Newsletter: Fall 2017
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Decorate With Glass
Let's face it, you probably wouldn't be reading this if you weren't already somewhat enamored of glass. As a medium its variable light transmission, range of colors and durability lead artists to create an enormous range of beautiful yet functional work for the home. While few of us collect glass on the scale of the home shown at right, there are lots of ways to fit more glass into our lives. Below are some ideas. If you have other tips or resources to offer please post them to our moderated Facebook page.
Coordinate and unify: "It's all about color and what makes you comfortable" said my friend Susan, a woman who fits a lot of original art into her small home. "By coordinating groupings you can display a lot of art without the space looking cluttered". She makes her space seem completely transformed simply by re-arranging her collection once or twice a year. "Unify small items by arranging them on a tray or cloth. Group objects by a shared characteristic like color, shape, texture etc." advises Becky Ducsik, interior designer and owner of the Phinery in Seattle. Artists who sell their work may find that showing smaller items in a pleasing arrangement may encourage people to buy several pieces at once. |
Measuring 44" x 120.6" x 2.6" the Confluence Table is a Bullseye Studio project commissioned by contemporary glass collectors and owners of a private residence in SW Portland, Oregon. It combines custom kilnformed and hand-finished glass by Bullseye Studio, a kiln dried hardwood slab hand-finished by MADE, and a custom metal base by Flux Design. Artwork by Jessica Loughlin (left) and Emily Nachison (above). (Photo and caption courtesy of Bullseye Studio )
David Smith's* colorful blown bowls appear as a larger unit when assembled on a tray (ceramic by Juneberry Pottery)
*an artist on the FriendsInGlass-sponsored Glass And Decor studio tour Oct 21-22 |
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Lighting matters:
A fellow glass artist grinned as she told me about her cousin spotting a piece among the artist's stack of "learning experiences" and asking to take it home. Mounted on the cousin's wall with good lighting, the cast-off was transformed into a high-end art piece. Lighting is one of the most important elements of displaying your glass. With today's technology you have lots of options, from traditional picture-lights to all sorts of LED configurations. Hanging a stained glass panel to block out an unwanted view is fairly common. Even here lighting is important: the brilliant cathedral glass on the south side of a house, which the person in the room sees as back-lit, will often look too dark on the north side where it never gets direct sun. Streaky or opalescent will show better than cathedral when the two sides of a window are lit about the same or the viewer is on the side with more light. The same "which side has the light" holds true for interior screens or panels in doors.
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Tropical plants and lizards hide the view in this copper-foiled piece by Lael Bennett* of Glass Expressions.
Fused glass interior screen by Joan Bazaz blocks views but passes the light.
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The art glass can also be at the source of the light: lighted bases, glass shades, sconces and ceiling fixtures are just a start.
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Lamp lovers note: Covenant Art Glass in Everett is starting their Tiffany-style lamp class September 30th - May, usually every-other Saturday, except in December.
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Attaching your glass to the wall
Sometimes you can simply frame flat pieces and hang them like a painting. (Northern Hardwood in Minnesota may be a resource for you if you can't find something at your local glass/craft store). Acrylic and metal stands can be attached to the wall to hold more dimensional pieces. I've learned from experience that you want to take your bowl with you when picking a stand (both Seattle Pottery Supply and NW Art Glass are participating in this month's coupon to give a discount on display items, see bottom of page). If you aren't adverse to gluing something to the back of your glass you can make/buy French cleats or choose a more specialized system: "Hang Your Glass", the phrase which comes to mind, is trademarked and refers to a wide range of special patented clever devices which are glued to your glass and slipped into a receiving metal socket (they're participating in this issue's coupon so you can get a discount to try them yourself). Another company produces "Adjustabail" , a carefully shaped set of interlocking transparent plastic pieces in a range of sizes (these folks are based in the UK but US orders ship from the eastern US so shipping is not expensive). |
Hang Your Glass has good illustrations to help you pick the best type of hanger.
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Off the wall
For smaller pieces, most stained glass and craft supply shops carry some stands (see the coupon for discount). Chris Lemmen in Seattle and Display Art Stands in Tigard OR will make custom stands if you haven't got a local blacksmith. A simple wooden stand may also be an option. If you can't buy a stand and don't have a handy welder or carpenter, stands for larger pieces can be fabricated from soldered copper pipe or screwed together from square aluminum stock (onlinemetals.com is on the south side of the Ballard Bridge: Seattle folks can pick up instead of paying shipping)
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Steph Mader makes her own wooden stands.
Portland Artist Bob Heath was able to use the stand from a purchased table for this 20" sand-carved, painted, and copper-gilded table. It may be at his studio during Portland Open Studios October 14-15 & 21-22
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Not every home has space to display a large dimensional glass piece like the "Confluence Table", but if you do happen to need help creating a large table, Bullseye Studio in Portland and Seattle Stained Glass in Seattle are willing to fabricate larger pieces for artists. If you know of other resources please post them to our Facebook page or fill out the form at the bottom of the classes/resources tab
Even if you really don't have display space you can still add functional glass: innovative kitchen/tableware, handles on serving-ware, bottle stoppers, table and counter tops, sinks, showers, lamps and lighting, wall/window screens, back-splashes, cabinet doors, benches, knobs ... what else can you imagine?
