For the Creative Professional Working in Hot, Warm, and Cold Glass

Transcription

For the Creative Professional Working in Hot, Warm, and Cold Glass
$7.00 U.S. $8.00 Canada
Volume 29 Number 2
www.GlassArtMagazine.com
March/April 2014
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6
Letter from the Editor
Reinventing the Glass Wheel
by Shawn Waggoner
8
Pioneers in Glass
Benjamin Moore, Inc.
Heart of the Seattle Glassmaking Scene
by Shawn Waggoner
14
Working Greener
Mary White
Investigating Environmental Topics Using
Recycled Glass
by Shawn Waggoner
20
Warm Glass Studio Profile
Uniquely Richard LaLonde
A History of Making Glass Techniques
More Spontaneous
by Shawn Waggoner
26
GAS News
Experience a “Day of Glass” with
the Glass Art Society
28
Independent Artist
Inventing to Create
New Work and Products by Michael Dupille
by Shawn Waggoner
32
Marketing
Taking the Leap to Selling
in Galleries and Boutiques
by Mark Veit
34
Retailer Profile
Prism GlassWorks, Ltd.
by Colleen Bryan
40
Art Glass Studio Profile
Sunflower Glass Studio
A Study in Fluidity
by Colleen Bryan
46
Winning Glass
Forty-Four Vessels
Exploring the Irish Cylinders of Dale Chihuly
48
Skills and Techniques
Traditional Glass Painting Made Easy
Tracing Fundamentals
by Peter McGrain
54
57
58
60
62
March/April 2014
Volume 29, Number 2
What’s New
Featuring the latest in books and products for the glass enthusiast
by Darlene Welch
Readers’ Forum
SGAA News
SGAA 105th Annual Summer Conference
SAMA News
In Members’ Own Words
by Gwyn Kaitis
Advertisers’ Index
4 • Glass Art TM • March/April 2014
Above; Peaches and Ferns by Karen Caldwell
On the cover: Benjamin Moore, Interior Fold Set, blue spiral wrap.
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Glass Art TM • March/April 2014 • 5
Glass Art
Volume 29, Number 2
Publisher ~ Maureen James
Editor ~Shawn Waggoner
Copy Editor ~ Darlene Welch
Accounting ~ Rhonda Sewell
Circulation Manager ~ Kathy Gentry
Advertising ~ Maureen James
Graphic Artists ~ Dave Burnett
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Contributing Artists and Writers
Colleen Bryan, Gwyn Kaitis
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Shawn Waggoner, Darlene Welch
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Letter from the Editor
Reinventing the Glass Wheel
When I reveal to nonglass people that I edit and
write for a magazine exclusively dedicated to glass
art, often the reaction is one of surprise—surprise that
a magazine with this focus exists and that there would
be enough interesting information to fill it year after
year. Finding compelling subjects to cover has never
been a problem, and this issue of Glass Art pays tribute
to the many brilliant and talented artists aesthetically or technically redefining the medium.
The professional and personal camaraderie initiated and continued by Benjamin Moore
at his studio BMI is both the cornerstone of his success and the hallmark of the Seattle glass
experience. His top-notch glassblowing team makes the work of the world’s finest artists
and designers, at once paying homage to and putting their own twist on the traditional
Italian glassblowing tradition.
On the West Coast, artist and educator Mary B. White explores environmental topics
using recycled glass. Her work, which includes solar powered birdbaths, glass watershed
maps, and glass flood-level markers, reflects an interest in sustainable practice and reducing her personal carbon footprint. Using recycled glass has inspired a new approach to her
sculpture, requiring unprecedented experimentation, trial, and error.
Two fusing pioneers, Richard La Londe and Michael Dupille, began their careers by
inventing the tools, techniques, and products they needed to express more spontaneously
with fused glass. La Londe’s Liquid Glass Line process and Dupille’s Tranchant du Verre
provide the next generation of artists with new methods for kiln working glass.
Whether hot, warm, or cold glass is your passion, this issue of Glass Art showcases the
variety of artists and ways in which they reinvent the medium of glass to make art with
content and impact. History will show that glass artists did not exclusively rely upon the
seductive qualities of the material, but pushed it beyond its inherent beauty to say something
relevant about inner and outer worlds.
Inspiring you to find your true voice in glass,
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May/June 2014
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June 27, 2014
Pioneers in Glass
Heart of the Seattle Glassmaking Scene
by Shawn Waggoner
A
seminal figure in establishing Seattle, Washington, as a contemporary glass center, Benjamin Moore provides his studio
and top-notch glassblowing team to make the work of the world’s
finest artists and designers. The groundbreaking art produced on
King Street at Benjamin Moore, Inc. (BMI) contributes both to the
glass arts and the art world at large. But the true gift of art making
within this supportive community is the camaraderie and lifelong
friendships born out of such a unique creative environment. This is
the lifeblood of the Seattle glass experience.
“The one thing I learned from Dale [Chihuly] that made a profound impact on me and has always been a part of my career is the
joy of working with others. The camaraderie of our community
here, working with one another and supporting each other, is huge.
Dante Marioni and Preston Singletary both came to work for me
out of high school, and when I look at their careers now, I’m the
proudest guy in the world.”
Moore served as Chihuly’s primary gaffer from 1975 to 1982
and was the first educational coordinator at Pilchuck Glass School
in Stanwood, Washington, beginning in 1977. Following graduate
studies with Chihuly at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD),
Moore went to work at the Venini Glass Factory in Murano, Italy.
In 1978, he brought the Italians to Pilchuck for the first time to
demonstrate time-honored techniques rarely seen by U.S. artists.
For the Americans, this exposure resulted in a dramatic increase in
the sophistication of works produced and further entrenched the
value and process of working glass as a team.
Though Moore dedicated much of his career to making Chihuly’s
work, their aesthetic approach to glass, form, and color could not be
more different. In his own work, Moore reveals a modernist sensibility reflected in pure geometric forms and simple colors. Translucent,
a solo exhibition held at the Museum of Glass, Tacoma, Washington,
from February 2012 through October 2013, presented a selection
of his masterpieces that simultaneously evoke aspects of historical
tradition and the refinement of a unique contemporary aesthetic.
Falling in Love with Glass
Moore grew up in Olympia, Washington, admiring the European
decorative objects sold in his mother’s gift shop. In high school, he
began working in clay and apprenticed in Tim Cruise’s production
studio making traditional high-fire stoneware. Following graduation, he attended Central Washington University in Ellensburg,
Washington, where he majored in ceramics and studied with Richard Fairbanks, well-known Northwest ceramics artist and head of
Central’s ceramics program.
Benjamin Moore at King Street Studio, 2002.
Photo by Russel Johnson.
Moore’s hunger for a change of pace and a new scene inspired
him to apply to California College of Arts and Crafts (CCAC, now
California College of the Arts). He studied ceramics with Viola
Frey and took his first glass class during his junior year with Marvin
Lipofsky. “Marvin demonstrated one of his California Loop series,
then handed me the blowpipe and said, ‘Blow glass.’ You just had to
go for it, which is a huge and wonderful thing, that American sensibility.” Moore also discovered his passion for theater and drama,
winning the lead in a play written by drama professor Sydney Carson
and loosely based on “The Wife of Bath,” which is among the best
known of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
Though he earned his BFA in ceramics from CCAC in 1974, the
choice to pursue acting or visual art was not an easy one. As luck
would have it, he saw a poster for Pilchuck Glass School, and upon
mentioning it to his parents, he was gifted with tuition as a graduation gift. When his summer course there came to a close, Chihuly,
Jamie Carpenter, and Fritz Dreisbach stayed on to do their own
work, and Moore was invited as an apprentice to work with them.
As head of RISD’s glass program, Chihuly offered Moore a
graduate fellowship in 1975. “I’ve always been interested in travel
and having new experiences. The concept of moving to the East
Coast and working at an institution like RISD was very exciting.”
Once in Providence, he started working with glass exclusively and
never returned to clay. “The seductive quality of the material and
its immediacy were irresistible.”
Making the Chihulys
During a two-month winter session between semesters at RISD,
Chihuly traveled to Ireland with a colleague. On that trip, an auto
accident caused him to lose the vision in one eye. Upon his return,
he asked Moore to become his gaffer and assist in making his work.
“Dale was a very skilled glassblower, but with his entrepreneurial
sensibility, it made sense for him to back off and have other people
make the work.”
Chihuly’s aesthetic allowed Moore to work with glass in a way
that he personally never would have. The fundamental concern and
focus of his own work was and is to achieve simplicity, balance,
and clarity of form. Simple geometric shapes such as the sphere and
the cylinder are often referenced. He uses color generally to attract
attention to contour, but utilizes very little surface decoration that
would take away from the purity of the object’s form.
In comparison, Chihuly’s work was more about working glass in
a hot and fluid way. “It opened my eyes in many ways. Making the
Navajo Blanket Cylinders, the Baskets, then the Seaforms all gave
me a better sense of the potential of the material and the different
ways it could be worked. Working with Dale was truly a remarkable experience. He was always so much fun to work for and with,
very supportive and so generous with all the people who gaffed for
him starting with Jamie Carpenter, and then myself, Billy Morris,
Richard Royal, and now Jim Mongrain.”
Benjamin Moore and Dale Chihuly at
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD),
Providence, Rhode Island, 1977.
Left:Benjamin Moore, Palla Set in red, 2001.
Far left: Benjamin Moore and Louis Mueller,
Cloud Installation, private residence,
Seattle, Washington, 2001.
The Italians
At RISD, Moore felt he had hit a learning plateau and in 1977 following graduation, he
traveled to Venice. He wrote to 15 different Italian glass factories and received one response,
a telegram from Venini that read: “Come along. We might make arrangements for work.”
It was a long shot, but Moore decided to give it a try.
He met Ludovico Santillana, owner of the company and son-in-law of founder Paulo
Venini, who passed away in 1961. “Here I am in the most prestigious glass house in Venice
and a huge one in Europe making a design presentation. I could tell halfway through that
it wasn’t going to happen. I was young, but Santillana was intrigued with my ideas. So I
said to him, I would do anything just to have the opportunity to work on the factory floor.”
Moore began work at Venini with lead Maestro Checco Ongaro. He was given a studio
in an old men’s locker room on the second floor. The only time he could make his own work
was during lunch break. When Ongaro saw him working on weekends, he offered to make
some of Moore’s designs himself at the end of a workday, if time allowed.
In 1978, before he left Italy
to return to Pilchuck, Moore
made a presentation to Santillana and was invited back the
next year as a designer. He
juggled his role as education
coordinator at Pilchuck and
working at Venini for the next
few years.
Benjamin Moore and
Checco Ongaro at
Venini, Italy, 1978.
Benjamin Moore, Optic Twist Grouping, early BMI
limited editions, 1986. Photo by Roger Schrieber.
Using his connections in Italy, in 1978 Moore was able to bring
Ongaro to Pilchuck to teach a three-week glassblowing workshop.
He was the first Venetian to teach at the school. “Checco provided
a truly unique opportunity for people to sit and watch an artist with
his rich tradition of Venetian glassblowing and learn all the fundamentals that were so profound and made such a huge difference in
the sophistication of objects made here, as seen in the work of Billy
Morris and Dante Marioni, for example.”
Ongaro’s brother-in-law Lino Tagliapietra was the next Italian
to teach at Pilchuck. “Lino saw how crudely everyone worked with
the material. The glass was icy cold, and steps in the process were
repeated unnecessarily. But he also saw the no-holds-barred attitude
the Americans had. This meant that he, too, could do whatever he
wanted with glass. He saw something special happening and wanted
to be a part of it. Also, the incredible collector base that existed in
the United States meant that he could stop being a factory Maestro
and start being an artist.”
BMI
Benjamin Moore, Pink Hornet lamp, collaboration
with Walter White, circa 1982.
Photo by Roger Schrieber.
In 1980, the building at 1213 South King Street housed a production glass studio called The Glass Eye, owned by former Pilchuck
staffer Rob Adamson. Adamson had found great success producing Christmas ornaments and paperweights using ash from Mount
St. Helen’s eruption. Marioni, Singletary, Cunningham, and Joey
DeCamp all started working there in their teens.
At age 17, Marioni was the punty boy at The Glass Eye, where
Moore was making a high-end line of production glassware. “Benny
was always such a gentleman and a positive role model for me, really encouraging and friendly in a way that other successful artists
were not. I was really taken with the work he made. He could blow
glass on center at will. At the time, the prevailing aesthetic was
hippie stuff, which never spoke to me. Because of him, entirely, I
ended up doing what I’m doing. I was influenced by his aesthetic
more than anyone else’s.”
Pilchuck’s Golden Years
Moore was the director of education at Pilchuck during what he
considers the school’s golden years. “Dale’s philosophy was that
you don’t really teach art. There were assignments and critiques,
but you learned more from watching the faculty produce work.
Being taught by practicing professionals at the top of their games
was invaluable.”
Chihuly had achieved a high level of notoriety through his development of the RISD program and his personal success with the
Navajo Blanket Cylinders. “Dale had worldwide connections and
the ability to call upon different European artists to come teach at
Pilchuck. It was such an exciting time in that all of a sudden there
was an influx of artists from different glass cultures—Scandinavian,
Bavarian/German, and I brought the Italians. The Europeans shared
their rich tradition of glassmaking that dates back centuries. We
don’t have the same rich history in American glass culture. Their
sensibility was so much more sophisticated.”
Chihuly’s goal was to create an international glass communications center by inviting artists in all areas of glass, such as stained
glass greats Ludwig Schaffrath, Johannes Schreiter, and Patrick
Reyntiens. He invited Jaroslava Brychtová and Stanislav Libenský
from the Czech Republic, Bertil and Ulrica Vallien from Sweden,
and Ann Wolff from Germany. “They had so much to share, and
that was totally mind-blowing, because we’re all self-taught in the
Studio movement.”
Early BMI team, King Street Studio, from left to
right: Scott Darlington, Rich Royal, Dan Dailey, Tony
Biancanello, Robbie Miller, Benjamin Moore, Paul
Cunningham, and Preston Singletary.
In 1985, Adamson moved his studio to a larger space, Moore
bought the building and founded BMI. He began to develop the
American version of what he’d witnessed at Venini, designing and
producing limited production glassware for companies such as
Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. From the beginning of BMI, Royal
played a major role in the development of the studio and as a gaffer.
Bored with the repetitive nature of production work, Moore
began to realize that he was uniquely poised to fill a void for friends
and fellow artists he’d met at places such as RISD and Pilchuck.
He endeavored to provide a space and a team to make their work
using the younger generation of glassblowers, themselves in the
early stages of finding their aesthetic voices.
Many artists have made their work at BMI assisted by Moore
and his team. These include Tagliapietra, Morris, Royal, Marioni,
Singletary, Ethan Stern, Eric Woll, Sean O’Neill, Lipofsky, Dick
Marquis, Dick Weiss, Paul Marioni, Cappy Thompson, Therman
Statom, Narcissus Quagliata, Danny Perkins, Chihuly, and Dan
Dailey.
For more than 20 years, all of Dailey’s blown glass has been
made at BMI by a team usually headed by Moore himself with the
gaffing being done by Royal and Marioni, and assisted by Cunningham, Singletary, Michael Fox, O’Neill, Sam McMillen, and
Granite Calimpong. “Everybody on the team is always so excited
when Dan comes, because his sensibility is so unique. His way of
working is so exacting and always a challenge,” says Moore.
Dailey travels to BMI a couple of times per year to have parts
and components of his sculpture blown by BMI’s expert team.
“Glassblowing is not a process I want to own. I like compartmentalizing. I never go away with finished product. I’m always making
parts, then I work on the piece back at my studio. Ben is sensitive
to what I need and knows who has the best skills and temperament
to work on my projects.”
Though many of the artists making Dailey’s work have their
own successful careers, they continue to blow glass for him and
others at BMI out of mutual respect and admiration. The enviable
professional and personal camaraderie initiated and continued by
Moore is both the cornerstone of his success and the hallmark of
the Seattle glass experience.
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Benjamin Moore,
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(detail), 2012.
