Adria Ovdiyenko Glass

Work in Progress

2011-01-09T22:28:00.003-05:00

Sneak peek at my newest project. This is the largest piece of artwork I have embarked upon in its most primitive stages. What you are looking at is the first layer of patina on copper sheet. Stay tuned....glass work yet to come on this one.

Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center

2010-02-12T11:51:00.003-05:00

Chris, Jen, and I will be showing artwork at the Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center in Pennsburg PA from May 2011 to July 2011. I sincerely hope you can join us to view Chris's digitalized landscape paintings, Jen's sculptural weavings, capturing a local folk art in a modern way, and my nature inspired glass art. The opening reception is set for Sunday May 1st. I will post the hours closer to the date. We are all really looking forward to this show, and Schwenkfelder has such a beautiful gallery space. While you are there, please check out the many historical Pennsylvania Dutch heritage displays throughout the building. From antique Fraktur drawings, early PA Dutch printing presses, hand carved furniture, and looms, to gorgeous handmade quilts, a tour of Schwenkfelder is an amazing way to spend some time.

Reservoir, 9000 ft.

2009-05-20T14:14:00.003-04:00

Winner of Best Airscape, Terra Firma Exhibition, Studio B, Boyertown PA, May 2009

I created this piece recently as part of my satellite image body of work. This is my interpretation of Green Lane Reservoir and the surrounding areas from 9000 ft. above the earth. Mostly rural, this piece is very different from the satellite image of Reading. Instead of urban areas, in this piece mainly fields and forested land surround this particular water source. However, the impact of our bustling modern human lifestyle on the landscape is clearly evident in the enormous road systems that intersect and run all through, on top of really, the otherwise beautiful, primarily agricultural and wooded area.

This is the area where I live and so I am close to this particular satellite image. When I go to Green Lane Park I can still hear the traffic of the highways that flank the park on all sides. It strikes me, and hard, that there is little area near where I live to escape the madness of commerce, the rush of contemporary life. Many of the surrounding farmers are selling their land because they cannot make ends meet growing food. Farming, a profession that has sustained humans since the beginning of time, is becoming obsolete. The loss of family farms holds a huge impact for humans, as well as the landscape and surrounding natural areas not only in this area, but all over the country.

In Reservoir, 9000 ft. I have captured a moment leading into a different age. We may not recognize this landscape in 10 years. Perhaps in 10 years most of the farmland and forested land you see here will be housing developments and quarries.

Landscape and Industry at Goggleworks

2009-04-17T21:03:00.002-04:00

Please come and see my satellite image captured in glass, Reading from 2000 ft., at the Goggleworks group show Landscape and Industry. The Opening Reception is May 7th 2009 5:30 pm-7:30 pm. The exhibit runs from May 10, 2009-June 14, 2009. I hope you can make it in to see all the talented artists in the area take on this interesting subject matter.

Dark Blue Swirl Bowl and Tile Set

2009-04-16T11:08:00.004-04:00

I have been sold out of this particular design in bowl and tile sets since the winter. This set is brand new just in time for spring!

Rainbow Bowl and Tile Set

2009-04-16T11:04:00.002-04:00

Designing bowl and tile sets is such a fun thing for me to do! I love the process and the results are always rewarding. This one is so colorful and cheerful, it would be nearly impossible not to fall in love with it!

Mica Bowl

2009-04-16T10:39:00.003-04:00

Fresh out of the kiln, this bowl was a rather nice surprise. I blew mica onto black radium glass in the hopes of creating something truly unique and I was not disappointed. After cold working, the piece was slumped into a large bowl and viola, the pictures speak for themselves!

Student Work-Betty Price (and my son Dylan

2009-02-09T09:47:00.002-05:00

Above are two tiles in progress designed by Betty Price. The green one is all Betty's creation and it looks great! The blue one Betty made with the help of my four year old son Dylan. You can certainly tell the difference in artists between the two...Dylan is really into capturing the whole rainbow of glass colors in one piece!

I am excited to get these tiles cold worked and in the kiln for the fire polishing. They will become votive holders for Betty to display in her home when I am done with the final slump fire.

Student Work-Nancy Klick

2009-02-09T09:41:00.003-05:00

This is a work in progress. Nancy designed this 4 x 4 tile during her visit, and I will cold work it and slump it for her. I think it looks great and another person that visited my studio last week commented on how much she liked it too! This decorative tile will eventually become a votive holder for Nancy to display in her home.

