Liz Guilmant-Cush
My obsession is my garden studio where I spend most of my working day making glass beads, and then finished jewellery and gifts, for sale.
I live in the beautiful market town of Wimborne in East Dorset. It is close to sea and country and my family and I like to make the most of it, spending as much time as we can exploring the inspiring Jurassic coastline and the many country paths that weave through the county.
I love colour, this doesn’t mean gregarious combinations that you might only see worn at the summer festivals, but subtle and complimentary groups that show off the qualities of the glass that I use. I prefer to make smaller beads with defined patterns but find that there is room for almost anything!
I have been making jewellery now for over 6 years and started lampworking in June 2007. I trained at the Liquid Glass Centre, near Bath, and have followed this with tutorials from two of the country’s leading bead lampworkers, Sally Carver and Laura Sparling.
In August 2009 I taught my first pupil and have received excellent feedback from students. I take pride in demonstrating my art and helping people make their first bead.
My beads and jewellery are currently sold direct to customers and through selected local outlets, including a permanent exhibition at Wimborne’s Walford Mill Craft Centre. I will be taking part in Dorset’s premier art exhibition, Dorset Arts Weeks in May/June 2010.