 | Nolly's Folly Studio |
My name is Nolly Gelsinger. I'm 58 years old, I have two grown children and one of the most adorable grandchildren God ever put on this earth--I may be a little prejudiced. My husband and I have been married 35 years. I grew up in the fifties and sixties, the back edge of the baby boom, the tv generation. I recall thinking my grandmother was completely ancient when she told me she remembered when radio was invented. My kids think the same thing about me, now, when I remind them that there was a time when one tv was enough for the whole family--of course, at the time, there were only three channels to choose from!
Like most artists, I've dabbled in a variety of media over the years. I loved charcoal sketching, then oil painting. I did embroidery, crewel, knitting, even tatting; I still have Christmas ornaments I made from felt and embroidered with wool threads in the early years of my marriage. The most enduring and recent of my artistic pursuits was decorative painting, which is a great combination of natural beauty and artistic vision. Then, I received a bead bracelet as a gift and I fell headlong into the world of bead jewelry--the flower logo you see on these pages is one of the last things I painted. I started searching the internet for information and materials, making so many pieces that I had to sell some just to make room others. As I learned more and more about beads and their origins, I found unbelievable glass beads that were being made by artists in the U.S. I was fascinated by this art form revival and, again, thanks to the internet, I found a teacher, joined a class and learned to make beads.
Practice is the key to any learned process, but it wasn't until I found the WetCanvas Glass Art Forum that I was inspired to put in the time to improve my technique & range--it was like being in a new class every day. In March 2003, I bought a kiln and began annealing beads directly from the flame. Annealing is a final step in beadmaking which allows the glass to come to a set point, rest at that point for a period of time, then cool very slowly, relieving the internal stress created during the beadmaking process. No serious artist would sell unannealed beads.
One of the most rewarding aspects of my beadmaking journey has been meeting and working with some of the most generous people I ever could have imagined. I owe great thanks to the pioneering beadmakers who revived glass beadmaking in 80's and who founded the International Society of Glass Beadmakers, creating the unique, mentoring community that exists in beadmaking today.
So, here I am, retired from a career in customer service and real estate, putting my artsy/craftsy nature to work by creating glass beads and original art jewelry. It's been so much fun to explore the infinite variety of materials and techniques being used in beadmaking and jewelry design today. I guess this is my version of life-long learning.
Sharing my work with you is a joy and a pleasure.
Nolly