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Working Greener
Mary White
Investigating Environmental Topics Using Recycled Glass
by Shawn Waggoner
B
ay Area sculptor and arts educator Mary
Bayard White addresses environmental
issues in her art such as water resources, renewable energy, urban habitats for wild birds,
and affordable housing. White’s materials reflect an interest in sustainable practice, as she
has gradually begun to use primarily recycled
glass and salvaged metal parts in much of
her work, which includes solar powered bird
baths, glass watershed maps, and glass flood-level markers.
In a project completed in 2011, White collaborated with scientists
and city agencies to design and build an 18-foot-high flood level
marker in Boulder, Colorado, on the downtown creek path. Used to
measure flow during the September 2013 floods, the glass and stone
structure marks 50-, 100-, and 500-year flood levels. The marker
was a memorial to her father, Gilbert White, sometimes called “the
father of floodplain management.”
“The abilities and characteristics of glass—polarities and dichotomies, interior edges, reflections, rapid transformation to many
forms—have served me well as one of my main mediums to address
the confluence of environmental issues, art, and science.”
From 2002 to 2013, White was co-head of the fusing/slumping
area at The Crucible, a nonprofit industrial arts educational facility
located in West Oakland, California. There she and others taught a
broad range of youth and adult classes for all levels of students from
beginners to advanced artists. In an effort to bring more sustainable practices to The Crucible glass area, White introduced several
recycled glass courses in 2007.
With an MFA in glass and painting from California College of the
Arts (CCAC), White became the head of San Jose State University’s
(SJSU) glass area following the passing of Dr. Robert Fritz in 1986.
She worked there as an instructor in the School of Art and Design
and the Creative Arts Program until she retired in 2005. In 1995,
a group of her SJSU students and volunteers started the Bay Area
Glass Institute (BAGI) in San Jose, a public access hot glass studio
funded by proceeds from a huge glass pumpkin patch.
White served as a board member and site co-coordinator for
the 1994 Oakland Glass Art Society conference. In addition, she
organized the California Glass Exchange (CGE) at SJSU in 2003
and at The Crucible in 2012. This event, hosted every few years at
a California school that has a glass program, serves as a regional
glass exchange of ideas and information. Since 1988, White has also
served on the board of the Women Environmental Artists Directory
(WEAD), supporting and encouraging the role of women artists in
environmental art and education, and is a board member of BioGlass.
Mary B. White (glass) and Christian Muller
(stone), GFW Memorial Flood Level Marker:
Boulder, Colorado, 18' high, 2011. Float glass
plus metamorphosed and igneous rock.
Photo by David Butler.
Fulbright Scholarship to Ireland
Throughout White’s career, she has been active in promoting
and teaching the arts at over 15 institutions including The Studio at
the Corning Museum of Glass (CMOG) in Corning, New York; Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington; and the Fire Station
in Dublin, Ireland. “I believe in the magical power of the creative
process that can bring diverse people together to work and learn
from each other and nature. It is this power that can bring forth new
visions and new ways of dealing sanely with critical environmental
and social problems facing us.”
In 2009, White traveled to Ireland as a Fulbright Scholar at
the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) in Dublin. She
co-led, with NCAD glass tutor Carolyn Madden, an experimental,
two-semester graduate seminar called The Landscape of Aesthetics
and Design for 19 glass, ceramics, and metals students and Crafts
Council of Ireland members. The seminar focused on developing
critical thinking, analysis, and writing skills.
White also led a 5-day recycled glass workshop intensive at
Dublin’s The Fire Station. “The students were incredibly enthusiastic and smart, and it was a privilege to work with them. Because
fusible, compatible glass is less available in Ireland, many were
eager to use float glass, and many had extensive experience prior
to the class. We fused, slumped, cast, printed, and surface-treated
float glass, primarily. NCAD had just replaced many old windows
in the art college, so we were fortunate to be given as much float
glass as we could possibly use.”
Mary B. White: (Left) Wanderers and Seekers #8, 73" high, 2012. Recycled window glass, scrap steel, and lighting. Photo by Kim
Harrington. (Center) Dwelling with Portrait. Photo by Doug Keister. (Right) Rolling one day at a time towards sustainability, 66"
high, 2007. Recycled window glass, clay/recycled window glass mixture, and threaded rod. Photo by Lee Fatheree.
In collaboration with the Crafts Council of Ireland, NCAD,
and Fulbright committee, White organized two exhibitions, then
catalogued and co-directed with the seminar students a two-day
symposium at NCAD called Inter-Changes: Craft & Context.
She further lectured at Mason Hayes & Curran Solicitors, Dublin, Ireland; Crawford College of Art, Cork, Ireland; the Glass
Society of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland; and the Irish Geographers
Annual meeting.
“Ireland is the ‘Green Isle of Writers,’ and all of the arts are
fostered and respected. I was honored to work with talented,
creative, resourceful, humorous, and effective students and staff
who are using their skills as artists to make new connections to
their own communities. I came back from Ireland feeling as if I
had been the lucky student and my students, the teachers.”
Working with Recycled Glass
Running the glass program at SJSU demonstrated to White
exactly how much energy was being used by the furnaces and glory
holes. To counter this, she became interested first in ladle-casting
all of the leftover glass in the hot shop and later in working with
window glass. In an effort to reduce her personal carbon footprint,
she gradually moved away from working exclusively in hot glass
toward creating more warm glass pieces and cold fabricated work.
In order to do so, White began investigating a variety of postconsumer glasses including float, bottle, and tempered float, which
she used for both cold fabrication and slumping/fusing. “Working
with recycled glass is a little bit like life. It’s very unpredictable.
One never knows where the material comes from, and one has to
be a hunter-gatherer to enjoy this field.”
Working with recycled glass presents a series of challenges
including limited color range, varying compatibilities, and unpredictable sources. “At The Crucible, we asked students to be adventurous and curious. Often engineers and scientists were attracted
to my class, because they are willing to do the necessary testing
of materials.”
One of the most successful ways to use many recycled glasses,
other than slumping pieces, is to cast the glass into molds. “Recycled
glass is great for making large basins, such as birdbaths with solar
pumps and other outdoor applications. Bottles, mayonnaise jars,
window glass, and glass lenses from eyeglasses can all be used,
but to insure compatibility, are rarely combined.”
For her 2010 recycled glass class held at The Studio at CMOG
and co-taught with Reddy Lieb and Peter Mangin, White purchased
glass from a commercial recycling center—25 pounds of ground
up green, blue, and clear glass. When the glass is finely ground, it
can be sintered (barely fused) at a temperature that is also used for
pâte de verre. “I learned this sintering process from Bob Kirby, a
glass engineer who received a grant to teach artists in California
about different applications for recycled glass. Sintering allows the
glass to stick together without being completely compatible. But the
real story is test, test, test. Find the kind of glass you’re interested
in using and do a lot of tests.”
The Proof Is In the Pudding
Now, nearly all of White’s sculptural and personal work is made
from recycled glass, as seen in her series Dwellings. This body of
work explores the relationship of place and home to the physical
world. “Safe housing is a human right. Increasing mobility and
migration bring up many questions about what home is and what a
dwelling can provide. The house shape can be a metaphor for these
inquiries of human and place interaction.”
Started in 1993, White’s Dwellings series is cast or slumped and
illuminated internally by a variety of lighting techniques. Materials include recycled, reused, or salvaged glass, wood, and metal.
White cuts up discarded window glass into house shapes, waxes
the glass together, and invests it in a plaster/silica mold. Each firing requires a minimum of one week. On other Dwellings forms,
she cold works small glass pieces, then glues them together with
silicone into a house form. “As an artist, it becomes a quest to use
as much sustainable practice as possible in the making process.”
Currently working on a series called Illuminations, White created
her piece, Dwelling on Bay Area Foreclosures, for a 2012 CCAC
glass alumni show. By projecting a movie she made from the ceiling down onto the fused and slumped glass panels, she was able
to address the issues of losing a home in greater detail and more
intense content.
Raising curiosity about bees and the role of pollination, White’s
Sacred Pollination was originally produced for Shattered: Contemporary Sculpture in Glass. This group exhibition explored the
creative, conceptual, and formal aspects of contemporary glass
sculpture. Coinciding with the fifth annual ArtPrize competition and
held at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids,
Michigan, Shattered will host 25 artists from across North America,
Europe, and Asia until January 5, 2014. Pollination shows large bees
crawling on flowers, gathering pollen on their legs. The projection
surface is salvaged window glass cut into a large sunflower shape
and fused to create texture on the surface. The blue bricks were cast
from salvaged hot shop glass.
Mary B. White, Illuminations: Dwelling on Bay Area
Foreclosures, 8' x 6', 2012. Recycled window glass,
bricks, plywood, projector, three-minute film.
Photo by Mary B. White.
Mary B. White showing recycled glass samples,
including a portrait plate of Harvey Littleton and a
marble plate she made out of John Manville #475
marbles from pioneer Jan Reep’s hot shop, 2013.
Photo by Suzanne McMillan.
Bioneers
Mary B. White, Illuminations: Sacred Pollination,
7' diameter, 2013. Recycled window glass, cast
salvage hot shop cullet bricks, projector, and threeminute film. Photo by Mary B. White.
For many years, White has attended the Bioneers gathering at
the Marin Civic Center in Marin County. The mission of Bioneers
is the advancement of holistic education pertaining to global social,
cultural, and environmental issues. Bioneers identifies progressive
yet nature-honoring solutions to rising challenges of instability, inequality, and unsustainable growth and disseminates this knowledge
via independent media events and community action networks.
For the 2006 Bioneers, White and collaborator Andree Singer
Thompson created an outside exhibition to encourage viewers to
offer the decreasing number of wild birds running water, nesting
materials, and plants that provide food. They made eight birdbaths
with solar powered pumps to create running water.
In 2008, WEAD presented an exhibition held in conjunction
with Bioneers called Sources: Water Sources of China, Tibet, and
the Bay Area, Parts 1 & 2. White collaborated with Thompson and
Christina Bertea on a metaphoric water hole to stimulate a gathering place. She covered the interior of an old satellite dish with her
cast glass bricks and floated solar powered fountains in the water.
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(Top) Sue McMillan, Garden Arch, 8' wide, cast recycled
bottle glass, 2013. (Bottom) Sue McMillan preparing bottle
glass for casting, sorting crushed and recycled bottle glass
into bisque clay firing molds. Photos by Mary B. White.
The Future of Recycled Glass
Last spring, many people attended White’s recycled glass class
at The Crucible. “There is currently more interest in using recycled
glass. People try working with it, but they can get discouraged by
the limited color palette and all of the testing required. It’s hard
to compete with the wonderful color of the manufactured fusible,
compatible glass palette.” But for some, it’s the perfect solution
to working with glass in an environmentally responsible fashion.
Artists such as Sue McMillan, one of White’s recent students, is
enthusiastic about using bottle glass and has begun to collect and
categorize a variety of shapes and colors to incorporate in her palette.
McMillan began working with glass in 1971 at the University of
California, Berkeley, one of the first two glass programs in California, this one founded by Marvin Lipofsky. Her recent return to the
medium has resulted in whimsical garden sculpture that incorporates
old metal bed frames and recycled cast glass circles and moons.
In January 2014, White taught a class at St. Mary’s College
in Moraga, California, called Art in the Garden, the Garden in
Art. The session provided an opportunity for students who are not
glass artists to work with mosaics and gave White the chance to
experiment with glass she collected from a local greenhouse that
was demolished. “I don’t think the artistic vision of recycled glass
has been fully explored.”
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Warm Glass Studio Profile
Uniquely Richard
La Londe
A History of Making Glass Techniques More Spontaneous
“For me, it’s important to be both a
good craftsperson and an artist. I delight in
the technical aspects of glass. One minute
it works, the next it falls on the floor and
breaks, or it comes out of the kiln in pieces.
So it’s like being on the edge of the medium, and
I like that aspect a lot. However, I have a large
enough technical grasp that I’m free to express
what I want to with the material, especially with the
technique I developed with crushed glass. I lay down
the glass, like doing a sand painting, and then fuse it
together. This process allows me to blend color and
to be more spontaneous. Drawing with the crushed
glass also has permitted me to work more freely, especially in my bowls. I just sit down and make them
for sheer joy.”
~ from Out of the Fire, Bonnie Miller, 1991
Richard La Londe, Botanical of Desire 12" x 20" x 18", 2014.
by Shawn Waggoner
R
ichard La Londe’s work reflects an undeniable harmony. He
strives for balance between left and right brain, meaningful
content and technical prowess, spontaneous creation and tight
design. In 1983, this pioneer of the Northwest fusing movement
was one of the first instructors for the Bullseye Glass Co., and his
exploration and experimentation with the medium resulted in the
introduction of multiple new techniques.
Born in 1950, La Londe grew up in Vancouver, Washington,
graduating in 1972 from the University of Washington with a degree
in geology. Early on he held many different jobs including commercial fishing in Alaska, becoming a journeyman welder, building
houses, creating stained glass windows, forging ornamental iron,
blowing glass, and building kilns.
His love affair with fusing began in 1981 when he started firing Bullseye glass in an electric kiln. “In the early 1980s, Bullseye
created the first complete color range of glass that was compatible
and when fused together didn’t crack apart.” La Londe taught fusing classes for Bullseye in glass facilities around the United States
and in Canada from 1983 to 1988, and in 1985 taught at the famed
Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington.
As the work evolved, La Londe began translating his ideas into
the pictorial murals and handkerchief vessels he is known for today.
His fused glass Lotus Bowl was purchased in 1983 by the Corning
Museum of Glass, Corning, New York, for its permanent collection. One of his early public commissions, Into the Mythos, can be
seen at the SeaTac airport, Seattle, Washington. He has completed
a total of 15 public works including his 2012 Washington State
Arts Commission Percent for Arts project, Enchanted Journey, for
Spanaway Elementary School in Spanaway, Washington.
With a deep desire to share what he’s learned, the artist has also
authored two books, Richard La Londe: Fused Glass Art and Technique, and Richard La Londe and Friends: Fused Glass, Vitreous
Enamels and Other Techniques. He teaches workshops around the
country and at his studio on Whidbey Island in Washington State.
With his students, La Londe always shares his desire to make glass
techniques more spontaneous and to create art that is truly unique.
Richard La Londe, Enchanted Journey wall mural,
40" x 25", 2012. Spanaway Elementary, Washington State Arts
Commission, Spanaway, Washington, fused glass.
Above: Richard La Londe, The Four Elements,
50" x 52" and 23" x 20" each panel, 1994.
Liquid glass line technique with fused
crushed glass, dichroic glass, and gold leaf.
Illustrations for La Londe’s book,
Heart of the World, 14 pieces total.
Cut Sheet Glass Murals and Vessels
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In the early days of the Northwest fusing movement, La Londe,
Ruth Brockmann (La Londe’s then wife), Boyce Lundstrom, David
Ruth, Gil Reynolds, and a few others were experimenting with
the new medium, resulting in the birth of an art form. La Londe’s
early fused glass design evolved from his stained glass technique.
His process began with an original, full-scale design on paper. The
artist then cut pieces from sheet glass, placed them side by side
on a piece of clear glass, and fused them together. He embellished
and enhanced his imagery through the use of crushed glass frit and
stringer.
As La Londe’s designs increased in complexity, his desire to
draw with the glass intensified. Frustrated because he wanted to
express with the glass as spontaneously as he could with charcoal
on paper, La Londe began hand-smashing frit in something that
looked like a butter churn, then sifting the smashed glass through
hardware cloth and window screen. The resulting frit and powder
provided a material for more immediate expression.
Skilled as a builder, the artist designed and fabricated any
equipment needed to make his work, essential in the early days
when supplies and equipment were not readily available. He built
a glory hole out of a three-pound coffee can from which he pulled
stringer and designed a glass fusing kiln with top elements. This
equipment allowed La Londe to create his first large wall mural,
Neptune’s Waltz. Measuring 48 inches high by 65 inches wide, the
piece consists of 12 sections, each 16 inches by 16 inches. The mural
sold in a week through his gallery for $2,000, a hefty sum in 1983.
Two years later, La Londe was awarded his first public commission for Black Lake Elementary School, Olympia, Washington. In
the days prior to computerized design and PowerPoint presentations,
La Londe had to develop his own method for creating an architectural model to present to the Washington State Arts Commission.
He fused 6-inch-high tiles and drew details on them with a black
felt pen. To give the committee an idea of size, he cut figures out
of a magazine, placed them in front of the fused tiles, and photographed them.