Unfortunately I am a little behind on my cold working right now so finishing this up has been going slower than I had hoped. I have a huge backlog of pieces that need to get sawed, ground, and sanded, then fire polished. I am hoping to get a fire polish in this week though.

Stay tuned to see the finished product!

Reading From 2000 ft.

2009-02-02T15:41:00.002-05:00

This is a new piece I made for submission in a group art show with a theme of "Landscape and Industry." It is my interpretation of a satellite view of Reading, where the interchanges of 222 meet at Penn Ave/Penn St. You can see the Schuylkill River, and next to it a small part of the city. This piece was fired in 2 parts initially and then those two parts were fused together in another firing. After that it was cold worked and fire polished into what you see in the pictures.

The first layer is set on almond colored glass. The trees and natural areas around the river are represented by glass frits in green colors. the river itself is designed from copper leafing and several different colored frits, all in shades of blue. The city is created from glass melted through stainless steel. This process creates the glass swirls you see and also accounts for the building lines. Stainless steel leaves some metal residue on the glass when I fire it in such a way and it is a very interesting design element. Certainly perfect for this project! Some of the buildings and parking lots you can see are represented by copper mesh, and others with mica powders I painted on there with the help of a gum arabic and water mixture. This layer was fused with a layer of clear glass to laminate it.

The second layer was a base of sheet glass onto which I constructed and adhered the road systems. The roads are designed with copper coiling wire and all bent and arranged according to the appearance of the city at a 2000 ft. altitude. The second layer was laminated and fused.

The next firing fused the two layers together. When that firing was complete, cold working began. The sides were cut square to expose the edges of the copper wire fused within. I sanded it to a fine finish and beveled the edges slightly, then it went back into the kiln for a fire polishing.

The finished piece of artwork is 7.5" W x 5.5" H x .5" D. It is shown unframed. My wonderful husband will be welding a stainless steel frame it before it due to be shown in the gallery show.

Student Work-In Progress

2009-01-11T21:36:00.003-05:00

These snapshot photos are of a student's work. Erin Reinhart made these 4 fused tiles and this pendant on January 3rd. Since Erin lives in Baltimore and cannot just visit PA for several weekends in a row, I will be doing the cold working, fire polish, and will be slumping the pieces. The 4 tiles will turn into 4 little sushi bowls and I can't wait to see them finished! The pendant will eventually have a sterling silver bail attached to it so she can wear it and show it off to all her friends.

For info on instruction time in my studio, please e-mail me at adriaoglass@ovdiyenko.com. I will do one-on-one sessions or two-on-one sessions on Saturday and Sunday afternoons (normally you would have 2 sessions in a row (a week apart), 2 hours each session-4 hours total-then the next week you would pick up your finished, slumped project). No more than 2 people at a time, please. The cost of the sessions will vary based on experience and project (includes firings) plus the price of glass. You can buy glass from me in 4 x 4 sheets (that's the standard...if you are doing a larger piece we can break it down by the size you will need). I have a pretty good selection! Dichroics and speciality glasses can also be broken down by square inch.

After seeing this great work that another student has done, I hope you decide to drop me a line and take a class! I will post photos after these pieces are done so you can see the finished projects.

Nature Inspired Soap Dish

2008-12-31T18:35:00.002-05:00

This soap dish could very well be the exact opposite of the one below with the dichroic glass! This is a light and subtle nature inspired piece. The focal point is the leaf, constructed from green frits. it is surrounded by purple hues on iridized glass. This soap dish would look great in any bathroom or kitchen because it can pretty much go with any color or scheme.

Happy New Year 2008/2009!

2008-12-31T18:28:00.003-05:00

I would like to say Happy New Year! We are counting down the hours now here in PA until 2009. I am sure it will be another great year and I am looking forward to so much-too many things to even list. I will be completing much more work in the new year, including sculptures and new designs across the board. I am entering some art shows starting in February so will be working hard through January to prepare. I will keep the photos and postings rolling.

Thanks for checking in and looking at what I have to offer. I appreciate any feedback you have and if you are interested in purchasing anything, please e-mail me at adriaoglass@ovdiyenko.com. I will be happy to discuss pricing and shipping, and answer any questions you might have.

Happy New Year!!

Are You Going To Let An Ugly Bar of Soap Cover This Up?

2008-12-29T23:04:00.004-05:00

Just imagine the surprise when an unsuspecting guest lifts the soap off of this soap dish! This is dichroic glass at its best, a real show stopper. Warning: it may turn you into an obsessive compulsive hand washer. But who could blame you for wanting to ogle this baby as often as possible?

