Lesia Null of The Glass Amulet |
Artistry, originality and intricacy characterize the handiwork of
glass artist Lesia Null. The Glass Amulet, her studio and shop,
is a small-scale exploration of the creative possibilities of glass
beads. Lesia sculpts her own glass beads, using glass rods and
a glassblower’s torch.
Her original interest in beads was as a weaver. “I started
doing bead weaving when the children were small. Beads are linked
together like a puzzle with tiny, tight stitches to make beaded purses,
earrings and necklaces. The beads are woven so tightly together
purses don’t even need to be lined.” She was soon
juried into the state park system and later, Tamarack.
After reading an article about an artist who made glass beads with
a blowtorch, Lesia wanted try her own hand. She applied for a
professional development grant to learn how. “I made slides
of my beadwork to show that I was a working artist. With the
grant, I was able to spend about a month learning from a glass artist. The
grant also helped with the purchase of the special equipment that
I needed.”
A dental assistant for ten years, Lesia was surprised to find the
glass bead tools very familiar. “The grinders and polishers
I use for glass work are actually old dental tools. I use dental
tools in a lot of glass work that I do and the dental labs skills
are very similar to those needed in glass making.”
To create her beads, Lesia starts with rods of glass. “The
seed beads for weaving are very small, but the glass beads are a glass
art in a miniature form. The glass rod is manipulated over the
torch, like wrapping taffy over a stick.” One glass rod
is enough to make 8 or 9 beads.
Her diminutive art form doesn’t take much room. The Glass
Amulet, just 450 square feet, is the site of studio, classes and display
area. Lesia says she could use more space, but the historic Main
Street location in Hurricane, with buildings from the early 1900’s,
provides a perfect setting for her work. Plus, “Visitors
that come for the Celtic Rose Tea Room or Colonial House furnishings
are likely to appreciate unique jewelry, too.”
The Glass Amulet is open from 11-6 and Lesia says there is always
something to do. She teaches bead weaving and jewelry making
in Saturday classes. Her busiest season is approaching “since
so many people want to make Christmas gifts. There can be up
to ten in a class. Everyone finishes a project. It takes
3 classes -and homework! – to make a beaded purse. ” Her
own beaded purses take weeks to complete.
Besides the many pieces at the shop, Lesia will be showing her original
designs at the Tamarack Renaissance Faire the first weekend in October.
She says the art is the easy part. “The business
side is the hardest part. I have every business book I can get
my hands on starting with Marketing for Dummies and Retailing for
Dummies. I read a lot and find out things I didn’t know
I needed to know!”
She has just started a new line of jewelry combining sculpture and
cast silver. She carves her design in clay -with a dental tool-
then sends it away to be cast. “ Every few years I try
to learn a new skill.” The combination of imagination and
innovation with new skills has made Lesia Null’s work a favorite
choice throughout the state in venues like the Jazz Festival and the
artist series at Canaan Valley.
Visit the Glass Amulet in downtown Hurricane, 2727 Main Street
or www.theglassamulet.com. Contact
Lesia Null at 304-562-2774 or e-mail glassamulet@hotmail.com
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