Meet your Instructor Bronwen Heilman
Bronwen began her glass journey in 1996 during a visit to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. I visited a lampwork artist bead show, and fell in love. All of the depth, colors and excitement encased in each little piece of bead artwork. I quickly purchased everything necessary that day to embark on this adventure. Two years later, I left my day job and started making a living creating beads as an artist. In the year 2000, I began exploring how to incorporate my love of painting with my love of hot glass beadmaking. This is where I created a method for capturing my own artwork onto glass beads. in 2005 Jim Kervin invited me out to his place to write a booklet titled: "Bronwen Heilman Vitreous Painting Techniques for Glass Beadmaking". In this booklet, I delve into reverse painting, surface painting, how to cap and core beads with sterling silver, along with other valuable insights. To this day, I continue to use this enamel/painting technique. Bronwen Heilman is a full-time studio artist and flame-work glass instructor in Tucson, Arizona. Her work has been exhibited and received awards in numerous juried exhibitions. She is a recipient of the International Glass Bead Society Presidents Award, first place in soft marble competition, and others. She demonstrated her marble technique at the 50th anniversary of studio glass blowing in her birth place of Toledo, Ohio. Her work is published in The Contemporary Shot Glass Book, 1000 Glass Beads, 500 Beaded Objects, Contemporary Lampworking, Glass Bead Masters, Bronwen Heilman: Vitreous Painting Techniques for Glass Beadmaking and the list goes on. Her most recent exhibition was “Lifeforms 2021: The 3rd Rudolf and Leopold Blaschka Glass Biological Model Exhibition” at the Fuller Craft Gallery in Brockton, MA. President of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers (2021-2023).