Super Thin and Modern Dark Blue Swirled Dish

2008-12-29T22:59:00.002-05:00

This dish is around 4 x 4 in measurement and is just light as a feather, so dainty. It really captures the spirit of the fragility and function of glass and minimalist design. The bottom is coated in silver mica for a metallic luster. The top design is dark blue and clear swirled glass. Simple and elegant.

Medium Votive Holder in Purples and Blues

2008-12-29T22:53:00.002-05:00

Way back when in September I posted a violet votive holder, which is a relative and predecessor to this votive holder. This one is bigger, medium sized, and textured with frits instead of smooth. It is more on the blue side too, as opposed to being mostly purple like its counterpart. The violet votive from the past may have been the inspiration, but this piece is all its own.

Votive Holder-Red With Gold Mica

2008-12-29T00:15:00.002-05:00

These pictures speak for themselves! This votive holder is designed with red and orange glass on the inside and is coated with gold-bronze mica on the outside to give that crackled metallic look you see. It really does shine and sparkle beautifully!

SOLD-Bright Reds, Oranges, and Yellows

2008-12-29T00:06:00.006-05:00

This bowl is so simple, and yet so eye catching, colorful and interesting! It stands out with bold color on the top, where I used cherry red, red opal, orange opal, tangerine, light orange and marigold frits. The bottom shines in gold-bronze-ish mica. The shape is just barely slumped. Very unique!

3 Saucy Sushi Dishes

2008-12-28T23:52:00.002-05:00

Here are three petite sushi condiment dishes for the roll fanatic. Perfect for any dipping sauce (like my favorite-Wasabi) or even small little nibbles (like Wasabi covered peas, another favorite of mine) to go with your meal. I suppose if you were feeling imaginative in your cooking, or if you don't like sushi, these could be used to beautifully display other condiments like olives, tapenade, oil and herb dipping sauces for bread, horseradish sauce, mustards...as you can tell I like to cook, AND the list is endless.

I am currently working on some sets to go with these three little dishes. I will make sets of four in each design and sell them in sets rather than individually. For now I just wanted to show them off. I hope you like them! Look for sets in future postings!

Large Dark Blue Swirl Bowl-Matte

2008-12-26T20:33:00.002-05:00

Don't let the picture fool you-this baby is pretty big! It measures 7 x 7 inches. What is so interesting about this bowl is the matte finish on the inside, which is bordered by a thin strip of shiny glass right around the edges. Truly amazing. The outside is Amazon Green glass, which is bolder than the pastel green in some of the other dark blue swirled pieces you have seen on my blog. Still nature inspired, but more midsummer as opposed to early spring!

Again, you can see the raindrop pattern I added to the design to give it that watery feeling. This bowl has it all-texture, color, and style.

SOLD-Dark Blue Swirled Bowl and Tile Set

2008-12-26T20:26:00.003-05:00

These pieces were sold as a set recently. The small bowl rests on the tile to make a lovely nature inspired display of glass. The bottom side of both pieces is a light pastel green that just peeks through the swirled dark blue glass above. As detail, I added some "raindrops" to the pattern. These pieces are serene, like water and rain and wet leaves.

Sky Blue Prototype Small Bowl

2008-12-26T20:18:00.003-05:00

This is another prototype bowl that is a winner for our sculpture. This bowl is made with sky blue frit instead of the deep aqua and is no less beautiful for it. We will be using different blues for the sculpture, hence the differences in the prototypes. This piece is also made with copper leaf and frits, and has a silver mica back. It is slightly smaller than the other prototype, but was slumped over the same mold so holds the same shape.

SOLD-Prototype Small Bowl

2008-12-26T20:08:00.003-05:00

I call this a prototype bowl because it was designed for a sculpture that Chris and I are working on. Our new sculpture is inspired by water, and will combine steel and glass in a cascading pattern. We still haven't decided if it will be free standing or if it will be a wall mount sculpture. But I digress. I made several 4 x 4 glass prototypes of the "water" we will be using for the sculpture and here is one of the winners. For the sculpture I will not be using 4 x 4 pieces most likely so I slumped this prototype into a small 4 x 4 bowl.

The back of this bowl is silver mica. The inner layers are made of copper leaf, deep aqua and blue orchid iridized frit, and it was fired at a lower temperature than I would normally use for a full fuse to capture a bit of copper oxidization. Overall the effect is amazing. From the sides of this bowl you can see layers of copper and frit, magnified by the clear glass I used.

