Emma Ralph is our ‘Featured British Lampwork Artist’ for the next two weeks. To view the other artists who participate in the British Lampwork group, check the links to the right.
EJR Beads – Emma Ralph
Emma has been passionate about making beads since her teens as a student at Croydon Art College in South London, England. Working in polymer clay, ceramic and lampwork glass, Emma focuses on creating unique Art Beads which have proven popular with jewellery designers and collectors worldwide. She works full-time from her studio in the beautiful North Surrey Downs, selling her work online through her mail order company EJR Beads. Emma finds inspiration in many places “Aside from the more likely sources, I also look to our cultural heritage for inspiration” says Emma. “I am inspired by past British artists, especially their use of colour and motif. These are elements fundamental to bead-making of course, where you must create strong design on a very small ‘canvas’. I love to see how designers as diverse as Charles Rennie Mackintosh or Clarice Cliff for example would approach design and then use what I learn to formulate a series of beads. Bead-making works for me because I am essentially a practical person. I love the functionality of beads and jewellery and I love making colour and design become wearable.”
Emma works in a variety of mediums “Although I have worked extensively in polymer clay and most of my writing has been focused on that medium, beads are where my passion lies. I love exploring different mediums to create them. Sometimes I may have an idea that can only be worked in glass or ceramic say, but other times I might explore the same theme in multiple mediums and just see where I end up. But whatever the material, there will always be new beads at the end of it on that you can depend. Ask any bead-maker - it’s an addiction we cannot break!” Emma has written many articles for both British and American crafts magazines and is the author of two step-by-step polymer clay project books published in the UK, US and Europe. She was a founding advisory panellist for the American magazine Polymer Cafe and is actively involved in many online beading and bead-making communities. Alongside bead-making Emma also owns and runs EJR Beads, an online mail order company selling her Art beads as well as other jewellery-making, craft and polymer clay supplies.
You can see more of Emma’s work on her website at www.ejrbeads.co.uk