This is one of the glass roses we have developed for the foreground of one of our projects.
We are far enough along that we have the basic shape and color. We are now working on variations to give our glass garden a natural feeling. Our goal is every stage, from buds to mature flowers, not necessarily in perfect timing with nature but interesting to the viewer.
To find the needed colors, we search our inventory, research our suppliers online, and often visit factory and supplier warehouses where we can rummage through crates of glass. Combining our searches for several projects makes this all cost-effective.
There are four flameworkers in my shop. They all have the power of influence. Taking risks and sharing ideas is the norm. I always encourage everyone to speak positively, believing that negativity dulls creativity.
Many years ago, I experimented with giving myself positive and negative feedback. Negative feedback, words like bad or wrong direction, made me feel like someone was standing over me, directing me to follow their directions. I could feel my originality slipping away. When I used my mental energy to create and make adjustments, I almost instantly knew if something would work and moved in the appropriate direction, not feeling the need to label.
One way we have learned to communicate is to pick out one of our studies that best exemplifies our desired direction and say, “Let’s make them look like this or better.”