Once the commission was secured, he met the challenge of figuring out how to create and mount one of the first ever large-scale
fused glass wall murals. Metamorphosis measures 60 inches wide
by 24 feet long. “One criterion for the commission was that the
kids be able to touch the glass, and that made me nervous. I tried
to include a variety of things for the kids to notice and make them
laugh, such as the Kilroy-like figures and other funny creatures I
refer to as flying hood ornaments.” Designed in 12-inch by 12-inch
sections, the fused glass was adhered to an aluminum background
using silicone adhesive and screwed to the wall.
La Londe created 12 wall pieces and 125 vessels between 1983
and 1988. His success working with frit and creating murals in a
larger format inspired his vessels made from cut, fused, and hot
combed sheet glass. The most recognizable of his vessels are his
Botanical Series, one of which appeared on the cover of his book,
Richard La Londe: Fused Glass Art and Technique. His personal
favorites, these pieces feature hand crushed frit and pulled cane as
well as a more sophisticated design.
Richard La Londe, The Four Seasons, 58" x 78",
1988. Fused crushed glass laid
down without a pattern, free design.
Free Design Frit
Eventually La Londe reached the apex of spontaneous expression and created five wall panels in 1988 using his free frit design
technique—sketching with glass powders using no drawing or preconceived design. He continues to make vessels using this technique,
but over time he returned to more controlled imagery for larger work.
For his piece To Love You Must Let Go, the artist drew directly
on the glass using powders hand smashed with a giant mortar and
pestle crusher, originally designed for milling gold ore. La Londe
piled powders on top of 6 mm clear glass, then full-fused the work.
At the time, thicker glass was not available, so he used two sheets
of 3 mm glass. “All these tiny bubbles were trapped in between the
two sheets, and I had to drill all of those out with a Dremel tool.
For this piece, I drilled out 60 to 100 bubbles.” The piece was full
fused a second time, so the viewer is looking through the clear glass
to the powders underneath.
La Londe’s The Four Seasons was designed for a show at The
Glass Gallery, Bethesda, Maryland, and was one of the first large
pieces he sold in a gallery for over $10,000. “For years I have attempted to say something with my artwork. I am influenced by
archaeology, nature, and primitive or what I call ‘touch the earth’
peoples. I am saddened by human beings’ general destruction of
our natural world and our planet.”
Richard La Londe, Intuition, Washington State Health Laboratory,
26" x 22", 2004. One of eight panels commissioned through the
Washington State Arts Commission. Liquid glass line technique
with fused crushed glass, dichroic glass, and gold leaf.
The artist created five wall panels featuring this technique and
continues its use for vessel forms. His initial Bolero Series, 1988
to 1992, included free-formed spirals and lines sprinkled on in a
sandpainting manner. The vessels were fused, flipped over, fused
a second time, then slumped into a metal mold on a third firing. La
Londe’s Mandala Series, 2002 to present, incorporates thin copper foil, which produces a bubble pattern when fired, gold handetched foil, and crushed glass that looks like granite rock. “These
pieces use more subtle colors. I am striving to create a meditative,
harmonious feel.”
Frit Follows Design
Cutting up strips of glass and fusing them together was never
enough for La Londe. “I wanted to tell stories and present imagery
that people could think about. A lot of people tell me they can look at
the work, come back to it a week later, and see something different.”
Realizing that paper patterns provide more design control, La
Londe returned to drawing imagery on butcher paper with Sharpie
markers. He flipped his pattern upside-down on a light table, laid
clear glass on top, and outlined the design with black or white
crushed glass. A small paintbrush fine-tuned details, and colored
frit filled in the outlines. Dichroic glass plus gold and silver leaf
applied after the piece was fired added detail.
In his works Look Too See, Remember the Stars, and Whirlwind,
La Londe works in large modules that go together to create even
larger wall pieces and still allow him to ship the work via UPS. In
these layered, floating pieces, a large sheet of aluminum backs the
glass, with two angles that are pop-riveted onto the backing to float
the modules off the wall. The glass is attached to the aluminum with
silicone caulking. “I have a piece mounted this way on the southfacing exterior wall of my studio that I’ve moved three times. It’s
25 years old and still holding up just fine.”
The mounting systems, imagery, and size of his work signaled
that La Londe was moving toward producing more public work.
“I really admired Diego Rivera and what the Mexican muralists
were doing. I had a vision to create pictorial artwork that says
something for large public spaces. Working with architects, I
soon found they didn’t want artists doing that in their buildings.” He was inspired to investigate and began pursuing
public art commissions.
Liquid Glass Line
La Londe is credited with developing the Liquid Glass Line
technique, the main process he uses to create his glass art. It requires
a mixture of carboxyl methyl cellulose (CMC) and water, producing a thick gum, which is then mixed with powdered glass (08 size
Bullseye) and applied in a line that sits on top of the glass like a
piece of spaghetti. Once dry, La Londe fills in areas with additional
glass powders. “I saw a piece of cloisonné at a show, and it hit me
that that’s what I’d been doing. A lot of these ideas have already
been done. It just took me a while to make the connection. When I
wrote Book 2, I discovered Frances Higgins was doing something
similar years before I was.”
Another breakthrough happened when La Londe talked Bullseye
into rolling its first clear 6 mm glass for him. He says: “I didn’t have
to drill all those bubbles out, I didn’t have to deal with volume control issues, and I was able to continue to advance my work using the
Liquid Glass Line. It allowed me to produce more and clearer detail
and crisper pieces in less time.” This thicker glass soon showed up
in Bullseye’s catalog.
In 1994, La Londe created The Four Directions, 14 panels used
as illustrations for his self-published book titled Heart of the World.
These panels were available in a limited edition of 10 and sold as sets
of the Four Directions or the Four Elements or individual panels.
“It was a breakthrough for me, because I had the pieces displayed
to show the work, but I took orders so I didn’t have to make them
ahead of time.”
Between 1993 and 2003, La Londe created 54 wall pieces and
203 vessels using his Liquid Glass Line method. They include
public work for a school in Alaska plus a library and a hospital in
Washington. Vessels include his Bolero II series and Dragon series.
Richard La Londe, Red Rim Dragon,
13" x 19" x 17", 1999.
the glass mold company
Richard La Londe and Angie Dixon, Emergence,
24" x 13", 2010. Recycled float glass,
metal, and enamels.
New Year, New Work
La Londe has returned to making the Botanical series. He creates his sensual botanical vessels by fusing colored crushed glass
and silver foil that is then slumped into a wavy stainless steel mold
during a second firing. “This is my favorite glass series, which is
very time consuming and technically difficult. They don’t all survive
the kiln, which makes these vessels really special.”
He currently explores glass and metal combinations as well
as some new work with recycled float glass, as seen in his 2010
collaboration with wife Angie Dixon in a work titled Emergence.
Recycled float glass, metal, and enamel come together to express
the couple’s love of tribal cultures and ancient artifacts. Precious
metal foils, sheet copper, and vitreous enamels are fused together
on recycled sheet glass.
La Londe is currently working on some new pieces that combine
bronze, recycled float glass, metal foils, and enameled glass. “In
the early days, I reveled in discovering new techniques. With fusing glass like Bullseye and Spectrum 96 today, most of the basic
techniques have been developed. I am newly excited about fusing
recycled float glass, as I can get back into discovering how to make
it work.”
For more information on upcoming classes, books, and artwork
go to www.richardlalonde.com.
Look for Subscriber Benefits coming to Subscribers Only via
links in upcoming e-mails from Glass Art. This Bonus Content
will include additional information on Richard La Londe’s 2012
Washington State Arts Commission Percent for Arts Project, Enchanted Journey, for Spanaway Elementary School in Spanaway,
Washington.
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GAS News
Featuring the latest from the Glass Art Society
Experience a “Day of Glass”
with the Glass Art Society
R
esidents and visitors to the city of Chicago, Illinois, will
have the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at
the amazing world of glass art as the Glass Art Society (GAS)
hosts a “Day of Glass” on March 19, 2014. This free, open to
the public event will take place at various locations throughout the city and is being hosted in conjunction with the GAS
annual conference. Please note that advance registration is
required for some events.
A Tour of Excellence
Chicago will become an epicenter of glass art as worldrenowned studios showcase guided tours, exhibitions, and artist
demonstrations throughout the city and in select surrounding
suburbs. The Day of Glass will offer everyone from curiosity
seekers to seasoned collectors an up close and personal look
into the amazing world of glass art by many of the great local
glass artists and creators.
Some of the city’s most influential glass art studios will
open their doors for tours and demonstrations throughout
several of Chicago’s distinct and vibrant neighborhoods. Participating venues include Ignite Glass Studios, West Supply,
Solstice Stained Glass, Chicago Glass Collective, Chicago
Glassworks, Little Black Pearl, Chicago Hot Glass, Opal
Glass Studios and Ed Hoy’s International (advanced registration required).
Chicago Art Galleries Join In
The Day of Glass has also attracted the participation of
a number of art galleries in the city that will feature special
glass exhibitions and events in honor of the GAS Conference.
On March 21, the select galleries in the River North Gallery
District will open their doors to the public from 5 p.m.–8 p.m.
Ken Saunders Gallery, ECHT Gallery and Vale Craft Gallery
will also be hosting special opening receptions during the Gallery Hop. We hope you will take advantage of this fabulous
opportunity to view some of the finest in glass art.
For more information or to register for the Glass Art Society
annual conference, please visit www.glassart.org.
2014 Glass Art Society Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Dan Dailey,
Smoochers Circus Series Vase, 42" x 16-1/2" x 10", 2010. Blown glass,
sandblasted and acid polished. Fabricated, patinated, nickel and gold-plated
bronze. Pâte de verre and lampworked glass details. Photo by Bill Truslow.
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product lines, the Hollander Glass group offers the largest selection of specialty glass in the world.
At Hollander Specialty Glass, we strive to offer the best possible pricing to our customers.
We are one of the largest distributors of wholesale stained glass, fusing products, architectural and
beveled glass, tools, books and supplies. We reward our loyal customers with the Hollander
Frequent Buyer Program, where your patronage and volume buying is rewarded with
increasingly better pricing.
• Architectural Glass
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Supplies
Tools
Teaching Studio
H O USTO N • ATL A N TA • P H O E N I X
C H I C A G O • N E W YO R K
H O L L A NDERGLASS.COM
Upcoming
Glass Expert Webinars™
Live, Two-Hour, Interactive 2014 Web Workshops
with Renowned Glass Artists
No Traveling Required!
• Margo Clark and Dr. Saulius Jankauskas
Techniques Using Unique Glass Colors Accents,
Artisan Colors, NT Colors, and MUD
March 11 & 13
• Peggy Pettigrew Stewart
Verre Églomisé
April 15
• Gil Reynolds
New Ways to Fuse
April 22 & 24
Visit the Glass Expert Webinars™ link
under “What’s New” at www.GlassPatterns.com for more details and local times.
Independent Artist
Inventing to Create
New Work and Products by
Michael Dupille
by Shawn Waggoner
A
s an early pioneer of the Northwest
fusing movement, Michael Dupille is
used to developing processes and products
that allow him to achieve a new aesthetic.
In his early days creating and teaching
at Camp Colton with Boyce Lundstrom,
techniques and materials were still being
discovered. Artists had to invent in order
to create. For Dupille, old habits die hard.
His modus operandi is to work in ways that
other people aren’t. “Once I have things
figured out and have created a body of
work, I am ready to move on to something
else. That’s how I’ve always functioned, even
when I was painting.”
Dupille has been employed as an art creator
or educator throughout his career. Experienced
in a variety of media including animation, illustration, print, and textile design, he continues
to challenge himself through invention and innovation. Since the late 1980s, his medium of
choice has been glass exclusively.
The artist developed and refined many kiln forming processes,
especially in the area of mold making and kiln casting, and recently
collaborated with Grace Boyd at Pyro Media in Seattle, Washington, to create a new line of large-scale kiln shelves and molds that
eliminate the need for fiberboard or fiber paper. But he is most
well known for his work in Fritography—using frits and powders
to develop painterly images on a panel that can be either tight and
highly detailed or loose and impressionistic. His work can be found
in numerous public and private collections including those of the
Washington and Oregon State Arts Commissions, The Everett
Cultural Commission, The Seattle Times, The Pierce County Arts
Commission, Amazon.com, and the Seattle Mariners.
Recently Dupille has been investigating a process for creating
imagery on glass using a specially formulated CMC mixed with
powdered glass and applied onto a panel using a palette knife. The
work is fired multiple times and enhanced with dry frit application
to help reveal the texture. The results have inspired students and
collectors alike. “There are different ways to create detailed, fluid
work without having to cut little pieces of glass. And I am always
trying new ways to produce painterly work in a more immediate
fashion.”
Michael Dupille, Neighbors,
Tranchant du Verre method,
21" x 26", 2006.
Tranchant du Verre, the Knife Edge of Glass
Dupille has been experimenting with his palette knife as an exclusive process since 2004. He mixes a specially formulated CMC gum
he developed called Vitrigel with System 96 powdered glass. Starting
with a drawing or photograph, he applies the mixture to a compatible, flat base glass using a series of palette knives. He applies a layer
over the entire piece, then runs a basic fusing program to 1460ºF in
his top and bottom fire kiln. The hold time will depend on the kiln
used. “Taking the first firing to a full fuse establishes the volume
and a good image base to continue building the rest of the piece.”
Next, Dupille renders his image using the palette knife, then lets
it air-dry. Drying time depends on the thickness of the medium and
usually takes a couple of hours. Sometimes he adds dry frit with a
custom-bent spoon to highlight textured areas and create contrast.
“You can do a flat fused piece or define it with texture. I do a number
of firings to full-fuse temperature, then on the last firing I go through
with the palette knife, highlighting the image to create texture. Then
I take it to a partial fuse to get the texture on top. You can leave the
previously fused areas open to create flat, smooth areas, and on the
top layer the texture highlights the imagery you’ve defined. The
work has a nice tactile and visual presence to it.”
Creating an Art Form
Dupille’s palette knife process has been evolutionary. His
background as a painter and illustrator are revealed in the
watercolor quality of much of the work.
He attended Central Washington University in Ellensburg
from 1974 to 1976. The glassblowing program there was the
largest in the state at the time, boasting three furnaces. Many
prominent artists including Stan Price, Mark Eckstrand, and
William Morris studied there under the direction of Gary
Galbraith, glass program head. After college, Dupille moved
back to Washington to the Seattle/Tacoma area and decided to
pursue painting and illustration work, attending Clover Park
Vocational Technical Institute in Tacoma, where he studied
offset printing and lithography. In 1978, he co-founded Avalon
Art School with a couple of other artists.
Eventually he met fellow fusers Richard La Londe and Ruth
Brockmann at a street fair. They had both just begun doing a
little fusing and told him about Lundstrom and Bullseye Glass
Co., which at that time had eight colors in its palette. They invited
Dupille to their studio and eventually introduced him to Lundstrom,
who became one of his closest friends. Trained as a printer and with
his knowledge of design and illustration, he was asked by Lundstrom
to design some of Bullseye’s print advertising. “When Boyce discovered I had a glassblowing background, he invited me to Camp
Colton to help him with design work, layouts for his books, and
developing kiln formed techniques. I even did a successful T-shirt
design for Catspaw Opal in 1982.”
Michael Dupille,
Big Jay Feathers,
kiln formed glass,
fused and slumped set,
48" x 20", 2009.
Michael Dupille, Swirly Night,
Carved Frit Sandwich technique,
10" x 10", 2010.
Michael Dupille, Cats Paw Opal T-shirt
design for Bullseye Glass, 1982.
After working on fusing books two and
three, Dupille started teaching glass
classes at Camp Colton. “We taught
students what we knew at the time,
but the process was still developing. In
many ways we were flying by the seat
of our pants. Being around Boyce was
always a riot. We laughed continuously.
I’ve never met anyone quite like him.
He was a friend, a mentor, a genius.”
In the early 1990s, Brockmann won a competition sponsored by the Oregon Arts Commission to create a pair of murals for the lobby of the Portland
State Office Building. Created in collaboration with her partner Hal Bond,
Dupille was also enlisted to collaborate on the two murals, which covered
a total of 320 square feet and was comprised of fused glass, kiln cast glass,
and colored cement.
Michael Dupille, Ragtimers,
Tranchant du Verre method, 21" x 26", 2005.
