Waterfront Glass

Loraine Wolff expresses her creativity as a glass bead artist.

As a child she enjoyed creating with a diverse array of mediums from watercolors and acrylics to ribbons and feathers. As an adult she often set her creative interests aside to raise her two sons and work full time in retail.

In 1992 she felt the need to slow down and enjoy life more. She and her husband sold their business and moved to Keyport, Washington. It is the perfect small-town atmosphere and has provided Loraine with an opportunity to re-focus on her artwork. When a friend piqued her interest in the wonderful world of glass beads, Loraine knew she had found an endless expression for her creativity.

She began working with glass by taking a class at Bellevue Community College on Glass Bead Making.

Loraine finds the challenge and technique intensive nature of 'lampworking', as it is called, fascinating. She describes her experience of creating with molten glass as "Zen" like. "It's typical to want to try to control the glass, to try to make it 'behave'. I've learned through patience and experience to work with the glass, allowing the energy and design to be expressed as I create."

Working in her waterfront studio Loraine is inspired to compose unique beads, necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Many of her designs include beads and precious gems from around the world.

Loraine is expanding her focus to include fusing glass. She often includes lampworked glass components with cut glass to fuse and slump unique pieces.

Ms. Wolff continues taking classes to learn more and improve on her technical skills. She has studied glass at B.C.C., Pratt Fine Arts Studio, the Frye Art Museum, Touch of Glass, and Discover U, along with local glass artists such as Andrea Guarino and Larry Scott. She has also studied in Oregon, California and Arizona.

She teaches 'lampworking' in her studio in Keyport.

In "2000" she spent several weeks in Venice with a group of U.S. and Swedish artists observing and collaborating with Italian Master Glassworkers.

She is a member of the International Society of Glassbeadmakers and the Northwest Bead Society.