One of the problems of jacketed hollow beads is that the glass is under stress from the partial vacuum that develops as the bead cools. (Hollow bead artists such as myself rely upon the expansion of heated air to puff our beads; conversely, as the bead cools, the air within contracts.) This is a serious enough technical problem that borosilicate flameworkers add a little hole at the ring seal to keep such beads from cracking.[1]
Effetre soda lime glass, 34mm diameter, 29 hole to hole.
But my very first iteration of this bead, instead of being a tube or cylinder, was more in the way of a spiral or snake. However, for the jacketed dichros, I liked the look of a solid expanse, so I switched. —This bead, returns to those very earliest approaches. What if I did an open lattice of twisties? This is just a simple spiral (all that I could manage) and the jacketing glass is too dark (and the walls are an uneven thickness, also contributing to the butt-ugliness).
I haven't followed up on this idea, but I do think it has potential. In the meantime, besides providing a fridayfugly, it can hang out as part of my idea box.[2]
Private collection.[3]
[1]Doni Hatz expressed surprise, in fact, that my jacketed hollows, such as this dichro, didn't always crack from the lack of such.
[2]Joan Vinge, one of my very favorite science fiction writers, reported that she kept a card file box with bits of story ideas, which she would then combine together. My current lentil series is another example of this approach, seeing as it combines a variety of techniques, which, on their own, are all old (or someone else's); mixed together, they make something new. Most art is iterative and additive, really—what they used to call a synthesis, back in the day.
[3]Cuz fugly or not, someone loved it anyway;)
Unless otherwise noted, text, image and objects depicted therein copyright 1996--present sylvus tarn.
