Elizabeth Kieffer has been a lampwork artist for the past five years. All beads are hand made in her studio in Tampa, Florida.

Lampworking is an age-old process, dating back to the first centuries in Europe. The beads are created by using only the finest Italian Moretti/Effetre glass rods available. The glass is heated in an oxygen — propane flame and worked on a stainless steel rod known as a mandrel. Each color is introduced individually sometimes requiring an hour per bead. The beads are then taken from the flame and placed in a kiln at 968 degrees to “soak” or cool down to remove any stresses and to assure durability. This process lasts overnight.

“I prefer to use bright captivating colors in my
work. I also tend to create more abstract beads,
I love to sculpt the glass, I love the fluidity. To
me, the beads almost resemble candy. When I
sit down to work, rarely, if ever, do I lay things
out in a pattern. I just create what comes to me.”

After the beads are annealed they then are fastened into jewelry. The pieces may vary from the simplest of a one bead necklace to being combined with other Italian and Czech beads as well as Swarovski crystals and Sterling Silver Bali beads. Some pieces may be hand wrapped in silver as well. The colors and beads are all combined assuring that no matter what the person may be wearing the piece will always look just right.

Elizabeth Kieffer is a Tampa native. She has been an accomplished artist for over 12 years. Her mediums vary. Trained in the artistry of decorative painting and trompe l’oeil she has worked all over the United States. Locally her work can be seen in many private residences as well as commercial facilities including the Florida Aquarium in Tampa and the Ca d’Zan at the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida. Most of Elizabeth’s studies have been concentrated in Europe. The preference for training taking place in Europe is the fact that this is where the centuries old process of lampworking with the Venetian glass designers as well as the fine artistry of decorative painting first originated.