Introducing Pyramid Shelves and Molds
In keeping with his “invent to create” background, Dupille has been working with Grace Boyd at Pyro Media, who developed a refractory material
that can be used to create large-format kiln shelves. According to Dupille,
this material had a history of proven performance in a production environment for over 10 years. “We can create them to any size up to 44 feet wide
by 8 feet by 1 inch. We can also produce custom, large format, low relief
molds for glass doors, screens, or window elements that require production
molds for repeated use. These will be designed (by you or us) and CADcut as a plastic model, from which the refractory mold will be produced.”
Dubbed “Pyramid” shelves and molds, they can be jet cut to any shape and
also used as dams.
According to Dupille, Pyramid shelves eliminate the need for fiberboard
or fiber paper while providing a flat, seamless, durable surface on which to
fire. They have a very long life span, do not outgas, and can be used with
shelf primer only, reducing the need for Thin Fire or other refractory sheet
separators. The 3/4-inch shelves can be cut to size for use with existing kiln
lines such as Evenheat 25 x 41 or Skutt 25 x 41 octagons.
Prior to first use, the shelves are coated with a primer and fired to 300ºF
with a 10 to 15 minute soak. Normally, before each use, the shelves and
molds would be lightly sprayed and heated to 250ºF with a short soak period. “Although our material is more expensive than similar products, the
shelves and molds perform well for many years and are worth the slight
difference in price.”
Michael Dupille, A Clear Mind,
cast glass and copper, 18" x 10" x 2‑1/2",
part of a series of owl pieces done from
the same Castalot mold, 1996.
Attitude, Analysis, Annealing
As an innovator of new techniques and products, Dupille has been in demand as a teacher
for the last three decades, instructing in art since the mid 1970s and in kiln formed glass
since 1988. His glass instruction has taken him all over the United States and Mexico. “I
enjoy the interaction of glass and students and have seen it change people’s lives. Nothing
is more gratifying for me than to see former students succeed in their own personal expression of the material.” Although each of his workshops focuses on a particular technique,
he always devotes a portion of the class to imparting a more concrete understanding of the
fundamentals of kiln formed glass. “The 3 As of fusing are attitude, analysis, and annealing.”
Over the years Dupille has taught at Ed Hoy’s in Warrenville, Illinois; Pacific Art Glass in
Gardena, California; Rainbow Art Glass Inc. in Sacramento, California; and the Pittsburgh
Glass Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to name just a few. He also teaches regularly
at the Glass Craft & Bead Expo, held each spring in Las Vegas, Nevada. In March 2014,
Dupille returns to Expo with one class in Fritography, one class based on his successful
DVD, When the Frit Hits the Fan, and two classes in his new process, palette knife fusing.
Last year there was a waiting list for his Expo classes.
“At first, I was the only person doing frit work. Now there are many people teaching
the techniques. Working with frit and fusing in general gives you freedom of expression.
Learning how the colors work, how they fire, and what you can do with the different sizes
provides a conduit for your imagination.”
In 2014, Dupille will begin scaling back some of his workshop travel and offer classes
at his home studio in Tacoma. These four- and five-day intensives in May, June, September,
and October will focus on subjects such as self portraits, comprehensive frit, kiln casting
with Castalot, and the palette knife process. Classes will be limited to six people so students
can see what other participants are working on. He will also release a new DVD on his
palette knife process in the fall of 2014.
Dupille is a grand experimenter, and some of the most unique developments in his
work have been the result of experimentation or aesthetic accident. He has the mindset of
a perpetual student, always looking for ways to make his art more interesting and unique.
“I really like the challenge of working with glass, because the material will continue to
challenge you. But you have to be open to those opportunities.”
Look for Subscriber Benefits coming to Subscribers Only via links in upcoming emails from Glass Art. This Bonus Content will include additional information on Michael
Dupille’s 2013 Washington State Arts Commission Percent for Arts Project, Blue Ribbon
Livin’, for Valley Elementary and Middle School in Valley, Washington.
Light Cherry Red
Lemon Chiffon
Yellow
Lime Green
Aqua Blue
Sky Blue
Cobalt Blue
Frit Sample
Sets Available
Each set contains one 0.5 oz
packet of each of our new frit
colors plus black and clear
(coated RB). Sets are available
in both 90 & 96 COE.
Michael Dupille
[email protected]
www.michaeldupille.com
Joey viewing Michael Dupille’s Flicker, flicker head in kiln
formed glass, 36" x 48", 2011. Photo from the
opening reception of Feathers; the Spokes of Flight
exhibit at the Seattle Audubon center, 2012.
16813 Radholme Ct., Bldg. B
Round Rock, TX 48664
1-800-268-6163
512-246-1122 (phone)
512-246-1133 (fax)
[email protected]
www.dichro.com
Marketing
Taking the Leap to Selling
in Galleries and Boutiques
Jewelry by Tanya Veit
by Mark Veit
N
ot a week goes by that I don’t hear a glass artist say, “If I only
had the time, I would love to make a living with my glass art.”
Typically that phrase is uttered while a glass artist is finishing up a
class or studio time, and they see the beautiful fruits of their labor
and the potential for so much more. They have a love for glass art,
they have a willingness to expand their knowledge of it, and most
importantly, they have a passion for glass art. Wouldn’t it be great
if they could put these traits to work and build their own glass
art business? This is happening more and more, and I don’t think
anything could be better. Glass artists are learning both sides of the
business, and by educating themselves, hobbies are being turned
into full-blown businesses. There is definitely momentum in the
glass art world, and there is a place for your work on the shelves
of boutiques and galleries.
Getting Started
I would like to share some methods and
ideas that Tanya Veit, my business partner
and well-known glass artist and educator,
has used to sell her jewelry in over 100
boutiques and galleries across the country. Whether you currently run your own
business and are trying to get into more
boutiques or you are testing the waters to
see if this is something you want to pursue,
these tactics will put you in a position to make
an educated decision by speaking directly with
boutique owners.
If getting in front of store buyers is your goal, focus on juried
fine art shows as opposed to craft shows. There is nothing wrong
with selling at a craft show, but store buyers are more likely to attend
the juried shows. They know that those artists have gone through a
screening process and are most likely to deal on a wholesale basis.
Anytime you are selling at one of these shows, be sure to have
a few packets containing all of your information, including your
price structure. If any store buyers show an interest, they will appreciate a concise packet that they can easily take with them. They
may also want to take notes while speaking with you. It is a great
way to show your professionalism and make a great first impression
on potential clients.
It is important that you find the right shops to work with, since
your goal is to build a lasting relationship full of reorders. Be sure
to ask potential clients any questions that are important to you.
Being able to work well together with your clients is essential and
will save you headaches, as well as time and money, down the road.
Finding the Appropriate Representative
Another way to get your glass art in front of store owners is to hire a commission-based sales representative. You
will have to pay close attention to your pricing structure
if you choose this route, but when applied correctly, a
good commission-based sales rep can help you spread
the word about your glass art like wild fire. A standard
commission for a commission-only rep is 15 percent.
Be sure to have a written contract outlining the specifics and be sure the sales rep understands how many
sales/accounts you expect and the exact deadline
date. You might go through a few sales reps before
you find the right one, but when you do, you will see
an increase in sales.
If you are not keen on hiring a sales representative, get out there and do it yourself. Tanya did, and
she cultivated some of the best business relationships
because of it. This is where you can really take your time
and research the boutiques and galleries you visit. Be sure
to visit them anonymously before speaking with any buyers. You
should be comfortable in the environment of the boutique or galley.
Make sure the sales people are attentive and willing to help. After
all, you want this to be a lucrative relationship for both you and the
shop owner, so a good sales staff is very important.
After you have found a boutique that you are comfortable with,
make an appointment with the owner or buyer, often the same
person. Tanya learned that the best days to contact the owners are
Wednesdays and Thursday’s later in the day. Owners tend to be
busier on Mondays and Tuesdays and are more
apt to give you their time and attention later in
the week. When you speak with buyers, let
them know you make a product that will
sell very well in their store, then show
it to them.
Let buyers know that you have
been in their store before and have
researched their business a bit. If
you can make a connection with
buyers and show them you are
taking the time to research their
business, they will realize you are
a serious salesperson and willing to
go above and beyond to sell a great
product. Any shop owner will take notice
of that initiative and realize
you are a positive person to do business with. If you think the color
of paint on the walls goes well with your glass art, be sure to point
that out. If you sell glass art that is location specific, point out what
a great fit it will be in that particular boutique. On the other hand,
if you can’t find anything in the boutique that complements your
glass art or if something made you uncomfortable, move on. It’s
not for you. Not every boutique will be a good fit. Don’t get hung
up on any one location. There is always another one out there.
Trade Show Pointers
While the above examples are relatively inexpensive, purchasing a booth at a wholesale tradeshow is not. However, by attending
a well-recognized wholesale tradeshow, Tanya was able to obtain
dozens of new and established boutique and gallery accounts. I
wouldn’t recommend purchasing a booth at a wholesale show
unless you are prepared to meet the demand that will
be generated. The national shows draw thousands of
buyers from across the country, so it is important to
be prepared and professional. Be sure to have your
best work on hand as well as ideas and concepts
of future work.
The worst thing you can do is overcommit to
these new accounts and promise your buyers the
world. Then six weeks later when they call you
looking for their order and you haven’t had a chance
to even start it because you have been working on
other orders, you will lose the business relationship
before it ever has a chance to grow. Be honest and give
your buyers a realistic time line. If buyers know the product
won’t be ready for six weeks, they can work around that. In fact, they
will appreciate that. The last thing a shop owner wants is a surprise.
Another perk Tanya offered that always made her buyers feel
comfortable was a guarantee to swap out pieces that didn’t sell in six
months. She only had to do this a couple times, but shop owners felt
comfortable knowing that they could swap out older merchandise
for the same priced new merchandise if it didn’t sell. The items you
swap out after six months may be a better fit at another location.
In reality, all you are doing is moving your inventory around, and
it doesn’t cost you very much to do so. The particular trade show
she participated in also had a website that helped reach galleries
and boutiques across the country, even if the buyers couldn’t make
the physical trade show. It is yet another online presence that will
open your work up to thousands of potential buyers.
Mark Veit currently owns and
operates www.aaeglass,com along
with partners Tanya and John Veit.
They create enamel waterslide decals for glass artists and sell them
on their website along with unique
silver settings for glass. They also wholesale their fused
glass jewelry to galleries and boutiques.
Constantly attending workshops, seminars, and
classes with master artisans helps Veit and
his partners evolve their work and makes it
possible for them to offer glass and jewelry
artists a unique medium to maximize their
sales. Visit www.aaeglass.com or e-mail
[email protected] for more information.
All rights Reserved.
Planning for the Future
After much trial and error, Tanya discovered these were the most
effective routes to getting her glass art into various boutiques and
galleries across the country. All glass artists are at a different point
in their careers, and some may not be able to devote as much time to
their art this year as they will be able to in three or four years. That
doesn’t mean you can’t start exploring some of those options now.
When you are out shopping, imagine you are looking for the
perfect place to sell your glass art. Take note of the boutique and
gallery layouts as well as your impression of the staff. When the
time does come to expand your business, you will have a solid base
on which to start, and you will be well on your way to building a
very strong foundation for your small business.
1732 Wright Ave, Richmond CA
(800) 227-1780
[email protected]
Retailer Profile
Prism
GlassWorks, Ltd.
by Colleen Bryan
S
haron Carothers may have come to art glass retailing
on April Fool’s Day 2000, but the proprietor of Prism
GlassWorks, Ltd. is no fool when it comes to business.
During the late 1990s, Carothers found herself in an
economic downturn earning too much money. She was a
district sales manager for an irrigation company that was
shedding engineers, spec managers, and sales personnel.
“As I traveled my ten-state territory, I stumbled onto a
stained glass store and decided a weekend class would
be just the diversion to help me feel better. I’d spent a
30-year career in irrigation contracting, wholesaling,
manufacturing, and sales, but that class rekindled my
lifelong interest in art.” Within a couple of years, the
previous owner decided to sell, and Carothers was first
in line to buy the store.
Working in glass was the perfect combination of art,
science, and engineering, and drew upon existing skills
with sales, sketching, and drawing. Beyond these readily
transferable skills, Carothers’ experience gave her perspective on the tumult that would unfold during her first
decade in her new industry and a longer view from which
to consider what structural changes might be important to
the glass industry as it moves beyond its current constriction to reinvent itself for a new era.
A client came in with a small enamel pendant that
was worn by her pastor for many years and wanted a
semitransparent glass panel to exactly replicate the
pendant for her new front door. It took five firings to
get the 11" x 12" project the way she wanted it.
Changeable Space
Carothers’ Prism GlassWorks stands in historic downtown
Maumee, Ohio, a suburb of Toledo just south of Detroit. The store
is situated near the intersection of I-75 and the 80-90 E/W turnpike.
The 20-foot-wide, shotgun-style building sits just off the main road
in town.
The store itself is divided into three segments. A front room is
28 feet deep and originally served as a gallery, but as demand grew
for a larger variety of glass, Carothers installed racks of supplies in
the center with glass racks lining the walls. The middle section of
the store is also lined with glass racks and contains more supplies
and four worktables. Currently, the back room houses four kilns,
class supplies, overstock, larger format glass sheets, and a small
office/work area. “We tell all of our visitors that we are an open
studio, and they are welcome to wander through and see what we
are working on.
“Mine is a destination store, and most of the traffic comes in
with a need for raw materials, supplies, or information about commission projects. We keep the windows and the tops of all the racks
filled with finished projects and examples of stained, mosaic, and
fused glasswork. Our walls are covered with examples of class
projects and signage.”
The Challenge of Transformation
Carothers bought her store from a lovely woman who had purchased it for her son. “The son had built a reputation as an artist
who made really nice commission work, but he was not interested
in running a business. In two years, the prior owner had built a
mailing list of 300 people.” The sale encompassed the inventory,
tables, an old kiln, and the name.
Carothers quickly realized that she could neither simply take
over her predecessor’s business plan nor afford to sit around making stained glass all day. She would have to shift the store’s profile
from that of a commission-based studio to a real supply center with
lots of classes and resources. “Selling materials and supplies earns
a craftsperson the ability to make her own commission work.”
The new retailer also recognized that she was underfunded
and lacked enough inventory to satisfy the needs of her market.
The initial years were a steep climb. “Customers come in the door
wanting what they want and wanting it now. It didn’t take long to
realize my predicament, and I spent the first four years reinvesting
every penny to tweak and raise inventory levels.”
Sharon Carothers, fused
mosaic-style dish.
Carothers working with Anna in class.
When the Economy Tanks
When the economy took a nose dive, what had been a steep
climb became treacherous. Carothers felt as though she was navigating slippery shale in the midst of a storm. Maumee consisted
of auto-related, blue collar ancillary manufacturers attending the
auto industry. When the economy tanked, it lost a huge portion of
its glass market.
Most of Carothers’ competitors have gone out of business in the
last six years. “When I bought my store, there were five retailers in
Northwest Ohio selling stained and fused glass supplies. My last
competitor liquidated a year and a half ago. Now I am the only
teaching supplier within a 90-mile radius.” Carothers’ voice carries
more sorrow than triumph as she considers her singular status. “It is
not a good thing. Competitors are your best asset. The larger group
creates a buzz, broadens the circle of influence, and generates more
customers for everyone. That process grew the market for all of us,
as well as for glass distributors and the manufacturers. Shrinking
profit margins forced some of the stores to close, and others weren’t
diversified enough to make it through the tough times. My best
competitor was fifteen minutes away from me, and she just got
tired of fighting the battle. There is a bit of make-and-take fusing
out there, but not much professional fusing education is happening.
The Toledo Art Museum taught fusing and stained glass for a while
but eventually dropped the classes.”
Customers coming into the store reverberated with the gale as
well. Carothers had been conducting almost all professional classes
before the economic collapse, but in its depths she found that she
could not fill a class that was more than three hours long. “People
were busy and stressed. I had formerly financially secure customers
who were now paying for two kids in college when they learned their
husbands had lost big jobs. They were juggling huge mortgages and
caring for grandchildren. Suddenly, they couldn’t afford to come to
multiweek classes. They could commit to a one- or two-hour class
for fun, but they couldn’t commit to longer. It was a big comeuppance for all of us.”