The best part about this bowl is that it is an inspiration for a much larger sculpture. It is part of the art process that just happened to look so awesome on its own. You will see this design again!

Sorry all prospective buyers, this bowl is sold. Fortunately the sky blue version is still available. Please see my next post.

Swirled and Textured Plate

2008-12-02T16:14:00.002-05:00

This plate was so fun to make! It started with a wire melt, which is the oblong swirled piece of glass you see in the middle. I fused the wire melt onto dark purple glass and added frits all along the outside. I used Red Opal, Orange Opal, and Marigold Opal frits all in coarse to mosaic sizes. I fired it at a low temperature (this is relative) so it was more than a tack fuse, but less than a full fuse (the low 1400s). By firing at a lower temperature, I maintained the textures of the wire melt and also the frits. And the texture of this piece is so much the charm! I slumped it into a sushi style plate.

Alfonse Maria Mucha, 1860-1939

2008-11-02T21:25:00.006-05:00

Czechoslovakian Alphonse Mucha was THE Art Nouveau artist. In fact, Art Nouveau was termed "Mucha Style" for a time before it was termed "Art Nouveau". Most of Mucha's Art Nouveau style work was produced commercially, and in his life, Mucha sought to distance himself from his commercial art. He believed commercial art was a betrayal of fine art and he hated to be considered a "sell out" essentially. He believed that all art conveys the spiritual and comes from within, but much to his chagrin, the fame in his life came from his commercial art, leading to great frustration for the poor man.

I admire the Art Nouveau style and you can see it in some of my work. What I am drawn to is not the images of Neoclassical women, or the pastel colors, because neither of those inspire me much, but it is the way nature is portrayed in this style that truly appeals to me. In each photo I have posted, take note of the trees, the leaves, the flow of nature that runs through each piece. Again, this liquidity and swirls of color can be translated to glass. Glass is a liquid medium (some would say a highly viscous liquid, or better yet, an amorphous solid) and that is what draws me to it. It is unlike any other substance on this planet. When I see nature represented with such flow, it reminds me of the beauty of glass, and better yet, what I can do with it!

So while Mucha didn't fully appreciate Mucha, he was a pioneer in art who continues to inspire artists to this day.

Steve Tobin: Metal Sculptor and Inspiration

2008-11-01T15:10:00.003-04:00

Every once in a while I post another artist's work that inspires me. This is a sculpture made from cast bronze letters that were then welded together. Lucky for me I live only 20 minutes away from Steve Tobin's workshop so I can drive by and ogle his sculptures as often as I like! The other day when we stopped by, he was out in the yard welding something that is sure to be ingenious like everything else he does. If you live near the Quakertown area, be sure to drive by Tobin's, you won't be sorry. Check out his site, which has more info about him and also more photos of his excellent work, at http://www.stevetobin.com/. When you check it out you will see that Tobin has used glass in his work in the past, and used it very well. Glass and metal are natural companions and I admire those that see the compatibility like Chris and I do. You will be seeing a lot of sculpture coming from our studio in the future as we blend the two mediums together.

For a Wedding

2008-11-01T12:21:00.004-04:00

These two pieces, a votive holder and resting tile, were commissioned as a wedding gift. The groom I am told is interested in martial arts and meditation, cool colors. The bride likes iridized and dichroic glass, and is also an accomplished artist, art critic, and jewelry maker. I blended the two styles together as well as I could to make this gorgeous set that is a combination of cool colors in a very peaceful and watery design, with an iridized backing that shimmers and shines. I hope they both enjoy these pieces for years and years to come! Congratulations to the bride and groom!

Now Our Entries Revealed

2008-10-11T20:45:00.005-04:00

I feel liberated now that I can share the pictures of the artwork that Chris and I entered in the Dear Fleisher event! I am sure both pieces are happy in their new homes and I hope that the new owners enjoy them completely and for a lifetime. Please disregard the terrible quality of the photos. We were rushed on the submission and we took photos quickly, indoors where it is dimmer than the natural lighting I normally use.

My piece was inspired by a winter full moon with a halo. When hexagonal ice crystals high in cirrus clouds scatter moonlight to our eyes in a certain way, a halo sometimes appears, much like rain distorts the light of the sun and sometimes creates rainbows. This glass moon is bright white, against a gray sky, surrounded by a haze of color. The lamination is clear iridized glass, which helps to reflect and transmit the rainbow of colors surrounding the moon. This is no ordinary moon, but is a moon before a snow storm. A moon in a mysteriously dark sky, colorful and radiant despite being slightly subdued by clouds, ice crystals, and other reflected light.

