Biography

Carol Marando , Australian bead-maker and jeweller received her B.A. (Visual Arts) from the City Art Institute in Sydney, in 1981. She worked as a professional painter and printmaker for 16 years. During this time she also made jewellery from found objects, fragments of old jewellery, beach glass, shells, antique buttons and beads. After much experimentation she found wire to be the most versatile and effective material for constructing her jewellery. It allowed an organic approach, which suited her spontaneous method of working. Once her collection of found objects was depleted she focused on beads as the major component of her work. Her ambition was to create one-off individualistic pieces, however the lack of diversity in commercially available beads at that time eventually presented a problem for an artist who is always looking for something new.

In 1994, after seeing a bead by American Brian Kirkvliet, Carol became aware of the infinite possibilities of lamp work bead making. In 1995 lamp work bead making was virtually non-existent in Australia and it was almost impossible to find a teacher, consequently Carol is self-taught, which she sees as a positive factor because she can make beads without the restrictions of convention or tradition. The aesthetic vocabulary developed in her years of working as a painter translates and find new forms in her bead making.

Carol regularly adds new skills to her jewellery making techniques, including silver smithing and enamelling. In 1998 she attended a murrini-making workshop with Brian Kirkvliet at the Canberra School of Arts. Now her unique murrinis add to the distinctive look of her beads.

From 1993 until 2000 she participated in the Australian Craft Show, Sydney. She exhibits in major craft galleries around Australia and has had two solo jewellery exhibitions in New Zealand. In May 2001 Carol successfully exhibited her work in an international bead show in the U.S.A (Beadexpo Miami).

In 2003 Carol and her family moved to Avoca Beach on the Central Coast in New South Wales. She and her husband Jon Ellis have converted the front rooms of the house into a studio gallery, where, as well as showcasing Carol's jewellery and paintings, Jon shows his oil paintings, gouaches and drawings.

The gallery, called “203 Hillside” , is open to the public by appointment only.

Address: 203 Hillside Road, Avoca Beach 2251, NSW, Australia.
Phone/Fax: 61 2 43824054

About Lampworking

Lampworking is an ancient technique brought to a glorious high point in Venice in the 1600's. It involves using a bench torch to heat glass rods to a point where the glass can be wound around a metal rod. This metal rod is dipped into a ceramic separating medium so the beads do not adhere to it. Marando uses Morretti glass rods, which are made in Venice and come in a wide range of colours.
Once you have a basic core of hot glass there are a myriad of ways to treat and embellish it. All the while the mandrel (metal rod) must be rotating in the flame so as not to burn the bead, or make it so hot that it's shape becomes distorted. Stringers (fine threads of glass) can be used to draw on designs and patterns; metallic leaf can be applied and then worked on top of to create a rich effect. A hot bead can be rolled in frit (crushed glass) or powdered glass to create different looks. The bead can be wrapped in a layer of clear glass to magnify the detail and give a great sense of depth. Pre-made murrini chips can be inserted into the bead like tiny windows of pattern or imagery.

The range of possible colours is expanded greatly by putting one colour over another. The hot bead is placed into a hot kiln where it is eventually annealed. This process releases the stresses created in the glass during the making process. This is very important as it ensures the longevity of the bead.