Carothers’ experience as a district manager for a wholesaler had
trained her to scan the horizon, listen closely to undercurrents, and apply what she learned to the daily decisions for her retail store. So she
changed her product offerings to better fit what her customers needed.
Sharon Carothers painting with Unique
Glass Colors’ Black MUD on a white glass tile.
Adapting to Lean Times
During the first few years of ownership while the bulk of Carothers’ business was in stained glass commissions and repairs, teaching stained glass classes, and selling supplies, she actively taught
herself kiln forming and built up an inventory of fusible glass. She
bought some decent kilns and started teaching fusing just before
9/11. Her diligence proved propitious as, at about that time, the
bottom dropped out of the demand for stained glass. “As the local
construction industry disappeared, so did all of my commission
work. We lost enrollment for our stained glass class and associated
retail sales. For several years I literally only bought fusing glass.
Having diversified early into teaching fusing allowed me to establish
a new market and ride out the rough economy.”
Carothers maintains an inventory of prospective class offerings
that have evolved in the thirteen years she has owned her store.
That inventory allows her to adapt to shifting economic cycles and
trends. The range includes beginning through advanced classes plus
make-and-take and just-for-fun sessions. It is heavy on stained glass,
fusing, and mosaics. “We have hundreds of prospective classes and
schedule six to eight each month. We also try to add at least one
new class a month to keep up with our high-energy clientele. We
keep a two-month rolling calendar and use Constant Contact and
our website to publicize them to existing clients. Our mailing list
has grown to more than 3,000.”
Staff Member Melissa Thomas re-interpreted
the Stained Glass News pattern into a fusing
project using System 96® chord, dichroic glass,
and Vitrea paints. Everyone wanted to know
how she did it.
Sharon Carothers,
large fused platter
stipple painted with GLASSLINE
Paints and a stenciled sgraffito process.
As a member of the “feet on the street” brigade, the search for
new ways to diversify is never over, whether that relates to materials,
expertise, classes, or pricing. During the downturn, Carothers purposefully scaled back the size of class projects to make them more
affordable and attractive to students who would otherwise be priced
out of the market. She found that many people were interested in
repurposing materials for budget-friendly creative projects. “I used
to support my love of teaching glass and my creative commission
projects by making a fair margin on the products I sold. But as the
recession hit, it was clear to me that a little reinvention was in order.”
A Formal Marketing Program
Without a doubt, word of mouth is the single most important
marketing tool at Prism GlassWorks. “The old adage that customer
service should always come first is as true today as in the past.” But
Carothers also uses paid advertising. What began as simple ads in
newspapers has matured into a formal marketing program including
monthly e-mails to current customers, a website listing classes and
describing products and services, some glossy advertising targeted
to the art market, and the occasional TV commercial.
Unlike many of her retail counterparts in other regions, Carothers continues to find paid advertising a worthwhile expense, even
through the economic trough. “The best formal advertising in my
market is television. I can get reasonable TV fees without long-term
contracts, so I run an ad for three months once every couple of years.
We really see an uptick in store traffic when they are on the air.”
Occasionally local businesses get together through the Chamber
of Commerce and sponsor mini-ads grouped together. Each ad lasts
eight seconds and is broadcast in a 150-mile radius. Carothers’ current customer base is concentrated within 90 to 100 miles. “The
popularity of current shows greatly affects the cost per minute.
Morning TV ads on NBC and the Today Show seem the best values
in this market. I can’t afford prime time. HGTV would be great, but
they are really expensive so I haven’t pursued those.”
New student Cathy loved the fused
tree she made in class so much that
she went home and made more. Prism
GlassWorks rents kiln time, and these
will make great gifts.
At her granddaughter’s urging, Carothers built her own website
and pays a modest monthly service fee to a Web hosting service. She
typically republishes the site at least once a month when uploading
the latest e-mail communication. It can link through Facebook to
a larger audience.
“I believe the website helped me survive. I do very little print
advertising anymore, with only an occasional bit of targeted ads in
the Neighborhood Buzz art book.”
Carothers negotiates rates for everything as a standard way of
doing business. “Just because someone says it costs $300 a segment to get an ad on the Dr. Oz show doesn’t mean that is really a
firm price. I find that everything from telephone and Internet fees
to credit card processing and checking account fees are all open to
negotiation.”
Evidence of Turnaround
Fortunately, the hobbled economy is resolving, and Carothers
sees tangible evidence of turnaround both in the larger community
and in the level and breadth of demand at her store. “Some of the
factories are now rehiring, new businesses are emerging, and we
are transmuting into a different kind of Maumee and Toledo. Things
are not the same as they were before, but we are healing.” Carothers
now sees more traffic in the store without the need to run specific
television advertising. Old customers from seven to ten years ago
are returning. New retirees are coming in looking for a new hobby.
Markedly, Prism GlassWorks is seeing a resurgence of interest
in beginning stained glass classes. “Three years ago we didn’t even
offer any. Last year we offered a couple, but they were not quite full.
This year we held five rounds of beginning stained glass, and all
have been full. We have a waiting list to fill my class in January.”
Carothers does not schedule any new stained glass classes between
mid-October and January, while she concentrates on shorter classes
and school commitments.
From Journey –
Carnivale by Beth Williams
photography by Steve Gyurina
You’ve got the passion, the
drive, and the dreams ...
The ISGB is the leading organization for the promotion,
education, and appreciation of the art of glass beadmaking
for wearable, sculptural and functional art.
We’ve got the tools to make your
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Our mission is to preserve the rich and diverse traditions
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techniques; promote educational initiatives and
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Correspondingly, glass retail is rising and demand is shifting again. “Right now, my
glass retail is about evenly divided between stained and fused glass.” There is no specific
demographic among customers for supplies. Carothers attributes that fact to an inventory
and classes that address a wide spectrum of glass media and processes. While glassblowing
is one form of glass art she does not teach, Prism GlassWorks stocks compatible colors and
frits and sees quite a few of the local glassblowers coming into the store.
Commission work has also picked up. Last year, the retail-to-studio ratio was 70 percent to 30 percent, but Carothers sees the studio share growing again. “I did a decent-sized
commission project every six weeks for the first few years. When the construction industry
disappeared, original commissions and the secondary repair sector did also. For the past
three years, we’ve had almost no commission work. This year, we’ve had five projects. I
am definitely seeing an uptick in all the segments of the industry that I address. Now I’m
seeing more balance than in a long time. Our advanced and professional classes are nearly
on par with our beginning classes, and I’m glad to have a repertoire of make-and-take
classes as fill-ins.”
Still, Carothers’ business has not returned to pre-2005 levels. Her workforce provides
one measure of that gap. She previously kept three and a half employees busy at all times.
As of October 2013, she employs two people full-time along with two on-call teachers. At
current rates of growth, she anticipates it will take another two or three years to return to
where she was eight years ago.
Taking an assessment of her status and her future, Carothers welcomes the opportunity to
stretch and grow again. “I see myself morphing into a different kind of retailer than I have
been. I believe there will be a resurgence of some of the traditional stained glass classes. I
intend to watch the glass industry and work to become even more a part of it. The Retailers
of Art Glass and Supplies Association (RAGS) works hard to share information and create
a community of peers who care about each other and the industry. Membership is a great
advantage to a retailer.”
Most clearly, though, Carothers is committed to staying in art glass. The passion and
love of the medium that fueled and strengthened her through the last storm will draw others
who share her enthusiasm. She is looking forward to many more good years in the craft.
Look for Subscriber Benefits coming to Subscribers Only via links in upcoming e-mails
from Glass Art. This Bonus Content will include Sharon Carothers’ powerful arguments
for strengthening the three-tiered distribution system as manufacturers, distributors, and
retailers work together to support resurgence of the art glass industry. She will also share
her silver bullet for countering the challenge of online e-tailers.
Sharon Carothers, Greek Key
fused vessel, 12" x 12",
created for an
art publication.
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Sharon Carothers, Owner
102 W. Wayne Street
Maumee, Ohio 43537
419-897-4100
[email protected]
www.prismglassworks.net
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Art Glass Studio Profile
�unflower Glass Studio
A Study in Fluidity
by Colleen Bryan
K
aren and Geoff Caldwell are in the window business, but their
success relies on keeping things fluid in an endlessly changing
marketplace. Their small business has had to respond to trends as far
reaching as competition from mass producers of glass art in Asia,
shifting patterns of religious affiliation, supply side shortages, and
economic cycles. Starting as part of a nationwide revival in handcrafted beveled glass in 1978, the couple has extended glassmaking
techniques, diversified products, and changed distribution strategies
to adapt to changing markets.
The business the Caldwells run today still has windows at its
core, but they have come away from “just bevels.” A new line of
botanical subjects combines stained, beveled, and fused glass, and
tabletop items complement the windows that remain the heart of
the Caldwell’s work.
Blessed Proximity
“It is a pretty but expensive place to live,” Karen reports. An hour
from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and two hours from New York,
New York, the studio is highly accessible to large markets that can
generally still afford to purchase artwork and crafts. Even so, in the
wake of the recent great recession, she notices that customers are
much more careful with their spending, re-evaluating where they
want to spend money rather than just opening their wallets.
The local tourist maps bring seasonal rounds of out-of-towners
to stop at the studio. Sunflower Glass Studio is part of the Covered
Bridge Artisans, a local crafts group that advertises throughout the
region. Advertising is an essential expense item that would not otherwise fit into the Caldwells’ budget. The crafts group has sponsored
a weekend studio tour for the past 19 years. Those opportunities and
the regional craft shows garner critical exposure for the individual artists. The studio
itself maintains a Constant Contact mailing list with about 1,500 names. Caldwell
sends out electronic fliers for each new
event or to herald a new window. Facebook
also provides a useful means of staying
connected with clientele. In the past three
years, Caldwell has seen marketing value
from physically moving herself out of the
studio and into the heightened visibility of
craft shows.
Sunflower Glass Studio is located in
Stockton, New Jersey, a rural area that
burrows into soft rolling hills that drop
down into the Delaware River Valley. The
studio is in the middle of a tourist region
that includes New Hope, Pennsylvania, and
Lambertville, New Jersey, plus a profusion
of bed-and-breakfast offerings. Communities in the region are connected through
art, culture, historic landmarks, and idyllic
scenery.
Upended
The Caldwells purchased an old stone
The relative proportion of Sunflower
house on a property across the driveway
Glass
Studio’s business devoted to custom,
Karen Caldwell, Bleeding Hearts in the Meadow,
from a 3,200-square-foot building where
wholesale,
and retail lines of business has
fused glass botanical, stained and beveled glass
they set up a studio. The proximity of home
changed
significantly
over the past decade.
borders, 16" x 19", 2013.
and business was a blessing as they raised
Previously, each accounted for about one
their family.
third of receipts. A solid backlog of work kept the Caldwells busy.
There are four separate bays in the shop. Visitors walk into a
“We moved from one project to the next, creating windows for
permanent gallery space, behind which are crates of sheet glass.
clients, making tabletop items for wholesale release, and doing a
Another bay serves for cleaning and finishing product. A work bay
lot of work with churches and sacred spaces to keep workload and
houses beveling and grinding machines and layout tables. Just becash flow in balance.”
yond that space, fused glass products and work areas are segregated
With the recession, overall receipts dropped, wholesale dipped
from any contact with the stained glass process or products. Beyond
to 20 percent of what remained, and church work dried up. “I’ve
the fused glass section, Karen works at a drafting table. The back
made windows for 15 community churches in the past three decades.
bay on the far side of the shop has soldering benches, kilns, and
My last church project started in 2000, and I just completed my last
more layout worktables. The Caldwells and their part-time finisher
possible new window for them. I don’t have any new church work on
generally work alone in the studio.
the horizon.” This experience parallels the corresponding nationwide
Karen Caldwell, Summer, fused frit and powder
botanicals, hand-painted insects and jeweled
Confetti border, 16" x 23", 2013.
phenomenon of mainstream churches shedding membership. As the
larger trend hit Sunflower Glass Studio, fewer people sought out
repair or restoration projects, big or small. As new orders dropped,
Caldwell had to figure out how to adapt. She started revising the
studio’s business plan to increase exposure.
The weaker wholesale market created particular pressure to
rework the studio’s distribution strategy. Large annual wholesale
shows feed artwork to galleries across the country with minimal
contact required from individual artists. These shows had been
Caldwell’s mainstay during her child-rearing years, but became
seriously less viable in recent years. “I don’t know where the
American craft gallery market is going, but it is obviously struggling. Galleries have yet to climb out of the recession. Our labor
on custom work is too high for me to set a wholesale price point
on it. As a result, I don’t tend to put my newest and best work in
galleries. People still love to buy the small beveled boxes that I’ve
been making for 30 years, and those are the kinds of items that can
stand up to gallery markup.”
Caldwell now takes her show on the road to top-tier craft shows
within easy travel of her home. She attempts to do one or two shows
per month except for April and June and concentrates her participation in four shows during October at the beginning of the holiday
gift-buying season. “During the past two or three years, I’ve done
a lot of regional craft shows and am slowly rebuilding a following.
This past year I exhibited at 20 shows.” At each, she takes a couple
Karen Caldwell, Asymmetrical Acanthus Leaf
Motif, hand-beveled glass on opal glass background,
20" x 26", 2003. Private residence.
Karen Caldwell, Edge of the Meadow, fused
glass botanicals, hand-painted animals, and
jeweled Confetti border, 24" x 24", 2012.
of showpiece windows, dozens of smaller panels, and a tabletop
of fused glass platters, beveled candleholders, and small boxes to
stock a booth. Pieces that are acknowledged for their skill level or
as a new direction in her artwork line the upper half of two walls of
the booth. She has developed some favorite shows and feels herself
moving into “wonderful new territory.” Retail rose to 45 percent
of receipts in 2013 as a result of her new attention to craft shows.
Custom work, too, has strengthened, both in real dollar terms
and as a share of total receipts. Beyond on-site sales, the craft shows
generate new custom orders as visitors see Caldwell’s talent and
start thinking about places they could envision a new window. “I’m
getting custom jobs in Boston, Baltimore, and New York City because of my travels with these shows.” At this point, the Caldwells’
business once again has a comfortable backlog of custom jobs in
the wings.
Undeniably, the craft show route is physically taxing. Caldwell
is grateful that nearness to many strong shows means she rarely has
to fly or be gone overnight. Even so, it is difficult to come home and
jump immediately into designing or fabricating to fill orders. Most
of the clients for custom windows purchase one-off projects, but
that does not necessarily equate to fleeting relationships. The craft
shows provide the opportunity to bring Caldwell face to face with
her customers. “Doing the shows is a lot of work, but the relationships and friendships with fellow crafters and returning customers
is also very rewarding. It is lovely to meet new brides who know
me as the maker of a treasured wedding gift they received.”
Karen Caldwell, Everlasting Spring,
36" x 54, 2008. Stained glass
window for the Chapel at
Hunterdon Medical Center,
New Jersey.
Despite the difficulties imposed by the recession, Caldwell
credits it with spurring her artistic growth. “If I had not had to
struggle along with everyone else during the recession, I might not
have pulled myself into fusing. We work to make products that do
not resemble imports and avoid working from patterns or copying
others’ work. I’ve moved to fused glass botanicals, using fresh new
techniques and producing things you can’t buy out of a catalogue.
Translating ideas through your own spirit and ability is important
for an artist. I am thankful that I was forced to reach out to find new
ways of working in glass to meet the economic and competitive
challenges that faced me.”
A New Body of Work
The style of the Caldwells’ work tends toward the traditional with
a heavy emphasis on custom beveling. Karen designs for the studio,
specializing in a proliferation of curlicues, pencil point beveling, and
small complicated motifs. Many of her designs feature botanicals.
“I’ve always collected botanical prints, and I enjoy trying to capture
flowers, bugs, and butterflies as accurately as possible.”
Geoff labors in the studio building custom windows while Karen
works the shows. He makes bevels, cutting the glass by hand, and
constructs stained glass windows to Karen’s designs. Five stages
of grinding and polishing are required to produce each clear glass
bevel, but making their own permits the Caldwells to fit tiny spaces
with more sharply focused, prismatic, and elaborate beveling than
they could make with cheaper imported bevels.
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About five years ago, Karen introduced fused glass into her designs to good effect.
