The Villages - August 2019 - 8

E L LE N HE L LW E GE
FUSING FASHIONABLE GLASS JEWELRY
It's melting and bonding, creating contrast with
color and shimmering shards of cut glass. A
glass fusion artist, Ellen Hellwege crafts sunsets and
sailboats, sea turtles and tropical fish. But it's her eyecatching jewelry that has women clamoring for more.
The Village of Sabal Chase resident says her
foray into the world of fusing was a happy accident,
although she's always been interested in color.
"I was a decorator by trade," she said. "I made custom
draperies and I worked with color and light."
In 1984, Hellwege moved from St. Louis to New
Jersey to raise her family. Thirteen years ago, she and
her husband Al landed in The Villages.
"When I got down here, I didn't have a creative
hobby," she said. "I was into pickleball and golf and all
the activities."
She wound up at a glass fusion club meeting and
discovered her flair for fusing.
"The colors just jumped out at me. I had always
done things with my hands, and crafting helped me
develop my awareness of color in the art world. This
was another medium I could use to express myself."
Hellwege left the meeting and went to a glass shop in
Mount Dora to buy some glass cutting tools.
"I immediately began practicing on old picture
frames," she said.
To achieve a clean break, glass cutting requires a
steady hand with balanced pressure, precision and
control.
Hellwege caught on quickly and continued to hone
her technique. Her first project came out well initially
but later broke when she dropped the piece.
"I went back to the club and asked, 'What now?'"
she said. They told me to try making jewelry.
Out of Hellwege's accident, a new art form emerged.
"I jumped right in and learned to wire the glass," she
said.
Not long after, she showed up at a craft show
with 70 sparkling pieces.
"That was an accident too - one of our
8

AUGUST 2019

neighbors wanted to be in a craft show but couldn't
make it so she asked if I'd buy her table," she said.
Hellwege's handmade jewelry was a hit and she's
been selling it at shows ever since. In fact, some women
are wearing it in Europe.
"It's jewelry that gets you a compliment," she said.
And while her larger pieces are equally stunning
and have garnered various awards, it's fused glass
jewelry that continues to summon the crowds.
"The jewelry is
what people want,"
she said, "and it's
just so humbling. I
love what I'm doing
and the art groups
I'm in. I've learned
so much from my
artist friends."

The Villages - August 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - August 2019