Meet Floor Kaspers, Bead Artist Extraordinaire!
I love to join FB beaders’ groups, peruse Pinterest for inspiration, and deep dive into mainly seed bead creations wherever I find them.
In this way, I’ve stumbled upon several bead artists whose work captivates, impresses, and inspires me. Today I’d like to introduce you to one such artist, Floor Kaspers of the Netherlands.
Floor Kaspers is a glass artist, beadworker, and bead researcher. She started out as a stone and bronze sculptor! And today, 25 years later, her bead art and jewelry pieces feel sculptural, although they are now meticulously created from many tiny elements.
This artist’s signature style – creating something big from small components – takes months of work, and this method allows Floor to travel extensively as she beads!
“I like to use nature as the inspiration for my palette and life to inspire my conceptual art” shared Floor.
Her intricate pieces construct fluent colour changes that evoke nature herself.
As you admire the warped squares in this photo, note how the detail showcases her fine quality beading, so consistent and perfect!
Floor won Battle of the Beadsmith in 2020 with her piece ‘Wings of the Fall’ which she is wearing in the first picture. She says it is made of 500 components and 100,000 beads! Take a look at her Instagram page here.
As a conceptual artist, Floor draws inspiration for her large pieces from her life and the world, and the names suggest the conceptual origin of each art piece– Calendar of Beads and Spring is in the Air, for example.
How might we use this approach to create beadwork that is inspired by something in our lives? Life with Baby comes to mind, or How I Survived Covid! What might you create if you follow Floor’s inspiration and spirit of possibility? Do share if you come up with a concept of your own!
And remember, for larger pieces, The Beading Room now offers 125 gm bulk bags of Czech rocailles. Special orders are also welcome.
Bead Me to the Moon, Cathy
(Originally published November 14, 2021)