“Fused glass brought fresh air to a 30-year-old business. It allowed me to start exploring
new avenues and possibilities.” Caldwell’s new windows incorporate fused glass botanicals
in traditional stained glass windows. “Fusing allows me to address more delicate species
like ferns, bleeding hearts, and other delicate flowers in much more intricate detail than we
could achieve with cutting alone. Taking up fusing was one of my best moves as an artist.”
At the Worktables
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Geoff recently completed six double-hung windows designed by Karen for a Park Avenue
Manhattan apartment in New York City. The windows are rich with hand-beveled glass
that requires extensive grinding and polishing. He is also repairing an antique window that
a hapless house restorer stepped on in the process of renovation. Fortunately, Caldwell’s
studio had enough good antique glass to match it for the repairs.
A patchwork series of windows typifies the most recent body of work from Sunflower
Glass Studio. Geoff combines hand painting using medieval techniques on antique textured
glass, adds dimension through fused glass botanicals, and introduces sparkle with hand
beveling. These elements are incorporated into a typical stained glass format to create
each window.
Caldwell appreciates the opportunity to tell a story or start a conversation about an environment through her designs. “In the Edge of the Meadow window, I started the design
with a hand-painted owl, then thought about a meadow across the street from my studio and
brought in the species of trees, small animals, and wildflowers that live in it. That window
describes the small ecosystem that exists there.”
In her role as designer, Caldwell often engages customers in the storytelling. “I ask
people to give me a list of the things or places they love, and I design a window around
them.” One window for a Pennsylvania family features lupines, sand dollars, starfish, and
white moss reminiscent of annual family vacations to Maine. “I often get my best ideas
from customers with special requests. Working in collaboration with a client, having them
be part of the design, allows me to know their likes and dislikes and cements the likelihood that they will feel genuinely connected to the end product.” This infinite variety also
provides a hedge against global thievery. “When someone steals your design and renders
it in a poorer quality product, it not only reduces your market but also makes your higher
quality, higher cost product seem to be overpriced. Artistic thievery is the worst thing that
is happening to all of us.” Incorporating client-specific input in her designs helps Caldwell
push the envelope, keep her designs fresh, and meet the challenges posed by international
competition.
A glass
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Sheila Davis
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800.719.0769
Karen Caldwell, Ferns and Frit Blossoms
(left), fused glass ferns with hand-beveled
and jeweled Confetti borders, 17" x 18",
2012, and Heart-Felt Bevels (right), handmade bevels and jewels, 22" x 28", 1998.
Caldwell’s next projects include designing a combination of stained and beveled
glass in custom architectural stained glass
for entryways. “My biggest new development with fused botanical work includes
techniques for making goldfinches and
chickens with fused glass powders. I am
starting work on a couple of commissions
that show the birds in their native environments.”
In addition to the studio designs, Caldwell
also handles cutting and some assembly for
the studio’s production lines. Two part-time
employees work with her to construct items
for wholesale or retail markets. Currently
lines include stained glass beveled boxes,
candleholders, and fused glass plates. “I am
a practical person. I like to make everyday
functional objects that are elegant and beautiful.” The employees and Karen work the
production lines while Geoff does custom
fabrication. She also does the bookkeeping
and office paperwork, schedules shows, and
manages the work flow in the studio.
Caldwell is convinced that the public
allure of glass will make it endure as an art
form, despite the economic, competitive,
and materials challenges for glass artists.
“Glasswork just keeps getting more and
more interesting. I think glass is like diamonds; it will be around forever.”
Look for Subscriber Benefits coming to
Subscribers Only via links in upcoming emails from Glass Art. This Bonus Content
will include more about how Karen Caldwell
of Sunflower Glass Studio considers reconfiguring her business plan in response to
scheduling changes by the Buyers’ Market
of American Craft.
Detail of
Summer Window
Karen & Geoff Caldwell, Owners
877 Sergeantsville Road
Stockton, New Jersey 08559
(609) 397‑1535 (Phone)
(609) 397‑0660 (Fax)
[email protected]
sunflowerglassstudio.com
More colors,
more styles,
more tools!
New product catalog
Order or download at
bullseyeglass.com/catalog
See bullseyeglass.com for a
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Winning Glass
Forty-Four Vessels
Exploring the Irish Cylinders
of Dale Chihuly
Glass Art Photography by George Erml,
Courtesy of the George R. Stroemple Collection
T
he Museum of Glass, Tacoma, Washington, presents Irish Cylinders by Dale Chihuly from the George R. Stroemple Collection,
which opened October 26, 2013, and is on view until September
2014. Among the earliest series of Chihuly’s oeuvre are the little
known, legendary Irish Cylinders, created in 1975 at the Rhode
Island School of Design, begun on St. Patrick’s Day and completed
over Thanksgiving weekend. The 44 vessels, loosely categorized
Dale Chihuly with Kate Elliott,
as St. Patrick’s Day Cylinders, Irish Cylinders, and the Ulysses
Seaver Leslie, and Flora C. Mace,
Cylinders, were inspired by James Joyce’s masterpiece, Ulysses.
Irish Cylinder #4, glass, 8‑1/2" x 7", 1975.
Minty and milky, the Irish Cylinders feature glass drawing
From the George R. Stroemple Collection,
pick-up techniques similar to Chihuly’s more abstract Blanket Cyla Stroemple /Stireck Collaboration.
inders. The earliest of the series feature
shamrocks, Irish flags, mapping diagrams
Museum of Glass Presents
“We are incredibly honored to
of cairns and burial mounds, and the Irish
Irish Cylinders by Dale Chihuly
have the opportunity to share these
landscape. Later cylinders explore themes
important works from the history
pertinent to a recounting of occurrences
From the George R. Stroemple Collection
of the Studio Glass movement at
from a single day in Dublin as described
An S&S Collaboration
Museum of Glass,” notes Susan
in Ulysses—the protagonist, Leopold
October 26, 2013—September 1, 2014
Warner, the Museum’s executive
Bloom; his wife’s suitor, Blazes Boylan;
director. “The pioneering techand the date, Thursday, June 16, 1904.
niques coupled with the depth of artistry exhibited in this series
Created by Chihuly, the drawings on the Irish Cylinders were made
are a glimpse of what was to come for Dale Chihuly and the artists
by Kate Elliott, Seaver Leslie, and Flora C. Mace. Chihuly depicted
with whom he collaborated.”
Joyce himself on cylinders number 30 and 31.
The series was briefly exhibited at the Benson Gallery in Bridehampton, New York, in the summer of 1976, but it was then placed
in storage. The complete series of Irish Cylinders has been previously exhibited at the Portland Art Museum in 1997. The Stromple
Collection now includes more than 500 objects and is the largest
single holding of Chihuly’s work.
The exhibition will be open Wednesday through Saturday from
10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the third Thursday of each month from 10 a.m.
to 8 p.m., and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Store is open
Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Summer hours from Memorial
Day to Labor Day will add Mondays and Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to
5 p.m. Admission is: free for members and for children under 6; $12
general; $10 for seniors, members of the military, and students (13+
with ID); $10 each for groups of 10 or more; and $5 for children
ages 6 through 12. Admission is free every third Thursday of the
month from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Call the Info Line at (253) 284-4750 or
(866) 4MUSEUM, or visit www.museumofglass.org for more
Dale Chihuly with Kate Elliott, Seaver Leslie, and
details.
Flora C. Mace, assorted Irish Cylinders with varying
dimensions, glass. From the George R. Stroemple
Collection, a Stroemple/Stireck Collaboration.
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The Timeless Presence of
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Sharon Carothers
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800.719.0769
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Stan Price, Covenant Art Glass of Everett, Washington, asked Olympic Kilns to create a custom bell
kiln so that he could create larger commission pieces. Working with Stan, Olympic Kilns designed
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Skills and Techniques
Traditional Glass Painting Made Easy
Tracing Fundamentals
Design, Fabrication, Text, and
Photography by Peter McGrain
Tools and Materials
Traditional Glass Stainer Colors
Water Glass Mixing Palette
Palette Knife Glass Tile
Tracing Brushes Eyedropper
A
s we continue our examination of traditional glass painting
techniques, we will take a closer look at the various ways
the variety of glass paints commonly known as Traditional Glass
Stainer Colors can be used. As I discussed in my previous article,
the Traditional Glass Stainer Colors are the types of vitreous paint
that have been used for over a thousand years in the stained glass
industry. Although they are rooted in the heritage of ancient glass
painting formats, they can also be used in a contemporary context
to achieve all sorts of imagery on glass.
In a formal sense, Traditional Glass Stainer Colors are traditionally applied in separately fired, built-up layers, using two fundamental methods, tracing or matting. Tracing involves applying narrow,
opaque lines of paint on the surface of the glass. Matting involves
applying the same paint as translucent washes of various colors and
values to achieve fields of texture and shading. In this installment I
will describe the finer points of tracing.
Design Basics
It makes sense to examine tracing techniques before expanding
into the more complex method of matting, since for most painters,
this is the first step in the illustrational glass painting process. As
with most other art forms, it is usually best to begin an image with
a line drawing of some kind that can subsequently be enhanced
with color fields, shading, and texture. In glass painting, this is accomplished with the tracing stage.
Tracing can be accomplished using any of the numerous Traditional Glass Stainer Colors. Black and dark shades of brown are
most commonly used because of their strong, dark appearance.
When calligraphy, nomenclature, or linear effects are required, it
is best for them to be graphically dark so as to stand out as much
as possible. In stained glass, these dark visual lines also engage
with the intrinsic lead lines, which are also seen as absolutely dark
lines in the design, lending a cohesive uniformity to the line work
throughout a design. This is not to say that lighter colors of paint
cannot also be used for tracing. Often, when a less high-contrast style
of graphic imagery is desired, artists will use fainter tracing lines to
define their drawings. When fully enhanced with follow-up shading applications, the fainter lines tend to disappear into the overall
image, resulting in a more delicate and gentle finished appearance.
It’s really up to the artist to decide how aggressive or subtle a role
the tracing will play in the final imagery.
Kathy Jordan, Woman’s Portrait. In an image like this
one, a delicate use of tracing leads to a more gentle
appearance in the finished piece. Using a softer color
such as brown also helps the tracing to be subtly absorbed into the shading of the design.
Important Paint Variables
When preparing paint for use in tracing, there are two important
variables that need to be taken into account—the “wetness” and the
“hardness” of the paint. You can regulate these important characteristics in your preparation.
Begin by placing the amount of dry paint you want to use on
your glass color mixing palette. Normally a tablespoon or two will
get you going. Remember that you can always mix up more paint
as you need it. Usually it’s best to work with freshly mixed pant
whenever possible, even though any unused paint can also be allowed to dry on the palette and saved for later use.
Using the edge of the palette knife, gently chop up any clumps
of paint you may see. In the old days, these paints were often very
dry and clumpy, and it was necessary to actually use a glass muller
(grinding pestle) to achieve a smooth, speck-free paint consistency.
Today the paints you buy are very well milled, and unless you are
involved in very precise restoration type of painting or you’re using
ancient paints, it is not usually necessary for you to be preoccupied
with the mess and hassle of hand mulling them. The knife edge
should suffice.
Next, carefully spread the dry paint in a flat, round pile that is
approximately 1/4" thick. Do not pat down or compress the paint.
Simply spread it out into a loose, flat layer. This will give you a good
visible “read” of how much paint you are working with.
Peter McGrain, Bozos in Love. In this fused and painted
piece, the tracing lines have a very loose and playful appearance. This gives the work a noticeable painterly look,
which is difficult to achieve if using only techniques other
than traditional glass painting.
1
Add gum arabic
binder to the dry
paint mix.
Adding the correct amount of gun arabic to the dry mixture
is critical. This image shows the approximate amount needed to
achieve a user friendly degree of workability. You can always add
more if necessary.
The binder will function as a wetting agent to allow the wet paint
to spread over the surface of the glass without beading up. It will
also lend a “hardness” to the paint, which will affect its workability.
Achieving the correct hardness in your paint is crucial, and
miscalculating the correct amount of gum is probably the biggest
mistake that most beginning glass painters make. If you use too little
gum arabic, the wet paint may not spread over the glass without
beading up, or even if it does, it may be too “soft” to work with.
If you put too much gum arabic in your paint, it will be too “hard”
and, likewise, very difficult to work with and more likely to boil
when fired.
The objective is to achieve what I like to refer to as a user friendly
degree of hardness. This results in a paint that spreads nicely over
the glass and, when dry, is hard enough to resist scraping off if the
finished painted work is accidentally touched before it is fired.
Use the tip of your dry pallet knife to scoop up a very small
amount of dry gum arabic powder. By carefully tapping your index
finger on the edge of the blade, you can lightly sprinkle the gum onto
your flat pile of paint. Allow a very light dusting of gum, never so
thick that you can’t see the base of paint through it, covering maybe
10 percent to 20 percent of the surface of your pile of paint. Very
little gum is needed, and most students tend to put way too much
in, which is actually still a very small amount. (It is usually best to
err on the soft side, knowing that you can always add a little more
gum later if a test shows that your paint is too soft.) After you add
the gum arabic, gently distribute it throughout the dry paint mix
with the palette knife.
2
Begin mixing
in the vehicle
(the liquid) adding
water little by little
until the desired
degree of wetness
is achieved.
There are lots of vehicle choices, depending on what you are
specifically doing with your paint. Water is the most popular option,
since it is free and easy to clean up after you are finished. Other
liquids such as alcohol, turpentine, kerosene, clove oil, and many
others are also useful for certain specific applications. Mainly,
however, I just use tap water for everything.
DIRECTORY TO
INDUSTRY SUPPLIES
Keep a eye out for this form
coming in the mail in May.
Begin mixing the paint by using an eyedropper to start a small
pool of water adjacent to the pile of paint. Using circular motions,
begin introducing dry paint into the water using the palette knife.
Continue mixing the paint, adding water until the desired wetness
is achieved. If your paint is not wet enough, it will not flow off
your brush correctly. Conversely, if it is too wet you’ll get washed
out lines. I’d say the perfect wetness for tracing paint would be
somewhat comparable to the way very thick cream or an emulsion
such as Pepto-Bismol flows. Keep mixing the paint on the glass
palette until you are sure it is thoroughly mixed and free of any
undissolved particles.
Select the
appropriate size
brush for the
project.
Take advantage of this exceptional opportunity to have
your company listed in Glass Art Magazine’s 2014–2015
Directory to Industry Supplies.
Our New Online Directory is linked from our sister publications’ websites and is linked to our Glass Art Website. The Directory will be part of the September/October 2014 issue and will
be mailed to Active Buyers who will use this resource to locate
and purchase products and services during the next year! You
may advertise in the Magazine Directory to Industry Supplies
or Online Directory for only $75 or in both the Magazine and
the Online Industry Directory for $120.
DEADLINE for
DIRECTORY LISTING submission:
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Contact
Rhonda Sewell or Kathy Gentry at
(800) 719-0769 Fax: (502) 222-4527 E-mail: [email protected]
3
Tracing is accomplished using long, narrow quilled tracing
brushes, which come in a variety of sizes. Most painters use the
#3 oxhair-quilled brush such as the darker blue one seen here, but
brushes are also available in sable or other fine material. They hold
a fair amount of paint and have just the right amount of flex so as
not to leave streaks in the wet paint as it is being applied. Sizes
range from very narrow (#1) to quite wide (#9). The #3 size is the
best of both extremes.
You should first test your initial paint mix by filling the brush
with paint and pulling a few long continuous brushstrokes on a
piece of scrap glass. The paint needs to flow freely off the brush
in a uniformly opaque line. If your wet paint is beading up on the
glass, you may have dirty glass and/or need to add more gum arabic
to the paint.
First, using a paper towel, vigorously scrub the surface of the
glass using a bit of the wet paint as an abrasive agent. Wipe dry
with the towel and try again. If you have good paint consistency but
still get beading, you may need to add more binder. Just sprinkle
a little more gum into the mix and try again. If your lines appear
wishy-washy, the paint is probably too wet and will need a short
time to sit to thicken via evaporation of the vehicle.
When your paint has reached the right wetness, apply a few more
test brushstrokes to the scrap glass and allow them to dry thoroughly.
