What is SRA (Self Representing Artist)?:

~ A self representing artist has spent a great deal of time perfecting their work. They love their work and want their clients to love it to. The love of the art is what keeps the self representing artist creating. Most self representing artists have quality guarantees. If you have a problem with an item purchased, most artists will work with you to make it right. A self representing artist's reputation for creating and selling quality items is very important to them.

What is Lampworking?

~Lampworking is glassworking using a torch to melt and shape the glass. It is also known as flameworking or torchworking, as the modern practice no longer uses oil-fueled lamps. Although the art form has been practiced since ancient times, it became widely practiced in Murano, Italy in the 14th century. In the mid 19th century lampwork technique was extended to the production of paperweights, primarily in France, where it became a popular art form, still collected today.

Early lampworking was done in the flame of an oil lamp, with the artist blowing air into the flame through a pipe. Most artists today use torches that burn either propane or natural gas for the fuel gas, with either air or pure oxygen (which can be produced by an oxygen concentrator) as the oxidizer. It was not until the late 1960s that lampwork became recognized as a serious art form by German born lampwork glass artist Hans Godo Frabel who utilized his scientific glassblowing training to create relatively large pieces of lampwork glass art in borosilicate.

What is Annealing?:

~Annealing, in glassblowing and lampworking, is the process of heating, and then slowly cooling glass to relieve internal stresses. The process, carried out in a temperature-controlled kiln known as a Lehr[1], makes the glass much more durable. Glass which has not been annealed is liable to crack or shatter when subjected to a relatively small temperature change or other shock.

The glass is heated until the temperature reaches a stress-relief point, that is, the "annealing temperature" at which the glass is still too hard to deform, but is soft enough for the structure of the material to flow together. The piece is then allowed to heat-soak until its temperature is even throughout. The time necessary for this step varies depending on the type of glass and thickness of the thickest section. The glass is then slowly cooled at a predetermined rate until its temperature is below a critical point when the internal stresses are balanced with the surface tension on the face of the glass. Then the temperature can safely be dropped to room temperature. After the annealing process the material can be cut to size, drilled or polished.

Tempered glass must be converted to annealed glass before cutting or grinding.

What is SRJA (Self-Representing Artist Jewelry Designer)?:

~ An SRAJD member sells the jewelry that they designed and created.  When you purchase from an SRAJD member, you are buying directly from and supporting the artist.  If you want to see the membership list and check out some of the websites where these artists can be found, click on the ROSTER icon in the menu to the left.  If you design, create, and sell your own jewelry, you are eligible for SRAJD status.