Beautiful Artwork at the JuxtaCenter

The Juxtacenter in St. Petersburg is home to the salon where we attended the Torch Fired Enamel Workshop last Sunday.

We were surrounded by so much beautiful artwork, in so many different media.

Paintings, of which "Bagel Knees" is one of many:

Lampwork:

Woven baskets:

And sculpture:

Sorry this shot of a striking metal piece is blurry - I just couldn't get my arms to hold still:

And this is a sculpture that was directly across the room from my workstation during the workshop. I thought I had been looking at a big piece of coral, since I have coral, shells, and rocks on display at my house, so it seemed perfectly normal to me. But remember, I am legally blind, so I was caught of guard after class when I went for a closer look, and saw this:

And isn't that a cool table?



And speaking of Torch-Fired Enamel, I have been busy this week searching for and obtaining all the items I need to create my own colorful enamelled beads. I acquired my MAPP cylinder and C-clamp yesterday, as well as a few metal beads to sample in the flame. They may work, they may melt. Their composition is described as "metal" on their tags, so only the flame will tell!

I'm waiting for the metal tins I ordered for the enamel to arrive - they were an online order. And I want MORE BEADS!! I need a reliable source for iron or copper beads, at a reasonable price - anybody have any tips?