Paula Radke knew since she was in 4th grade that she wanted to be an artist. Growing up and still residing in Morro Bay, CA, she took art classes for every year of school, from kindergarten all the way through high school. But it was when she was in her 4th grade art class that she realized this was her passion. Paula experimented with printmaking, silver casting and even pottery, but always enjoyed glasswork the most. The dichroic process intrigued her too because of the wonderful products that resulted. We at Artbeads love sharing with you the incredible dichroic beads she designs!
It’s always fun to learn where your beads come from, so here’s the process in which Paula Radke’s beads go from bare glass to beads in your hand!
With dichroic beads, the color changes when viewed from different angles, like iridescent coloring. However, the glass itself does not produce the colors. The dielectric coating of the micro-thin layers of metal oxides and quartz applied to the surface of the glass are what create the changing glows. Paula’s beads are created by a highly-technical vacuum deposition process where multiple micro-thin layers of metal oxide quartz crystals and other materials are vaporized with an electron beam gun mounted atop the vacuum.
It’s a very fun and meticulous way to make beautiful beads! You can feel safe shopping our site knowing we strive to provide you with the best high-quality beads from truly talented designers!
Source: paularadke.com.
-Marissa
Be sure to check the blog tomorrow when we feature designer Taina Hartman and her lovely resin pendants!
Luv it!
Beautiful ~~!