November 15, 2004: Headlines: COS - Uganda: Jewelery: Art: Winona Daily News: Uganda RPCV Bernadette Mahfood has worked in jewelry design for 22 years

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Uganda: Peace Corps Uganda : The Peace Corps in Uganda: November 15, 2004: Headlines: COS - Uganda: Jewelery: Art: Winona Daily News: Uganda RPCV Bernadette Mahfood has worked in jewelry design for 22 years

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-36-89.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.36.89) on Sunday, November 21, 2004 - 1:50 pm: Edit Post

Uganda RPCV Bernadette Mahfood has worked in jewelry design for 22 years

Uganda RPCV  Bernadette Mahfood  has worked in jewelry design for 22 years

Uganda RPCV Bernadette Mahfood has worked in jewelry design for 22 years

Winona artist's glass beadmaking featured in book

By Käri Knutson, Winona Daily News
Bernadette Mahfood doesn't start her mornings out with coffee. She can't.
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"I have to have steady hands," Mahfood said.

Mahfood makes jewelry out of glass beads and was recently featured in "1,000 Glass Beads," a book that showcases the most prestigious glass beadmakers in the world. She also has been featured in "Making Glass Beads" by Cindy Jenkins and "Glass Beadmaking" by James Kervin.

"I'm always surprised and delighted," Mahfood said. "It's a verification and a validation of what you're doing."

Mahfood has worked in jewelry design for 22 years. She started making glass beads in 1987, when there were very few other artists in the United States doing it.

While Europe has a long history of glass beadmaking, it's still relatively new in the United States, Mahfood said. She's happy to do what she can to show others the beauty in "the lowly bead."

When she first started, she was frustrated because she couldn't get the colors just right.

"My beads used to be a lot simpler back then," Mahfood said. "I didn't have as much control over the glass."
With experience, as well as trial and error, Mahfood is learning to master the craft.

"It takes a steady hand and practice, practice, practice."

And it's always good to have water and an aloe plant handy when working with flames.

Mahfood is from New Jersey but has traveled the world. She taught in Uganda as a Peace Corps volunteer and later taught macramé to a group of young women in Tunisia.

She moved to Minnesota 14 years ago.

"When I moved to Minnesota, I felt like I came home," she said.

She started her own business, Hotflash Designs, in 1987. It is now housed at Studios on Fifth in Winona.

One of the things she has enjoyed about this area is the camaraderie she feels with other artists.

"I've loved meeting fellow artists," Mahfood said.

For the past several years, she has coordinated the Christmas Art Walk, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 4-5 at area art studios and includes more than 15 artists.

One of the things Mahfood keeps in mind is to make art that's fun and wearable. She favors purples and blues because more people have skin tones that are flattered by those colors, she said.

Many galleries across the country represent Mahfood's work, and she also has been invited to submit a bead to the Bead Museum of Washington, D.C.

As great as it is to get recognition, the real reward for Mahfood comes from the work itself.

"With glass, the possibilities are endless," Mahfood said. "When I discovered this, I realized my life work was here."

Contact Käri Knutson at kknutson@winonadailynews.com or 453-3523.






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Story Source: Winona Daily News

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Uganda; Jewelery; Art

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