by Natalie Keller
We can all look forward to another great gallery in old town Scottsdale. Sheila Olason is opening “Beyond the Torch” on September 1 of 2014 and she’s a lady with a mission! In the past, Sheila spent most of her life in the Pacific Northwest. She married and had 3 children but always made time for her artistic endeavors and her evolution was notable. Her artistic pursuit started when she began painting and creating art in the sixth grade and had her first public display. Later, she graduated with a Art degree from the University of Washington and started painting with watercolors, created collages and then worked a duration of time with cast hand made paper art pieces. Fourteen years later she took a class in bead making and she found her artistic niche! she was inspired by some of the most influential name in modern
glass.
Sheila creates veiled glass beads from veiled glass rods that are hand pulled and bought from artisans in Auckland, New Zealand. The rods produce intricate lines of color drawn through each bead forming a wispy detail that appears to freely float within the glass. She then incorporates sterling silver, copper, and brass tubes (Rivets) to line the center of the bead holes on many of her beads and donuts. Often she enhances these beads with large holed bead caps to produce an elegant 
finished piece of jewelry. The bead riveter tool, developed in her studio, makes metal lined riveted beads quickly and in many types and sizes. Sheila creates pendants, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and assembled lampwork glass sculptures/totems. She has taken numerous master classes from the top names in Torchwork glass who came from Europe; she’s also taught classes in the US and Canada. Sheila explained, ground glass called “frit” can be rolled into another piece of glass to make raised colored spots on your design. It’s a really cool effect! There are so many interesting techniques working with glass. Her work has now evolved to the combined use of glass and metal.
Her dream to have an upscale gallery for the bead-maker has eclipsed from just making glass beads. She is thinking beyond the beads; designing fantastic jewelry together with metal and other creative materials. Her new gallery is located at 4200 Craftsman Court across from Dos Gringos Restaurant and is called “Beyond the Torch”, which states the mission of the gallery. The gallery will have a display area in the front part of the building and a working studio (with 10 stations) and another torch studio (with 10 stations) in the back. There will be 20 artists to display and sell their work in the gallery. It isn’t a co-operative gallery so the artists will be available to come and go at their leisure. There will be retail sales of supplies needed to support the production of the work in the studios.
Sheila was very excited to talk about some of the potential classes at the Gallery: *Master glass workshops at the gallery at least once a month *Open studio time (one hour) for artists to reserve the use the the torch or kiln. *Free Saturday bead classes for three hours to visiting or local spouses when their husbands may be occupied with golfing, Barrett Jackson or some other special event in Scottsdale. (What a wonderful way to spend a creative afternoon while waiting for hubby to do his thing!) *Metal shop classes are another option where everyone goes home with a finished bracelet. *Mix glass and metal also will be on the schedule for a lot of real different art designs. *Frequent evening classes and special events. *Classes for Kumihimo braiding which is an ancient form of Japanese braiding adapted to seed beads. I can’t wait to see what transpires in September!
Along with the local Sonoran Arts League, Sheila is associated with the Arizona Society of Glass Bead-makers, International Society of Glass Bead-makers, and an avid supporter of Beads of courage for Children with long term illnesses, an international organization. She supports the Northwest Arts Alliance, The Schack Art Center and the Northwest Bead Society.
Be sure to visit “Beyond the Torch” opening on September 1, 2014! The website for the gallery is ww.beyondthetorch.com “Beyond the Torch” promises to provide a creative and supportive place to share ideas and friendships. Telephone: 480-297-8879
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