Lis Simpson

About the Artist

Lis Simpson, hot glass artist and jewellery designer, has been making one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces for about seven years. Her glass beads are made on a torch from rods hand-pulled in the glass factory in Murano, Italy, and accented with shimmery dichroic glass, uniquely created in only a few places in the states. She puts these fine art beads on handmade sterling silver head pins and adds bead accents and chain to display the bead.

Torchworked glass beads are relatively new and unequaled in the jewelry industry. Although glass bead making was an ancient, secretly guarded art, it wasn’t until the 1990s that the techniques began to be shared in North America. It can take from one half to two hours to create the bead on the torch, without any stopping! If her cat calls to come into the studio, he is ignored or the bead thermal shocks into tiny pieces! It’s a tricky business working with molten glass. Her passion for working with hot glass and her repertoire of skills continue to expand as other artists working in hot glass and in other mediums inspire her!

Education

Glass beadmaking has only been offered at art schools within the past few years, so Lis began with a few lessons from another Toronto beadmaker, then honed her skills on her own torch. She has also learned from other artists at the International Society of Glass Beadmakers (ISGB) annual conference. She has branched out into fused glass, using the incredible dichroic glass. As well, she took the wirework course from George Brown College’s jewelry program, and four years ago became a certified instructor for the innovative jewelry medium of Art Clay Silver. She now teaches these jewelry techniques both in her own studio and at various venues in the Greater Toronto Area.

Affiliations

· Regional Director for Canada, International Society of Glass Beadmakers, 5 years

· Secretary, Scugog Council for the Arts, 4 years

· Chair, Lake Scugog Spring Studio Tour, 2008 & 2009

· Chair, Purple Turtle Art Festival, 5 years

· Uxbridge Art Association

Shows and Exhibitions

Scugog Arts Council Showcase of the Arts (juried) 2005-2008

Lake Sucgog Studio Tour (Guest Artist), (juried), 2002 - 2009

Uxbridge Studio Tour (Guest Artist), 2001 – 2009

Purple Turtle Art Festival, Georgina, (juried), 2002 - 2009

Stouffville Studio Tour (juried) 2007, 2008

Uxbridge Art in the Park, 2000 – 2004

East Gwillimbury Artists Christmas Show, 2000 - 2004

The Renaissance Faire, Port Perry, (juried), 2001 – 2004

McLaughlin Art Gallery Gift Shop, 2008-2009

The Lindsay Gallery, 2008

Green Goose Gallery, Uxbridge, 2006

Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts UxShow (juried) 2005

Members’ Exhibition, Glass Art Association of Canada, Toronto, 2003

“Here and Now”, Ontario Craft Council,

The Kent Farndale Gallery, Port Perry, (juried) 2003