Take a larger china bristle stippling brush and gently drag it across
the painted line. If the line comes completely off, you have a very
soft paint mix that may be a little too delicate to effectively work
with. By lightly sprinkling a little more gum arabic into your wet
palette, you can increase the hardness.
If no paint is scratched off, then you have a hard paint mix, which
may also create difficulties. Ideally, you want a medium hardness in
the paint, one that will be recognizable when the dragged stippling
brush leaves a series of narrow parallel scratch marks across the
surface of the dried test line. This degree of hardness will accommodate gentle handling and manipulating of the painted lines. If
you discover that your paint is too soft, simply add more gum arabic
to the mix. If it is too hard, you can try adding more dry paint and
vehicle. Now that your paint is ready, you can begin tracing.
Either work
from a prepared
design or simply
work freestyle.
4
glass art
society
Become a memBer
A prepared sketch on paper can help you develop your designs.
Composition and placement of forms are most important, since
specific details will be more effectively developed and accomplished
when actually tracing on the glass. Usually far more time is spent
refining a design on paper than is actually spent painting it.
Most painters begin with a line sketch on paper. This is placed
first on the light table. The glass elements to be painted on are positioned over the sketch. The painter then traces the line work by
following the visible design beneath the glass. It is also fine to just
begin painting without a pattern if you wish.
The key to tracing is to never apply the paint so thickly that it
will boil and get scabby when fired. Ideally, you want a smooth,
uniform line of paint. Begin by loading the brush with wet paint.
Make a quick, short brush stroke on the palette to get rid of the
heavy drop of paint that forms at the brush tip.
5
The Glass Art Society is an international non-profit
organization founded in 1971. We strive to
stimulate communication among artists, educators,
students, collectors, gallery and museum personnel,
art critics, manufacturers, and all others interested
in and involved with the production, technology,
and aesthetics of glass.
GAS offers many great member benefits including
four online issues of GASnews per year, access
to the Member Directory, free classified listings,
domestic insurance benefits and much more.
join us in chicago
March 19-22, 2014
Strengthening Community, Collaboration,
Forging New Bonds
The 43rd annual GAS conference will feature
prominent and emerging artists from around the
world in demos, lectures, and panels.
Dan Dailey, Wonder,
Individuals series, 2011
Photo: Bill Truslow
Shane Fero,
Blue Jay Way, 2011
Photo: Mary Vogel
Practice
achieving lines
of varying widths
by increasing or
lessening pressure
on the brush tip.
6512 - 23rd Avenue NW
Suite 329, Seattle, WA 98117
206.382.1305
www.glassart.org
[email protected]
This example shows common line quality issues. On the far left,
the paint has a nice darkness, but it appears to be beading up on
the glass. This could be caused either by a dirty glass surface, paint
that is too wet, or not having enough gum arabic in the paint mix.
The set of lines that is second from the left looks washed out,
the result of tracing with paint that is too wet. Adding more paint
to the mix can help to thicken it up.
The set of lines that is second from the right appears to have
been not wet enough to flow freely from the brush tip, resulting in
“starved” trace lines. The remedy is to add more vehicle to the mix.
On the far right, the lines are perfect. There is a uniform opaque
darkness to the lines, and the edges are sharp. When the lines are
dry, they will accept clean and sharp scratch marks when strafed
(scratched) with a sharp wooden stick or stiff-quilled stippling brush.
As you trace the lines, try to rotate the brush in your fingers as
you make your way through tight curves. The use of a bridge or
armrest can help ensure steadier brush control. It is also important
to avoid applying wet paint over lines that have already dried, as
this, too, may lead to flaking during firing.
6
While holding
the tracing brush in a
fairly vertical position,
which allows the paint
to flow freely, begin to
paint the line work,
following the pattern
beneath.
Try not to plop the brush down on the glass, but rather make
contact with the glass while your brush is already on the move. This
will help avoid initially thick areas of paint in the line, which will
probably boil in the kiln.
Be sure to pull the line in one continuous stroke. Do not attempt
to go over a line twice. And never use short, “dabby” strokes the
way canvas painters often do, since that, too, will lead to uneven
paint thickness and an increased chance of boiling.
The scratching technique can also be used to add deeper detail
and style to the image. When your design is completed, you can
place it in the kiln and permanently fire the design into the glass. If
minimal boiling or flaking does occur in the trace lines after firing,
simply scrape the blistered area down using the edge of the palette
knife and repaint over it in a following firing. Remember, you can
always apply more paint to your piece or do tracing “touch-ups”
in later firings. But also remember that once it’s fired on, the paint
cannot be removed.
Tracing paint usually fires at around 1200ºF, right around the
slumping temperature of most glass. You want to achieve a satiny
shine to the surface of the paint. If the paint can be scraped off
after firing, you simply did not fire it at a high enough temperature.
Overfiring can lead to faded lines. It’s always good to make a
series of tests at 50-degree increments to see exactly which maturing
temperature is perfect in your particular kiln. Once your tracing is
fired, you can then move into the next stages of applying matts for
texture, shading, and color.
7
Place the sketch under the glass so
you are able to follow the line work
of the design with the tracing brush.
Don’t struggle to follow the design too accurately, but rather allow the brushwork to flow smoothly, therefore maintaining a more
graceful appearance. Note the fine, dark quality of the line work
on the finished tracing.
8
After the paint has dried, use a
sharpened stick or a brush handle
to carefully fix or repair any
problem areas in the line work.
Peter McGrain is an artist, lecturer, and workshop
leader who has been working with glass for over 35
years. He has made it his professional mission to
introduce as many people as possible to the joys of
glass painting. More information about his full line
of instructional glass painting videos and supplies
as well as numerous photographs of both his and his
students’ work can be found at www.petermcgrain.com
and www.facebook.com/PeterMcGrainGlassPainting.
You can e-mail the artist at [email protected].
Glass Craft & Bead Expo 2014
Live Demonstration Stage
Sponsored by Glass Patterns Quarterly,
Glass Art, and The Flow Magazines
Demo Fri. March 28, 2014
11:00 AM
12:00 PM
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
4:00 PM
5:00 PM
David Alcala - The Next Degree in Creative Fusing
Poppy Mussalem - Hang Your Glass
Peggy Pettigrew Stewart - Kiln Forming and Verre Églomisé
Ryan Staub - Hot and Warm Shop Cross Compatibility and Collaboration
Rashan Jones - Lampworking Goblets
Milon Townsend - Sculpting the Human Form
Glass Cutting Contest
Demo Sat. March 29, 2014
11:00 AM
12:00 PM
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
4:00 PM
Margot Clark - Creating Inlays with Fused Color and MUD
Lisa St. Martin - Victorian Glass Flowers
Carmen Flores Tanis - Playing with Printing: Etched Dichroic Deck of Cards Box
Richard Snyder - Restoring Zinc with Stays Black™
Boise Art Glass - Filip Vogelpohl - Octopus Demo
Jennifer Walkovich - Stamp it, Fuse it, Slump it!
Rashan Jones
Demo Sun. March 30, 2014
11:00 AM
12:00 PM
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
Dennis Brady - Coldworking Questions and Answers
Auction
Auction
Auction
Lisa St. Martin
David Alcala
Filip Vogelpohl
Peggy Pettigrew Stewart
Richard Snyder
Poppy Mussallem
Milon Townsend
Margot Clark
Ryan Staub
Jennifer Walkovich
Dennis Brady
Carmen Flores Tanis
Miss a Webinar?
No Problem!
You can learn the exciting
techniques shared by
renowned glass artists
in our Webinars with our
DVDs. The comments below
demonstrate the acclaim our
Webinars have received from
participants around the world.
Browse the list to find your
favorite artist and start adding
new skills to your art glass
arsenal today!
What’s New
Glass Craft & Bead Expo will be celebrating its 20th year at the
South Point Hotel & Casino during its upcoming show in Las Vegas,
Nevada, March 26–30, 2014. Once again, there will be over 250 classes
offered plus a show floor packed with all of the products, supplies, and
equipment that you need to create your masterpieces. Attendees will
rock South Point’s showroom with the ’80s sensation, Spazmatics, for
a night of fun. The Glass Cutting Contest will also be back by popular demand and will be
held on the show floor Friday at 5 p.m. There is something for everyone at the Glass Craft
& Bead Expo. For more information, please contact Patty.
800‑217‑4527 [email protected]
www.glasscraftexpo.com
Ed Hoy’s International presents the Gallery Pendant, a no-glue option for jewelry that
is interchangeable. The open-topped frame allows artists to change their fused glass in
seconds, creating glass pieces and switching them on a whim. Insert the glass, attach a cord
or chain, and you’re done. The sterling silver–plated face provides an elegant border for
your glass. The cavity for the square and circular styles is 1" x 1" x 5/16", while the cavity
for the rectangular and oval styles is 1" x 1‑1/2" x 1/4". The square and circular faces are
interchangeable, so if you want a deeper cavity with a circle frame, just switch the faces.
Each pendant features three holes in the bottom for optimal dangling embellishments. Visit
Ed Hoy’s website for more information.
800‑323‑5668
www.edhoy.com
"Can't keep me away from
such masters at work.
Thank you for bringing them
into my little workshop.”
“Love your Webinars!!”
"Well worth the price of
admission...
thank you so much for all
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Bullseye Gallery is pleased to present Retrospective, a group exhibition that
explores the legacy of over three decades of collaborations between artists
and a small glass factory in Portland, Oregon. The exhibition is a survey
of factory/artist collaborations that have pushed the technical, aesthetic,
and conceptual possibilities of kiln formed glass. In 1979 while artist Klaus
Moje was visiting Bullseye Glass Co., he encouraged the company to produce
a palette of compatible glasses for kiln forming. This initial collaboration grew into a factory that works with and for artists. Retrospective, which explores these collaborations and
their legacy, is on view through March 1, 2014, and includes work by Raphael Cauduro,
Silvia Levenson, Jessica Loughlin, Klaus Moje, Catharine Newell, Tanja Pak, Narcissus
Quagliata, and Richard Whiteley.
503‑227‑0222
www. bullseyegallery.com
D&L Art Glass Supply is excited to present 4" square pieces of
Profusion Patterned Dichroic Glass. Artists can choose from
a myriad of color and pattern combinations that are available in
both 90 and 96 COEs. These great new offerings from D&L are
perfect for those wanting to work with this fun accessory glass
while staying within a budget. Call or visit the company’s website
to learn more.
800‑525‑0940 303‑449‑8737
www.dlartglass.com
The Glass Art Society (GAS) will be hosting a Day of Glass, a free event
that is open to the public on Wednesday, March 19, 2014, at various
locations throughout the city of Chicago, Illinois. The Day of Glass will
occur in conjunction with the annual GAS conference, which is taking
place in Chicago for the first time in its forty-three-year history. The one-day event will
include a tour of Chicago’s finest glass art studios including Ignite Glass Studios, Solstice
Stained Glass, Chicago Glassworks, and Ed Hoy’s International. There will also be an array
of glass exhibitions at Chicago art galleries. Visit the GAS website for more information
or to register for the conference.
206‑382‑2630
www.glassart.org
Master Artisan Products introduces the Big Fella Sifter/Sorter
for the serious glass artisan who wants to make frit in serious
quantities. This big brother to the company’s regular sorter/sifter
has five tiers of 12" x 12" x 12" metal trays with varying sizes of
mesh to sort frit into mosaic, coarse, medium, fine, and powder.
Coatings By Sandberg (CBS) announces the new Mini-Double Splatter Pattern. This
phenomenal new pattern fulfills requests from clients for Dichroic patterns that are tighter
and smaller. It comes in a variety of exotic colors and is
further amplified by double coating the splatter patterns.
The result is many beautiful color shifts and layered
color combinations that are not found in any other type
of patterns. Because the glass is coated on both sides, this
pattern is available in clear only. In addition, the color
combinations vary greatly and will come in a medley
of random compositions. CBS is currently offering this pattern in both 90 and 96 COE in
4" x 4" squares only. Side-by-side comparison photos of the original Splatter Pattern and
the new Mini-Double Splatter are on the company’s website for easy reference.
714‑538‑0888
www.cbs-dichroic.com
Professional Glass Consultants and EtchMaster are excited to
announce the launch of their new website, PrecutPatterns.com.
After twenty years, the companies’ entire stencil collection is on one
website, allowing etching artists to view the various designs and order
stock sizes right online. Now anyone can order precut stencils even
without being a Design System member. Members will eventually have
special access to locked pages that will give them design updates and
other special features. Call or visit the website for more details.
888-382‑4776 [email protected]
www.precutpatterns.com
McMow Art Glass Inc. is excited to announce a recent partnership
with Bullseye Glass Co. as of February 1, 2014. As a new Bullseye
dealer, McMow will now be offering the full line of Bullseye glass
and products at competitive prices. In addition, all Bullseye glass
and products will be discounted up to 25 percent off year round.
McMow’s newly renovated studio now consists of a 10,000-squarefoot teaching facility, as well as full service retail and warehouse space. There are also three
new certified glass teachers in the studio teaching kiln forming techniques for beginners
to novices. The company will continue to expand its teaching capabilities to cater to those
wishing to learn the glass arts or perfect their skills.
561‑585‑9011
www.mcmow.com
Diamond Tech has expanded its manufacturing to include art glass
chemicals. The new Studio Pro Finishing Compound, Copper and Black
Patinas, and Stained Glass Cement are each specially formulated and
designed for the glass artist. The Finishing Compound protects against
tarnish and ensures a bright, even, durable finish on solder seams, even
No traveling Required!
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• Tanya Veit
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• David Alcala
• Peggy Pettigrew Stewart
• Margo Clark and
Dr. Saulius Jankauskas
• Denny Berkery
• Cathy Claycomb
• Kent Lauer
• Lisa St. Martin
• Tony Glander
• Dennis Brady
• Jackie Truty
• Randy Wardell
• Peter McGrain
• Milon Townsend
• Brent Graber
• Joe Porcelli
We can help find the right tool for your work
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those treated with patina or electroplating. Formulas for the new
copper and black patinas provide
a nice finish to leaded solder or
lead came and come premixed.
The stained glass cement allows
glass artists to secure glass tightly
to lead with a fast-setting formula
that hardens, strengthens, and waterproofs leaded glass panels. It’s
special formula also has special polymers
for pliability. Visit the company’s website
to discover all of the features and benefits
of these new products.
www.diamondtech.com
Ed Hoy’s International now has Edge
Grip Stand-Offs that are great for flat glass
and specially designed for standard thicknesses of glass art. These stylish stand-offs
have openings in which the glass is cradled
around the edges and have two options for
background glass up to 1/4" and 1/2" thicknesses. No drilling or adhesive is required.
These stand-offs are great for panels that are
square or rectangular. The edge grips can be
placed two on top and two on the bottom or
on every side. They are easy to install with
the template on the front of the packaging.
www.edhoy.com
Angle
Lead Shears™
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Both products available exclusively from 1Glass Impressions
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(920) 382-1807
Master Artisan Products now has the
Frit Monster for glass artisans who
would like to make commercial volume frit. The Frit Monster features
a monster-sized 6" x6” x 6" steel
container with a
chisel head that
is fitted onto
a heavy-duty
smasher. This
configuration allows for the use of a pneumatic air hammer
to pound frit at turbo speed.
250‑382‑9554
[email protected]
Send your What’s New information to
8300 Hidden Valley Road,
P.O. Box 69, Westport, KY 40077
[email protected]
Readers’ Forum
Dear Maureen,
I wanted to send you a note to wish you
a great new year and to thank you once
again for your incredible coverage in the
May/June 2013 issue of Glass Art. I have
handed out many dozens
of copies of the issue, and
I could not possibly have
better media to give to
interested parties.
I have a few things
brewing now and feel that
I may be on the verge of
breaking through from
start-up mode to the next
level. Your magazine has
helped me get this far.
Thanks again for your
interest and support, and
for stepping up and being the first to cover
my work. It is publications like yours that
have given me the greatest hope during the
most trying times of starting up. I will never
forget your kindness.
With Warmest Regards,
Jed Malitz
Jed Malitz V2 Studio & Commissions
a mailbox, similar to what we
see in the article, with glass.
And one more similarity—
my house, as well, is one
of the first Usonian brick
structures.
Thank you again for
interesting and imaginative
articles. I can always count on
your magazine to inspire
me. And people are
still talking about the
wonderful May/
June 2012 article
that Marcie Davis
wrote about me.