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A windowsill full of glasses like these from Marcia Wiley* is both decorative and functional
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Stan Price of Covenant Glass created this fused glass sink for a client
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(We'll do a survey of outdoor possibilities in the spring issue: please send in images and suggestions)
Karen Seymour, Editor
What's New?
Connie Munford has a new series of glass birds to show off at the Glass and Decor Studio tour October 21-22
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Joan Bazaz is developing a new line of glass chandeliers
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Seattle Mosaic Arts is just finishing some large (about 3' x 6' tall) panels for Childrens Hospital in Seattle.
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How'd They Do That?
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"Play" the image at right to see kiln loads in the construction of Karen Seymour's* 16.5" square x 3/4" thick solar flare table top, inspired by a NASA photo. Yes, I take photos of everything before shutting the lid but I'm usually too excited to remember to take another one when I open the kiln again so you'll have to infer the "after". (Metal stand by Chris Lemmen)
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I don't want to hog the limelight: I only show my work when I can't get images from anyone else. There are far too many of my images in this issue. Please share your own info, photos/video essays etc. for the enlightenment of the community and a bit of free publicity (we're over 200 subscribers now). Thanks in advance for your help. Karen Seymour, editor
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Fires and floods this year have left a lot of folks unable to continue to create. CERF+ tries get them set up and working again. Donate directly on their website, cerfplus.org or at site #1 on the Glass And Decor studio tour Oct. 21-22
If you know someone who needs help there is a form to apply for monetary aid as well as a lot of practical advice on their website under the "get relief" tab. For the rest of us who haven't yet suffered disaster they have lots of "get prepared" advice. (if your glass-related event will be collecting for CERF+ or a similar organization let me know and I'll append it here) |
Announcements & Events
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Sept. 28-Oct. 1 Local 14 Art Show and Sale, Portland OR
Oct. 7 NW Art Glass free Demo day, Redmond WA Oct. 14-15 & 21-22 Portland Open Studios, Portland OR Oct. 21 Pilchuck Auction Gala, Seattle, WA (get tickets before they're gone!) Oct. 21-22 Glass and Decor studio tour, Seattle WA (the artists shown here with an * are participating, plus more) Oct. 21-22 & 28-29 Philomath Open Studio Tour, Philomath OR Nov. 1 DEADLINE for submission of ornaments and info for holiday issue of FriendsInGlass.org newsletter Nov. 4-5 Handmade Tile and Art Festival, Seattle WA Nov. 4-5 NW Artists Holiday Sale, Seattle WA Nov. 11-12 Oregon Glass Guild Open Studios, mostly Portland OR Nov. 11-12 Best of the Northwest art and fine craft show, Seattle WA (subscribe to their newsletter for a look at the life of a show artist) Nov. 18-19 Wild Arts (Audubon), Portland OR |
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BLOW YOUR OWN HORN! Get people to your holiday shows!
We need your info and photos. The next newsletter, "Give Glass", and an art-related coupon will be emailed in November. Post your glass events, new work etc. to our moderated Facebook page or email them to us. If you sell your work send a photo of yourself doing glass and 3 images of your art to be in our gallery with a link to your website.
Ornament Competition: by November 1st send us an image (about 400 pixels wide) of a glass ornament you made ([email protected]). We also need: Your name and city/state and, if you sell them, your website or a way to contact you.
We'll publish a variety and the 3 winners: Best blown, Best fused and Best "other" (as judged by the 3 of us who edit this) will each receive an ornament from FIG.
We need your info and photos. The next newsletter, "Give Glass", and an art-related coupon will be emailed in November. Post your glass events, new work etc. to our moderated Facebook page or email them to us. If you sell your work send a photo of yourself doing glass and 3 images of your art to be in our gallery with a link to your website.
Ornament Competition: by November 1st send us an image (about 400 pixels wide) of a glass ornament you made ([email protected]). We also need: Your name and city/state and, if you sell them, your website or a way to contact you.
We'll publish a variety and the 3 winners: Best blown, Best fused and Best "other" (as judged by the 3 of us who edit this) will each receive an ornament from FIG.
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Friends In Glass Fall 2017 Coupon Expires October 31st, 2017
Display Your Glass 10% off display accessories** from any of these participating organizations NOT VALID WITHOUT SUBSCRIBER CODE
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Stands etc. at Seattle Pottery Supply
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**The fine print: Coupon can be used only once with any given organization/artist. One size can’t possibly fit all: due to contracts, special agreements etc. the participating organization/artist reserves the right to exempt any particular item from the coupon. Please inquire before attempting to redeem the coupon. Coupon is not transferable, can not be combined with any other discount and has no monetary value.
Copyright Friends In Glass 2017 -- All Images are used by permission and those copyrights are retained by the artists