Chris's piece is from the vantage point of the Riverwalk in Philadelphia, looking out over the Schulykill River from the Art Museum area toward the Amtrak building. He is very interested in digital representing actual, and used a dot pattern, an amplitude modulation, to represent the setting. Chris says it represents Man's quest to become a dot. I am not sure that he is kidding.

Dear Fleisher Event a Huge Success!

2008-10-11T20:21:00.003-04:00

The "Dear Fleisher" 4 x 6 pieces of art event was a huge success. Chris and I attended the artist preview on October 4th at 10 am and we were blown away by the sheer amount of talent we saw! As soon as we walked through the doors into the gallery, all we saw was color, color, and more color. Overall it was a stunning sight, then when we got close enough to see all the individual pieces it was even more amazing. Artists from every genre under the sun submitted work. At the actual event on October 5th at 4 pm, we personally bought 2 acrylic Hummingbird paintings by Hunter Clarke (www.hunterartist.com) who is represented in LaPelle Gallery in Philadelphia, two of Lucartha Kohler's cast glass leaves (for those of you who do not know, Lucartha taught me how to not only cast glass, but also fuse and slump it too-I owe her a great debt of gratitude. She was the only other glass artist who submitted to the gallery besides me. Her website is www.lucarthakohler.com), and also a very beautiful oil painting by Frederic Kaplan that we fell in love with (www.kaplanpicturemaker.com). The event raised over $55,000. for the school! The photos above are pulled from the artists' websites and are not the particular pieces we bought, but it will give you a feel for each artist's work.

A New Collection!

2008-10-02T16:59:00.004-04:00

I am introducing a new line of glass artwork. You can buy one piece or many-they will be sold seperately. Right now I have three smaller pieces, one already in votive shape and two others waiting to be slumped into votives. I will be making assorted shapes including plates and bowls in the same design. As always, each piece is handmade by me and is unique, will be signed, and assigned a number all its own, even if the design is similar. I have decided to do several pieces with the same feeling because some people want more than one piece to go together. Everyone I have talked to loves this design so I decided to go forward with this line. Plus, what better color to gift at Christmas than a lovely green??? Two votives are already sold at this point, but there will be more in the making! E-mail me for details if you would like a full set or if you have a particular shape/size in mind for a slump.

SOLD-Wire Melt Display-Just in Time for Fall!

2008-10-02T16:53:00.004-04:00

It is fall again and I couldn't be happier! I love fall so of course it inspires my work this time of year. I just finished up a circular display that is a beautiful swirl of fall color. I photographed it leaning against some other objects because I don't have a stand for it yet but I just couldn't resist sharing it. I hope you enjoy this taste of autumn from my studio!

SOLD-Rainbow Bowl #1

2008-09-18T14:16:00.012-04:00

I love rainbows and working in rainbow colors. I know some people consider it to be "gay" but I have no ulterior motive. I just adore rainbow colors together. When you look at these photos, you see why it works so well and why it is a color scheme I keep coming back to. So far I have made quite a few peices in all different shapes and sizes in rainbow hues. If you are like me and you can't live without color in your life, you will enjoy these particular pieces. These are just two examples from my rainbow collection. One is a small bowl that would be perfect for small candles or little things you might lose, like keys. The other could be used as a candle holder or a small bowl. The crackling on the outside is caused by slumping iridized glass, and it looks amazing. They are certainly a far stretch from the classic take on the rainbow (there are no unicorns or leprichauns, sorry), with some very interesting and modern design and composition. ENJOY!

SOLD-Rainbow #2-Bowl-$70

2008-09-18T14:16:00.011-04:00

First Retro Soapdish

2008-09-18T14:16:00.010-04:00

This is the first soapdish I created in my studio and I wanted to share it. It is the first in a long line of many cool soapdish designs to come. This one in particular is "old school" soapdish style. The smaller size (2.5" x 3.75") brings on a nostalgic feeling-like it would be right at home on the bathroom vanity holding a bar of pristine white Ivory soap. The glass colors and design are anything but antiquated, however. The dichroic glass on top of black is sharp and shimmers in the light. The turquois blue and dark blue frit detail on the sides lends it a more modern feel. I love the blending of old and new and this soapdish really comes through.