Susan Silver Brown
Cast Glass Sculpture Artist
Dear Colleen,
I wanted to let you know how much I
appreciated working with you on the profile
featuring our glass art business, Sunflower
Glass Studio. My husband Geoff thinks that
this is the best article written about us in the
past 30 years!
I am really
looking forward
to seeing this in
print. Thank you
so much for doing
such an amazing
job of capturing
our essence.
Karen Caldwell
I so enjoyed the January/February 2014
issue of Glass Art that just came and feel I
must write you concerning the Frank Lloyd
Wright article. It’s so ironic because I,
too, live in a Frank Lloyd Wright house in
Scottsdale, Arizona. It was originally called
the Arthur Pieper Cottage in Paradise Valley
built in 1952 and is considered to be the first
constructed example of a Usonian automatic
house. My design studio where I create all
my figurative cast glass actually looks over
the 500 windows of the structure.
The house has been added onto over the
years, but I think it’s interesting that a glass
artist lives in a Frank Lloyd Wright design.
In fact, I’m in the process now of building
Our Glass Expert Webinars™
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class.
Many thanks,
With warm regards,
Dear Shawn,

Glass Art would like to extend a sincere
thank-you to our readers who take the time
to let us know how we are doing. Whether
it’s to let us know about something that you
think we’ve done well or to show us how
you think we can improve, we value your
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Glass Art
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The thoughts and feelings expressed
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Visit the “Books,
CDs, and DVDs” link
in the “Store” section of
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for more information and
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Data DVDs from
Glass Patterns Quarterly.
Please note these are data
DVDs to be viewed on
computers and are not
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SGAA News
Featuring the latest from the Stained Glass Association of America
SGAA 105th Annual
Summer Conference
The historic Elms Hotel is situated on 16 landscaped
acres and is more than 150 years old.
R
enewal and revitalization are on the agenda
for the SGAA Conference Committee, and
they have created a whole new approach to the
oldest stained glass conference in the world.
This year, the Conference is an artists’ retreat,
which will be far more hands-on and interactive
for both artist and business people in the stained
glass world. It will work because of the venue—the
historic Elms Hotel and Spa of Excelsior Springs, Missouri. The Elms is a perfect fit and is easily accessible from the
Kansas City International Airport. The extensive and beautifully
landscaped grounds surrounding the Elms will be very conducive
to creating the artistic environment needed for this retreat.
Creative Resources
Conference activities include opportunities for creating art and
for advancing artistic skills as well as more contemplative programs.
There will be time for reflection and for the sharing of art and
theory. For our business-minded members, we have included some
excellent marketing, business psychology, and technical programs.
Lectures will include:
• Fusing for Stained Glass Windows with Andy Young of Pearl
River Art Glass
• Developing Personal Style with Nicholas Parrendo of Hunt Stained
Glass Studios
• Butterfly Garden Project with Kathy Barnard of Kathy Barnard
Studio
• Bent and Neon Glass Project with Louis Curiel
• Committee Psychology with Jim McGraw of Longview College
• Symbols in Service of the Church with Richard Gross, MTS, Editor
of the Stained Glass Quarterly and Media Director of the Stained
Glass Association of America
• Creative Marketing with Robert O. Jones
• “You Call That Restoration?” with Jerome Durr of Jerome R.
Durr Studio
• Sacred Spaces – A Collaborative Endeavor Where Art and Architecture Meet with architect Anne Patterson and artist Kathy Barnard
The Conference will also include the Annual Sponsor Showcase,
life drawing, plein air drawing, artist presentations, Hall of Waters
tour, Excelsior Springs Museum tour, The African Queen outdoor
movie night, a silent auction to benefit the Dorothy L. Maddy
Scholarship Fund, and raffles to benefit SGAA Programs.
Artists’ Retreat at the Elms
June 9–11, 2014
Stained Glass and Wine Tour
June 12, 2014
Conference Registration $225
$25 discount on every extra registration
Artist Exhibition
There will again be an exhibition this year, open to all stained
glass artists. The exhibition theme, The Artist, asks participants to
define themselves as an artist. Allow the panel you create to express
what makes you an artist—a stained glass artist. Push the limits of
the glass medium to explore everything that pushes you to work
in the art and craft of stained glass. Let the glass, the surface treatments, the light breaking through tell your artistic story.
The $50 entry fee allows the artist to select from one of two
categories: Painted or Unpainted. There are excellent cash and
product prizes for each category.
Conference Classes and Tour
Stained Glass School Conference Classes will be held in the
mornings during Conference days, June 9–12, from 7 a.m. to
12 p.m. This plan will minimize your time away from your studio
and enable you to save money by eliminating extra hotel nights.
Professional models will pose outdoors, creating drawing
sessions that will focus on head, hands, feet, and the forms of
the body through folds of drapery. Sketch by Vivian Faulkner.
Classes scheduled are: Advanced &
Creative Portrait Painting with Jim Berberich; Restoration Painting with Nicholas
Parrendo; Verifix 2K Silicone Lamination
with Bohle America; An Introduction to
Stained Glass Painting with C. Robert
Markert and Laura Parham; From Concept
to Cartoon with Diane Eissinger; and Photoshop/Illustrator for Stained Glass with
Bryant Stanton.
Classes will be held in the morning,
with the conference presentations and
events in the afternoon and evening.
Those not taking classes will be able to
take advantage of the Elm’s spa facility,
swimming pools, and area historical walks,
parks, gardens, museums . . . and the list
goes on.
The Annual Conference Tour will be
optional this year, taking place on June 12,
2014. We will tour historic St. Joseph, Missouri, with all of its incredible Victorian
mansions. Horse-drawn wagons will take
participants through historic Mount Mora
Cemetery and visit an exciting variety of
stained glass. We will also sample local
wines during our lunch break at Shakespeare Chateau. There will be an additional
tour fee of $85 per person.
Fly into Kansas City, Missouri, and enjoy a week of art and serenity at The Elms.
The SGAA shuttle will be in operation
for $15 one way, $25 round trip. Parking
and WiFi access at the Elms are free. The
SGAA Special room rate is $119 for single/
double and $149 for a three- or four-person
suite. Make your reservations for the hotel
now by calling (816) 630‑5500, and be
sure to visit www.elmshotelandspa.com
to learn the incredible story of this historic
luxury hotel.
Now Available from
the GPQ Website
DVDs from Joe
Porcelli
Learn Professional Tips for Working with Glass in this DVD Series
produced by renowned Artist, Teacher, Author, and Producer
Joe Porcelli.
Benefit from the Experience of Stained, Fused,
or Flameworking Professional Glass Artists.
These 16 instructional DVDs feature
Ron Bearer Jr
Michael Dupille
Tommy Giambusso
Molly Heynis
Peter McGrain
Joe Porcelli and
Lisa Vogt
as they share their techniques
for success in creating with glass.
Visit the “Books, CDs, and DVDs” link under the
“Store” drop-down at www.glasspatterns.com for more details.
Fused Fantasies
Books now available from
Complete
step-by-step
fusing instructions!
Glass Patterns Quarterly
800-719-0769
Register for the 2014 Stained Glass Association of America Annual Summer Conference and Stained Glass School Classes
before January 1, 2014, and earn a chance
to win a crate of Uroboros “Short Cuts”
(50 square feet of glass) at the Portland
2015 Conference. For more information
about this exciting conference or to register
online, visit www.stainedglass.org or call the
SGAA Headquarters at (800) 438 9581.
Do you want to reach new customers?
The answer is simple.
Advertise in
Reserve your advertising
space today in our next issue!
SAMA News
Featuring the latest from the
Society of American Mosaic Artists
In Members’ Own Words
Photography by Tim Stassines
by Gwyn Kaitis
I
n response to a blog spot on the Society
of American Mosaic Artists (SAMA)
website, members began discussing why
they became SAMA members and what
they value in the organization.
“I feel like now I can stand a little
taller as an artist,” said new member
Brandi Fletcher of Ojai, California. She
notes that the networking and building of
relationships with other mosaic artists is
instrumental in helping her to grow as a
relatively new artist.
Carole Choucair Oueijan thought
she was the only artist who worked with
mosaic as a fine art medium until she
found SAMA. Trained at the Institut National des Beaux Arts in
Lebanon, Carole moved to California 23 years ago. A member since
2003, Carole says that she has met many artists who inspire her
and other artists who are seeking to prove that mosaic in indeed a
fine medium in visual art that needs to be recognized. She is very
encouraged to see that many amazing mosaic artists’ work is being
included in more museums and galleries than ever before. Carole
says, “I encourage every artist to attend SAMA’s events and to
volunteer as much as you can. It will nourish your mind and give
you a boost all year, inspiring you with fun and pushing you to
create wonderful art!”
Cody Abbott of Chicago, Illinois, worked as a gallery manager
when a friend who is the operations manager for SAMA persuaded
him to assist with a SAMA conference being held in Chicago in
2007. Cody remembers walking into the Mosaic Arts International
Exhibition. “Inside the gallery, I was amazed at what mosaics could
be and what they meant to people. As the interloper that night, I
mixed with the crowd, admired the work, and listened to the passionate discussions happening about the art in the exhibit.” Cody
soon officially joined SAMA as a member and has been an avid
volunteer for the organization since attending that first conference.
“Through the workshops, presentation, and organized critiques
that SAMA offers,” says Joan Schwartz of Huntington Woods,
Michigan, “I’ve been able to view other artists’ work and hear how
they found their ‘voice.’ This exposure to a wide range of mosaic
styles and techniques has aided me greatly in my own work. SAMA
Artist Yulia Hanansen teaching glass layering
techniques at the 2013 conference.
Jaqueline Iskander, Carole Choucair Oueijan,
and Jaqueline Sowers catch up at the
Mosaic Arts International Artists’ Reception.
has been an important resource I can draw on to help me create a
style unique to me and to develop a cohesive body of work that is
recognizable to others.” She mentions that members’ willingness
to share techniques and tips makes SAMA one of the most valuable
tools in her mosaic workshop, while every conference adds another
layer to an evolving process that is integral to her artistic growth.
Another member, Jaqueline Sowers
of Midlothian, Virginia, shared: “Believe
it or not, when I say I am a mosaicist there
are still people who have no idea what a
mosaic is and ask what they are. SAMA
wants to make sure that such questions
become a thing of the past. Promoting the
art of mosaic, be it classical or modern, and
those who create these works, that’s what
SAMA does.” Jaqueline doesn’t believe she
has ever been part of any group as dedicated
or as generous as SAMA. “We support each
other, encourage each other, and share our
passion for the art of mosaic. SAMA members are a family.”
Jenny Perry of Frederick, Oklahoma,
loves the annual conferences so much that
she says it is like “coming home,” while
Nikki Sullivan of Moosup, Connecticut,
said she returns home from each conference
with so much inspiration and material that
she can’t wait to get into her studio. One of
Nikki’s favorite aspects of the conference
is Mosaic Arts International, a juried show
sponsored each year by SAMA in various
parts of the country. The next Mosaic Arts
International will take place at the Williams
Tower Gallery in Houston, Texas, April 24–
May 30, 2014. Also in Houston, more than
500 international artists and arts enthusiasts
are expected to attend the American Mosaic
Summit, April 30–May 4, 2014.
The Society of American Mosaic Artists,
a nonprofit organization of over 1,200 members, is dedicated to educating, inspiring,
and promoting excellence in mosaic arts.
SAMA, the largest mosaic arts organization
in the world, seeks to foster and sustain a
mosaic community where members are encouraged to explore the full potential of the
art form. More information about the group
can be found at www.americanmosaics.org.
Premium Glass Products, Inc.
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Canadian member, Margo Anton, reported that mosaic art is not a particularly
well-known medium in her country. Opportunities for classes were not available at
the advanced level she required. As Margo
states, “SAMA opens many doors of opportunity for the passionate and interested
artist.” She has found that the SAMA conference refuels her creative spirit every year.
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Our Events Calendar
has gotten
too big for the
magazine we had
to move it to the Web.
Keep up with
the latest in
Glass Art!
Check the
“Community”
section on our
home page for
links to our
newsletters
and sign up to
receive future
ones via e-mail.
Sylvia Laks
Go to:
www.TheFlowMagazine.com
for all the newest workshops
and events in glass
around the world.
Advertisers' Index
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1 Glass Impressions (920) 382-1807 www.1GlassImpressions.com 56
AAE Glass (239) 471-7724 www.aaeglass.com 17
A.R.T.CO +1.408.288.7978 www.ArtcoInc.com 37
Austin Thin Films, Inc. (800) 268-6163 www.dichro.com 31
Bullseye Glass www.bullseyeglass.com 45
C & R Loo Inc. (800) 227-1780 www.crloo.com 33
Coatings By Sandberg, Inc. (714) 538-0888 www.cbs-dichroic.com 5
Covington Engineering Corp. (877) 793-6636 www.covington-engineering.com 12
Cress Manufacturing (800) 423-4584 www.cresskilns.com 39
D&L Art Glass Supply (800) 525-0940 www.dlartglass.com 22
Denver Glass Machinery, Inc. (303) 781-0980 www.denverglass.com 45
Edco Supply Corporation (866) 397-4777 [email protected] 43
Ed Hoy’s International (800) 323-5668 www.edhoy.com 5
Euclid’s Elements (800) 296-5456 www.euclids.com 43
Evenheat Kiln, Inc. (989) 856-2281 www.evenheat-kiln.com 56
Firelady Productions (305) 323-2363 www.firelady.com 51
Firelite Forms (888) 800-3901 www.fireliteforms.com 18
Fire Mountain Gems and Beads (800) 355-2137 www.firemountaingems.com 2
Flow, The (800) 719-0769 www.TheFlowMagazine.com 44/53
Franklin Art Glass (800) 848-7683 www.franklinartglass.com 10
Fused Fantasies (800) 719-0769 www.glasspatterns.com 59
Fusion Headquarters (503) 538-5281 www.fusionheadquarters.com
19
Gemini Saw Company, Inc. (310) 891-0288 www.geminisaw.com
63
GLAHAUS www.Glasshouse.de
22
Glass Accessories International www.glassaccessories.com 43
Glass Art (800) 719-0769 www.GlassArtMagazine.com 39/47/50/59/61
Glass Art Society (206) 382-1305 www.glassart.org 51
Glasscraft www.glasscraftinc.com 19
Glass Craft & Bead Expo (800) 217-4527 www.glasscraftexpo.com 62
Glass Expert Webinars™ (800) 719-0769 www.GlassPatterns.com 27/54/55/57
Glass Patterns Quarterly (800) 719-0769 www.GlassPatterns.com 59
Glastar (800) 423-5635 www.glastar.com
37
Hang Your Glass (650) 353-4642 www.HangYourGlass.com 18
His Glassworks, Inc. (828) 254-2559 www.hisglassworks.com 56
Hollander Specialty Glass (800) 421-0449 www.hollanderglass.com 27
Illustrated Word, The (800) 719-0769 www.GlassPatterns.com 43
ISGB (612) 222-2243 www.isgb.org 37
Jen-Ken Kilns (800) 329-KILN www.jenkenkilns.com 25
Master Artisan Products (250) 382-9554 www.masterartisanproducts.com 38
Morton Glass Works (800) 635-2113 www.mortonglass.com 17
Nortel Manufacturing (416) 438-3325 www.nortelmfg.com 13
Northwest Art Glass (800) 888-9444 www.nwartglass.com 7
Olympic Color Rods (800) 445-7742 www.glasscolor.com
12
Olympic Kilns (800) 241-4400 www.greatkilns.com
47
Paragon Industries (800) 876-4328 www.paragonweb.com
13
Paul Wissmach Glass Co., Inc. (304) 337-2253 www.wissmachglass.com 64
Premium Glass Products Inc. (800) 752-3501 www.premiumglass.net 61
Professional Glass Consultants (888) ETCHPRO www.EtchMaster.com 39
Ransom & Randolph (419) 794-1290 www.glass-cast.com 39
Skutt Kilns (503) 774-6000 www.skutt.com 3
Slumpy's (866) Slumpys www.slumpys.com 25
Sunshine Glassworks Ltd. (800) 828-7159 www.SunshineGlass.com 47
Uroboros Glass Studios (503) 284-4900 www.uroboros.com 19

For the Creative Professional Working in Hot, Warm, and Cold Glass

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