Fall 2021 Newsletter
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Light Up Your Glass
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As the sun moves further south we start moving indoors and turning on our lights. What do you look for in a "good" light? Here are some things to think about when you are buying a new lamp or designing your own:
1) Looks good both lit and unlit. Glass opacity is important here. Transparent glass is bright when lit but can look quite dark when the lamp is off. The reverse is true of very dense opal glass: the colors look bright when you see the lamp in the daylight but look dull when not much light comes through the glass. You can also hide colors under each other. A lamp by reflected light and by transmitted light can intentionally emphasize different parts of the design, almost as if you have two different lamps. |
David Smith of Blowing Sands blows custom lamps. Notice how light changes the appearance of the same piece. You may see him blowing glass at site #2 on the GlassAndDecor.com studio tour
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Ceiling lamp by Karen Seymour reflects white light on the ceiling rather than blue due to a white liner. See her work October 16-17 at site #4 on the GlassAndDecor.com studio tour
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Consider lining colorful glass-art with a thin sheet of white glass. This softens light from a table lamp so that it isn't heavily patterned or colored, making it easier to read, sew, etc.. In a wall sconce or ceiling lamp a white liner means light bounced off the wall/ceiling won't make you think immediately about turning on the disco music when you turn on the lights.
2) LEDs are now a better choice than incandescents in many cases: they take less electricity for the same amount of functional light. They are also cooler which allows them to be closer to the glass without breaking it. The color of LEDs is given in degrees K. I like 3000K lights with my glass, much higher numbers yield too blue a light for my taste while 2700K, the slightly yellow light of incandescents, doesn't give as true a glass color.
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3) Make sure the lamp base is stable. If you are designing your own shade you can make a base as well but be sure you wire it safely (use a UL approved knot). Thrift stores and garage sales are a common source of bases. Many home improvement stores are now selling just the lamp base for desk lamps. You can also collaborate with a local wood, metal, or stone artist. For night lights, use the screw tightened holder if you have any doubt about the clip being able to hold the weight of your art. See your local glass shop for the clips, other parts, and ideas.
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Floor lamp and base by Janine Shelley, one of the participants in the Oct. 24th PNW Glass Guild general meeting on lighting mentioned below.
4) Use easy on-off switching tailored to the lamp's function. Besides just wiring the lamp to a wall switch you have lots of other options: turn-knob, pull chain, touch on-off, and motion sensing switches are all quite common.
The October 24th general meeting of the PNW Glass Guild will have a show and tell by several artists who make lighting. So far these include: Janine Shelley, Sky Archuleta, Suzanne Tyler, Milo Snyder, Candace Pratt, and Karen Seymour. Ideas like 3-d printed molds, patte de verre, solar powered lanterns, woven LEDs, handmade bases, glow in the dark glass, and many others will probably be discussed. The meeting is via Zoom and you don't have to be a Guild member to attend. |
NEXT ISSUE Unknown: I'll be helping write the Pacific NW Glass Guild newsletter: subscribe (free) or join the Guild ($45/yr)
Karen Seymour, Editor
What's New?
Dog by Cheryl Chapman who teaches reverse painting with enamels. She will be showing her work in Seattle at the Fall Best of the NW, November 13-14.
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Heron by Linda Gerrard. See more of Linda's fused landscapes during the October 16-17 Washington County Studio Tour (near Portland)
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Flicker by Connie Munford, who will be at site #3 on the GlassAndDecor.com studio tour in north Seattle Oct. 16-17
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How'd They Do That?
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Milo Snyder designs his geometric lamps on a computer and slowly 3D prints a model. Then he invests it in plaster and burns the plastic model away, leaving a plaster negative of the design. The next step is to melt glass in a kiln so that it flows into the cavity left in the plaster. Once the kiln has cooled he cleans away the plaster. After careful grinding, polishing, and sandblasting, he has the glass ready to wire and turn into a finished lamp. Come see his resulting pieces October 16-17 at site#5 on the GlassAndDecor.com studio tour in north Seattle.
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Announcements & Events
Looking for other glass folks?
- Pacific NW Glass Guild (former Oregon Glass Guild) meets nearly monthly; they also have a newsletter
- Seattle Glass etc. Sunday Brunch potluck every few months: contact Karen Seymour to get on the email list
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Come say Hi during our 5th annual GlassAndDecor.com studio tour October 16-17, 10am to 5pm in north Seattle, as part of the 3rd REFRACT glass celebration. There are glass artists at every site and most have demos of some sort. All would love to talk glass with you (the editor is at site#4).
The Pacific NW Glass Guild is sponsoring this event. |
The big 4-day celebration of glass is back to being mostly in-person (with masks etc.)
The events list at RefractSeattle.org/events I've made a printable sheet of the events, times, and locations but they are going to put up a better one on their own site soon. |
Arts Organizations are still figuring out what they are going to do so verify info by going to the website before attending in-person.
October
9-10 Portland Bead Society's Bead & Creative Arts Festival, Portland OR
14-17 Refract, the huge multi-event celebration of NW glass, Everett to Tacoma WA
16 Pilchuck Gala Glass Auction, Seattle WA
16-17 Glass and Decor Studio Tour, Seattle WA
16-17 Washington County Studio Tour, Portland OR metro area
23-24, 30-31 Philomath Open Studio Tour, Philomath OR (W of Corvallis)
24 PNW Glass Guild General Meeting: Lighting the Future via Zoom
November
13-14 Best of the NW fall show, Seattle WA
14 PNW Glass Guild General Meeting: Holiday Ideas via Zoom
20-21 Wild Arts (Audubon), Portland OR
Museum of Glass, Tacoma WA has several holiday events,
please check their calendar for the latest info.
December
3-5? Seattle Sampling studio tour, Seattle WA
4-5 Phinney Winter Festival, Seattle WA
4-5? Glass Quest Winterfest, Stanwood, WA
4-5? Bazaz Glass Holiday sale, Seattle, WA
October
9-10 Portland Bead Society's Bead & Creative Arts Festival, Portland OR
14-17 Refract, the huge multi-event celebration of NW glass, Everett to Tacoma WA
16 Pilchuck Gala Glass Auction, Seattle WA
16-17 Glass and Decor Studio Tour, Seattle WA
16-17 Washington County Studio Tour, Portland OR metro area
23-24, 30-31 Philomath Open Studio Tour, Philomath OR (W of Corvallis)
24 PNW Glass Guild General Meeting: Lighting the Future via Zoom
November
13-14 Best of the NW fall show, Seattle WA
14 PNW Glass Guild General Meeting: Holiday Ideas via Zoom
20-21 Wild Arts (Audubon), Portland OR
Museum of Glass, Tacoma WA has several holiday events,
please check their calendar for the latest info.
December
3-5? Seattle Sampling studio tour, Seattle WA
4-5 Phinney Winter Festival, Seattle WA
4-5? Glass Quest Winterfest, Stanwood, WA
4-5? Bazaz Glass Holiday sale, Seattle, WA
Your favorite glassy event isn't here? Send us a note or post it to our moderated Facebook page.
We've simplified the Classes/Resources page. If you offer classes (or want to help someone who does) please see if I have you listed/linked correctly. If you have a specific class coming up please post it to our moderated Facebook page.
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