SHULTZ  BAKELITE

an interview with Ester Shultz

Ron and Ester Shultz make some of the most charming, colorful and interesting bakelite being crafted today. They utilize older pieces of bakelite, which they cut, carve, laminate and paint to create their pieces. Not only are they  talented and creative, but they are two of the most giving and generous people you will ever meet.  It was a delight to speak with Esther about their work and what it means to them.

Question: How did you begin working with bakelite?

Ester: When we started making bakelite jewelry in the late 1980s, we were on the antique show circuit. We would travel many miles each  week to do a show and be home as often as we could to buy more stuff to sell. It was a hard row to hoe but we loved  it. I liked buying antiques and was at  my peak at an auction buying all I could stuff in the van to take to the next show.

I collected buttons by the hundreds and sold all the other things to the dealers who came through. That is how I started making  necklaces that put us in the business. I still like the buttons and look for them but they have gotten very expensive. I have always had a gift to turn nothing into something and make money out of it, and that is a gift from God. We know with out His help we can do nothing.

   SHULTZ HAT pin in transparent red, green and red and pink checked bakelite .   View    #B20097  

 SHULTZ bakelite brooch of a bikini-clad froggy on her inner tube.   View   #S20146

   SHULTZ HAT bakelite brooch, a red and black 2-7/8" hat pin with yellow dots.  View    #B13158

To look back on those days, it is awesome to see how God put people and material in our path that no one else could have done. Ron found a big Bakelite clear ball at a dirt market here in Florida one day and he and my brother Mike took a hack saw to it and sawed it into slices. From of one of the slices they turned out a wonderful little dolphin. His tail was curved and his fins were wavy. Then they worked on the big fish in "The Bakelite Book", the clear one with the reverse carved scales. They did a great job on that too.

We all had a hand in the carving of the pieces as one could only see certain parts of the carving and the other would come along and point out where it needed more work. It was a blast. 
It took many years of work and learning to arrive at the quality  of work that we do today. Every day was a learning experience and we are still learning. It has been at least 20 years now and maybe more.
 

Question: Do you keep an archive or pictures of your own pieces? 

Ester: I do not have a collection of our jewelry. It has all gone out the door almost as soon as it was made. When we did the shows, we would have a big display of our jewelry in cases . I loved to watch the children come up to the cases. Their little eyes would get so big and they would say things like "Look! Mommy! Christmas!" They loved the colors.

Question: What is it about working with bakelite that appeals to you?

Ester:  I like working with Bakelite because it is so unique. It can look so worthless and be turned into something so beautiful, or charming and whimsical. It can bring joy and happiness to folks when they are down and I like that.

It holds a place of its own and never seems to loose its value but only grows better and more desirable. Sometime I wish I had taken picture of everything we have made but I was always too busy making it and selling it to do that.

SHULTZ red bakelite and leather cowboy brooch with hand painted details, 3-1/3".

   SHULTZ red bakelite strawberry brooch with green painted bracts and carved seeds, 2-1/3".  View  #B13966 

   SHULTZ  yellow and black bakelite 2-1/2" bowler pin with painted details.  View   #B15955 

Question:  What part of the process do each of you do?

Ester:  We both work on the jewelry together. I am the ace carver... I do the carving on the pins and the reverse carved bracelets and I help Ron with the dotting.

He does the checks and the bulk of the finishing. He is the sander and polisher. It is exacting and sometimes tedious work, but we enjoy it.

  SHULTZ checked bangle combination.   View

Ron Shultz with one of his checked bangles.

SHULTZ dots and checks.

Question:  What pieces you you like best to work on? To wear?

Ester:  We like doing the bracelets best. It is something we can do together, and they are always popular. There are so may different things you can do to a bracelet. When we think we have exhausted all our ideas another one pops up. 

As for wearing our jewelry. I have one piece that I have kept and love to wear and that is a Scotty dog that is sitting with his back to you and looking over his shoulder. I have only done one of them and like him so much I kept him and haven't done any more. 

Question: Does making your living in a creative endeavor make your life different than a more "typical" job might? 

Ester:  This work has enabled us to be where we feel God wants us to be. It gives us the opportunity to work with needy people who are having problems finding enough food to make it through the month.  Most of the folks we are able to help are older folks with very little income and need added support in the food area. 
 

God has given us a ministry to help supply that need. By being here doing this work we have been able to do the jewelry and also have the time participate in church work. In past years, we hauled and distributed groceries for our church. A few years ago, we were in the toy ministry and gave thousands of stuffed animals to different ministries here in the US and Peru, Mexico and Haiti. I believe we were able to send 2,000 stuffed toys to the "Katrina" kids last year through one of the churches here in Polk county. As Jesus said, "If you have done it unto the least of these you have done it unto me".
Blessings, Ester

   SHULTZ bakelite transparent cherries brooch with Lucite top.   View  #B20144

SHULTZ red doggy brooch.

SHULTZ bakelite school days brooch with pencils, ink and ruler.  View  #S20147