Delana L. Loevbak
Delana L. Loevbak, 45, is a lampwork glass artist. Her craft dates back to Ancient Egypt
Working with glass is like making magic. When the glass is hot, it flows like honey and I’m in charge of it – or sometimes the glass is in charge of me and I have to be humble.
Lampworking is an ancient art, using the heat of a torch to melt rods of glass. Once molten, the glass can be shaped and different colours can be combined to produce beautiful effects. The Ancient Egyptians shaped their glass in the flames of oil lamps, hence the name. I have the modern convenience of a torch fuelled by gas, but the techniques I use haven’t really changed since ancient times. I get goosebumps just thinking that I’m part of such a long tradition.
When someone picks up one of my beads and says, ‘Wow! How did you do that?’ I always say, ‘Are you sure you want to know?’ It’s a little bit like a magic trick – once you know how it’s done, it’s never quite the same.
The medieval glassworkers on the Italian island of Murano knew that. They passed their secrets down within their families. They wanted to keep the illusion of magic and anyone found guilty of divulging their techniques would be put to death. It’s awe-inspiring knowing that I possess the secrets they guarded so fiercely.
Every time I light the torch, I never quite know what will happen. Once I’ve made a bead, I put it in the kiln to anneal. That’s the process of cooling the glass slowly. If it’s allowed to reach room temperature too quickly, the glass can be brittle and is likely to shatter. The annealing process makes my beads surprisingly strong – if they’re dropped they usually bounce rather than break. The Ancient Egyptians cooled their glass by burying it in sand; I leave mine in the glass kiln overnight. It still feels like Christmas when I go down to the kiln next morning to see how the glass has turned out.
Making beads by lampwork is what I love best, but I also work with Tiffany-style glass and I design jewellery. Sometimes clients want a bespoke piece to match a ballgown or a wedding dress. I enjoy bringing together the different elements to make something really special. When I first started working with glass six years ago, I had to get most of my equipment from the US, but lamp-work is becoming more popular in Europe.
I’m very excited to be taking part in Benelux’s first international glass bead fair, Flame On! which will be held in the Netherlands in November. That will be a fantastic chance to get together with other artists and share ideas. I also hold open door events with demonstrations at my studio in Everberg so that people can come and watch the magic at work.
I didn’t have a typical artist’s training. After growing up in Florida, I spent 10 years serving around the world with the US Navy. I came to Belgium in 1989 to serve my final tour of duty at SHAPE.
That’s where I met my Norwegian husband, Tom. We both love Belgium, so we decided to stay and raise our sons here: Emil, 15, and Erik, 12. I couldn’t do my glasswork without my three guys. Not only do they support me, they also give great advice on some very un-boyish subjects such as colour combinations.
I love my glass studio, but I couldn’t spend all my time there. I need to get out sometimes and do something different, so I teach Pilates exercise classes three mornings a week. It’s a good way to make use of the fitness expertise I gained in the Navy, which I’ve augmented by training in Pilates. Once I became a mom, I understood the value of a form of exercise which nurtures the body. I especially like helping other moms spend a little time looking after themselves.
October 23-25: Open Door event at Delana’s studio, 24 Molenstraat, Everberg. www.bydelana.com
Your comments
Jobs listings 
Shopping tips
Advertise with us
For advertising queries, contact us at advertising@ackroyd.be or on
+32(0)2 373 99 09. See our rate card
Comments
Thanks Suzanna
I so enjoyed this giving this interview and it was exciting to have the photographer come to my studio...I guess this is my 15 minutes of 'fame'!
So Proud of You
Who knew you had such artistry in your being? I'm so very proud of and hope to have some of your work displayed in my home soon. My other great friend, Becca, is also a Pilates and Yoga instructor along with the job of being a mom, wife, superb photograher and writer. It's so wonderful to know friends who give their special gifts to others and enjoy doing it.