Louise Little

Louise Little

Biography

She was born Louise Rogers; an only child; to Marion and William in the mill town of Amsterdam, New York – many decades ago. Louise always thought of herself as an ordinary person. But she now realizes that her ordinary life has had many extraordinary things happen. She attended college in upstate New York and studied biology and graduated with a BS from Johns Hopkins McCoy College in 1969. When her girls started college, she decided to go back to school herself. She attended Loyola University of Chicago and got herself a degree in computer science.

That is when Louise found glass as an artistic medium. Way back when she started college, she wanted to major in art. But her parents discouraged that with the notion that it would be hard to support herself. But art always called to Louise. So when she discovered lampworking, she followed her dream and started to work in glass to create miniature art forms called beads. She wanted to show off these hand crafted glass beads so naturally she proceeded to learn how to make some simple jewelry. And her artistic journey began.

Louise joined the International Society of Glass Beadmakers and began to show her beads at art and craft shows. She launched her business called Desert Bloom Designs and was published in some books. She wrote articles for several journals, and immersed herself in the art and craft of lampworking and silversmithing.

Artist Statement

For all their austerity, I find the deserts of the western United States a beautiful wonderland of nature. The awesome uncluttered arid spaces are studded with some of the most beautiful flora on earth. The colors range from muted earth tones to vibrant jewel like hues; and the desert at night sparkles like diamonds.

Art to me is an expression of colors and textures inspired by the world around me. In glass I have found a medium that allows me to bring the southwestern deserts to life in the form of art beads and ultimately jewelry.

My jewelry is all about color and texture found in the deserts including those wonderful blooms. I add metals to the glass to get desert colors, and I incorporate hand fabricated metal work for texture and tactile interest. Working with these materials and gaining inspiration from nature is very exciting. I like to put these elements together in a piece of jewelry. Spirited woman like my designs.