Cory Lawson

The path of my early adult life did not lead me into the art world. No, not at all. As a college student, a long time ago, I found myself with no money for food or tuition. So , I got a support job in a virology lab at Colorado State University. What seemed like a calamity of poverty actually led me to a research career in the biochemical and analytical sciences that spanned 20 years. And the artist? The artists in me was always there in the lab, whispering, and commenting on experimental results. "But are they beautiful, too?" And they were.

In 1999, I began to pursue lampwork beadmaking after seeing a photo of a gorgeous handmade bead. A transformation occurred in me. Instead of the artist whispering to me as she did in the lab, the voice became urgent, "You must create!" When I am at the torch making beads there is no passage of time. There is no awareness of anything other than the diminutive sculpture of that moment. It is all consuming. When my beads look like they are tribal and mysterious gifts from our Mother Earth, I am satisfied.

My work now includes metalsmithing. While I find lampwork to be rhythmic and flowing, metalsmithing is a more deliberate process and there is a greater level of absolute control. When I'm working in metal my brain is exercising its analytical muscle. Lampwork is like dangerous finger painting, but metalwork is more like a jigsaw puzzle that is hammered, filed, and polished. The marriage of these venerable art forms brings me full circle, balance, and freedom. I relish using fine metals and lampwork to create integrated jewelry that reflects the spiritual nature of the person who wears it.

Beads from Fire
Cory Lawson
18804 Melrose Rd.
Glencoe, MO 63038
636-458-1447
e-mail Beads from Fire
BeadsfromFire.com

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