When looking for inspiration you would normally think of sources that can be found in the vicinity of your workshop or, at least, in an accessible distance. Well, I had a closer look at some of my father's wonderful deep sky fotos. I was immediately hooked to the intricate patterns that can be found in outer space... For example the M45 nebula: Or the M33 galaxy: I think you will agree that the virtual chaos and dynamic in these pictures speak for themselves. You can almost

A couple of days ago I had an idea that needed to be realized. I made some of the beads that I really love: Pure eye-candy and so very colorful. May I introduce: My little guardian angels! #Colour #detail #fun

As of today I am proud member of the Hertfordshire Craft Collective. Check it out: www.hertfordshirecraftcollective.co.uk A couple of my beads will be displayed in their wonderful shop. You can sneek a peek here: #Colour #inspiration

On a misty morning on our way to London. The natural colours and the beautiful meandering rivers are breathtaking. #nature #colour #inspiration

Looking at some of my own beads it is easy to see that Kristina is a major inspiration for my work and I admire her style and attention to detail. It was a real pleasure to meet her in person in the Volkmann's studio in Hamburg. I was amazed to see how calm and concentrated Kristina works on every single detail. She draws a lot of energy and motivation from doing yoga. I love all the pieces she brought into the studio. The oblong beads will sometimes be ground and set into a

I really like Claudia's colourful beads with faces of children or little dogs. She also creates complex murrini (for the eyes) and combines these with fine stringer-work. Amazingly her stringers are of regular width but she still manages to achieve amazingly fine detail. Most of Claudia's beads are made of opaque glass and feature an abundance of parallel lines, dots and swirls. The above bead holds two types of murrini. One that is completely melted into the bead so that it

The usual suspects waiting to receive a silver lining... #beads #glass #colour #silver

It was a real pleasure to meet Michael Barley at the Volkmann's studio in Hamburg. I was interested to see how he works with regular Effetre glass and achieves effects that one would normally associate with the use of silver glass. I love the soft transitions between the subtle colours. The slightly irregular oval is one of my favourite shapes. A lovely example of Michael's swirl beads with an abundance of colour. I like the depth. Michael's caterpillar bead. The striations a

A course I have been longing for: Complex murrini with japanese master Akihiro Ohkama. The work on the japanese lamp needs some getting used to. The flame shoots straight up instead of pointing away at a 45 degree angle. The use of Shitake glass complicates matters since it flows like water once it is hot. These are the butterflies we are supposed to produce. The murrini in the above image have been ground and polished. The master only incorporates polished murrini into his b