Copper and the Blues

2008-09-18T14:16:00.009-04:00

Isn't it interesting that copper turns blue in the kiln? I would have never guessed the first time I plastered copper leaf onto a piece of clear glass. You can imagine my surprise at the results. I am always trying new techniques and of course being the adventursome firebug I am I decided to throw some metal in the kiln just to see what happened. I got some very mixed results. Copper foil does NOT turn blue much to my chagrin. It turns a dark reddish brown color. Not to say that it wasn't an exciting discovery, but my mind was churning over much more impressive reults for the duration of the 8 hour firing. The silver foil was so thin it just disappeared. Now I know that silver turns yellow in the kiln because I tested some silver wire links I made and they came out amazing, but the silver foil vanished like a vampire at dawn. My favorite of all the metals is the copper leaf and I can't seem to get enough of it. I branched out and experimented with it, the product of that experimentation is seen here. I started using iridized frits in conjunction with the foil and I was rewarded with bubbles and 3-D effects in my pieces.

My Etsy

2008-09-18T14:16:00.008-04:00

If you don't know it already, I have an etsy account where I have my work listed for purchase. Sometimes I get behind on the listings so if you see something here you like and it isn't there, please e-mail me.

My etsy account can be found at www.adriaoglass.etsy.com.

Dear Fleisher

2008-09-18T14:16:00.006-04:00

Mark your calendars for the Dear Fleisher event taking place on October 5th, 2008. It is an event designed to help fund the school by helping working class folks to afford artwork they would not normally be able to purchase. Artists of all genres submit a 4 x 6 (postcard sized) piece of original artwork, which will be sold anonymously at the event for $50. This way, everyone buys WHAT they like, not necessarily WHO they like. I have donated a very nice glass piece for the event (sorry no pictures, it is anonymous, remember?) and my husband Chris donated an exceptional drawing too. We would love to see you there!

Go to www.fleisher.org for more information about the event, directions to the art memorial (it is in South Philly), and also classes that are available for the fall semester. I highly recommend Fleisher as a teaching facility. The instructors are wonderful, and the school itself enables everyone, regardless of their tax bracket, to take very cheap, or even free classes. Please come support Fleisher, and local artists!

Musical Note Bowl

2008-09-18T14:16:00.005-04:00

This bowl was made from an iridized clear glass base with blue swirled glass that I cut on my bandsaw. Cutting the blue glass was my first time using the bandsaw and I was a bit intimidated. It is loud, and there is water flying at you from a pump that throws out what seems to be a zillion gallons of water per minute. As my shoes were filling up with cold water, I was hoping the final product would be worth the soggy effort. I'm just kidding, really the process was very enjoyable! I don't mind loud, and if I minded getting wet I wouldn't be working with glass, a medium that requires you to use water to do ANYTHING with it. You should see my hands. They are cut up and my fingernails are like a wood saw, my skin is so dry from all the water if you look at them wrong they crack. But I digress, this piece was one of experiments. I also used what is called lava cloth to fire on, so there is a cloth-like texture on the back of the glass that gives it some dimension and visual interest. And true to form, I used frit to complete the design.

Violet Votive

2008-09-18T14:16:00.003-04:00

One mold I bought I took for a shot glass mold at first glance. But the first time I slumped on it, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a votive mold. That isn't to say that we wouldn't have found plenty of uses for shot glasses around here. I have become somewhat addicted to the product this mold creates and for good reason. Every piece of glass I put on this thing comes out looking like a million bucks (remember, everything I make is for sale, and some of it for a little less than a million. Please e-mail for pricing if you see something you like). Take this purple and blue votive holder for instance. It was beautiful as a flat piece of glass but once it was slumped, it took on a whole dimension of cool.

Come In and Play

2008-09-09T10:37:00.000-04:00

A former friend of mine, someone who was "into" art but was, shall we say, a "fair weather" artist, or dabbler, (meaning he liked to take figure drawing classes in the hopes of meeting the girl of his dreams in her natural state), said that he viewed art and creating artwork as "playing" (in a somewhat scathing and supercilious tone of voice). My husband Chris and I were slightly offended by his comment (his intention of course). "Playing" as opposed to what we wondered? Is working toward an artistic goal not ACTUAL work? Then after thinking long and hard, I decided to turn his calculated comment upside down. I work in my studio every day. It is my job to create. Since I now consider my career to be "play time," I feel even more proud of myself and my finished product. While others slave away in corporate America, working to make a faceless entity's "dreams" come true, working to make someone else rich, I can play at what I love to do.

That said, I love playing with glass. Welcome to my blog.