Laura Shea
I love creating complex polyhedral structures from beads and thread. My work explores classic geometric forms-whole and partial frame polyhedra, regular tilings and tessellations. I connect the component forms at contiguous polygonal faces to create chains and complex polyhedral structures. The open networks of tilings and frame polyhedra provide a magical space for light to play with glass that delights me.
An underlying great rhombicosadodecahedron supports twelve columns of two-and-a-half dodecahedra emerging from the twelve decogonal open faces of the great rhombicosadodecahedron. Twelve "soccer ball" pattern truncated Icosahedra adorn the end of each dodecahedral column. This is a new bead structure. The form has been at the back of my mind for some time. I like explore many ways to connect bead polyhedra at similar polygonal faces. Each decagonal open face allows me to make "half" a dodecahedron which then support two more dodecahedra and the end truncated icosahedra.
Seven hand blown hollow glass Venetian beads, each covered with
triangle stitching of one bead per side, two beads per side, three
beads per side, four beads per side, five beads per side, six
beads per side and seven beads per side in size 13 gold Charlotte
beads and Nymo thread. Eight bead truncated icosahedra made from
size 13 gold Charlotte beads and Nymo thread. Ten bead dodecahedra
made of size 12 gold Charlotte beads and Nymo thread. Matte green
glass round 6mm beads. Gold triangular clasp. All strung on Soft
Flex wire.
This piece showcases the versatility of triangle stitching to
adapt to a round form in seven different variants of the stitch
and how small polyhedra can be made from small seed beads.
I learned to make the small torus from Bei Yaw Jin, although I use a single thread where he constructs his with two threads. I played with the pattern to expand it to show six pentagonal faces and seven pentagonal faces one both sides of the tori. When I showed Bei Yaw some of my early crystal tori he declared they were "nano" tori. I thought this combination of tori would make great necklace components. I continue to play with other configurations and color patterns.