Glass
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In the summer of 2005 I was driving in my car contemplating what to do with myself as a Mom who suddenly had some extra time after raising three kids into their teenage years. I had been yearning to remember who I was in addition to being a mom and a wife, and to reawaken my creative soul. I was intrigued by the work of other glass artists who were making amazing glass beads, and decided to find out how they were made. I took my first class and was instantly mesmerized by melting glass in a torch flame. Lampworking is the art of melting glass rods over a torch flame to make beads and other objects. The name comes from the 1400s in Italy when instead of a torch they melted the glass with oil lamps. Today I use a modern torch powered by propane gas and an oxygen concentrator. I use glass rods made in the US, Germany, Italy, Canada, and China. My beads go directly from the torch flame into my digitally controlled kiln which cools them in such a way that with proper care they will last generations. My style is organic and nature-inspired, and I mix a lot of metals with the glass in the torch flame that react and create amazing beads that often look like natural stones. My finished jewelry incorporates sterling silver and patinaed brass to create one of a kind pieces of wearable art. Please visit my website to see my unique glass beads and to find a list of galleries that carry my work and a schedule of my upcoming events. |
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Mary Noelker |
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