took my first glass bead making class and the rest is history as they say.
Crafts Center classes and workshops are open to UCSD students, staff, faculty and all interested members of the community at large. Located in the center of the campus, the center provides personal enrichment and creative educational opportunities to individuals wishing to develop artistic skills in an active studio-classroom situation. Although the Crafts Center is located on the campus of UCSD it is not a part of the visual arts department or extension. When I tell people about the center and suggest classes it is frustrating when they say things like "oh it's so expensive" or "it's a pain to park" etc... but then they spend $500-$1000 to take a class that they have to travel far to get to and then pay for hotel and everything that goes with it. There is no pretending that it is Corning or Penland or any of the other fantastic studios around the country but the Crafts Center is the only facility of it's kind in Southern California. The instructors are good and the price is very right. Please take a look, take a class and tell your friends. www-crafts.ucsd.edu

La Noche de la Fusion

Here are pictures from La Noche de la Fusion, a celebration and show of art by Gary Baseman held last Saturday in Los Angeles. I improvised the musical score to a performance that included models and dancers in costumes designed by the artist (in the robes). This is the before and after cocoon to metamorphosis of the butterfly.

This was the end to a very long day which started early Saturday morning at Brea Bead Works where I taught a glass bead making class. The class, facility and owners Scott and Wendy Remmers were all fantastic. I'm looking forward to teaching there again!

Spring Classes

I have a new batch of classes that I’ll be teaching this spring at the UCSD Crafts Center and at Brea Bead Works. Please see my website for more information, schedule and descriptions of the glass bead making and fusing classes that I’ll be teaching in the next several weeks. Come learn, have fun, make things out of glass and not break the bank!

www.joycerooks.com

UCSD Crafts Center
BEGINNING GLASS BEAD MAKING
Learn all the basics!
8 weeks Wednesdays, 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. April 8-May 27

NEXT STEPS IN GLASS BEAD MAKING
Individual 1 day workshops, choose your interest or take them all!
Pre requisite: Beginning glass bead making
Section I Encasing plus… Saturday April 25 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Section II Frits, foils and powders Saturday May 16 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Section III Hollow wound beads Saturday May 23 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

INTRODUCTION TO GLASS FUSING
Come learn the basics and explore the many possibilities of fused glass!
8 Weeks Thursdays, 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. April 9-May 27

http://www-crafts.ucsd.edu/

Brea Bead Works

Bead Skills with Joyce $95
In this intermediate workshop we will move from the basics of making simple beads and into more complex shapes and design, working larger and utilizing various decorative effects. We’ll cover basic cane and murrini making, decorative stringers and encasing. Heat control, color chemistry and tools will be discussed along with ways of working with more precision and a refinement of skills. This is a process-oriented class with an emphasis on how to achieve consistent results in your bead making. Pre-requisite: Intro to Flameworking.
Saturday, May 2 10a.m.-5p.m.

http://www.breabeadworks.com