ELSIE KAYE GLASSWORKS®
I am a Jersey girl by birth whose heart is in San Diego but whose life and loves currently reside in New England, by way of North Carolina and Maryland, and shades of these influences can be seen in much of my work. I have two beautiful children and an amazing soul mate and fulfilling work as a full-time mother and some-time children's health policy analyst. And yet, for years, I had been looking for something to “complete the circle”, to feed the artistic side of me that I knew was hibernating in there somewhere. (At least I was hoping it was there somewhere; my parents are both artists who met in art school and my sister is a wonderful painter as well). I began making jewelry with semi-precious stones and sterling silver in 2003, selling it occasionally and giving it away as gifts from time to time. But it was more of an on-again, off-again hobby, not something I would describe as a “passion”. When my daughter was born I found it more and more difficult to find time and space to bead (too many small parts to tempt a wild toddler!) and months would go by where I wouldn’t pull out a single bead or piece of wire. Years later, after my son was born, I purchased a glass beadmaking book and kit (known as "flameworking" or "lampworking"). Several months later, I took my first class and was immediately hooked. ( I owe much gratitude to Elisa Minasian, of Something Phishy Studio, the instructor who introduced me to the magic of beadmaking, and continues to drive me to work up to my potential and create a better bead. Thanks, Elisa!). My first class, and I was counting the hours until I could get back there to learn and “play” with the glass more. And so, Elsie Kaye Glassworks was born…(Credit for the name of my business goes to my clever husband, who came up with the little play on words of my daughter’s initials, “LCK”. I found this to be particularly fitting, as she has been beside me many times while I work, “helping” to sort beads and stringing her own wonderful bracelets and necklaces).
I find flameworking to be a unique and captivating art form; a bit of intrigue (you never know what the glass will reveal when it changes forms, danger (flying chards of molten glass do hit you from time to time, no matter how careful you are); peace (it is absolutely hypnotic and Zen-like to watch that 1400 degree core turning in the flame) and pride (how cool that art can be created from a simple little glass rod and a torch!) This is just the beginning of my creative journey into flameworking, and I am happy to share it with you.