New Trends in Indoor/Outdoor Art

In the recent past I have been given several projects which have challenged me to accommodate my clients wishes in having old pieces of stained glass transoms rebuilt. Their desire to have these pieces fit both inside and outside locations are intriguing and have given me a chance to research early art pieces to get a better idea of both the effect of glass which is lit from behind and the same piece in the evening with indoor light. Any of you who have watched the show "Salvage Dawgs" can relate to the kind of pieces that have been brought to me. Many of them are missing pieces of glass, the leading is missing or the frame is so rotted that it is amazing they even got to my shop in one piece. Although these may seem like crazy projects to take on, I have willingly agreed to work on no less than 6 of these over the next six months. In one case, I have been given a box with 6 lbs. of glass in it and a picture of the object that it used to be. There are approximate dimensions for this piece, but nothing else. I am fully aware that there is a good chance not all the glass made it into the box, or that this glass may not be manufactured anymore. In spite of this I have agreed to take on the task. The client will be stopping in from time to time to check on my progress and to "tweek" it as we go. I'm really quite eager to start these and will try to update as the progress permits. Wishing you the best this Holiday Season and a Hope for a Prosperous New Year

Catching Up

As I sit down to look over this blog, I realize that I am severely behind on it. We have had a very busy first half of 2013 and with local sales of my glass garden art and a full music schedule as well, it was decided that I was not ready for internet sales. I continue to create the stepping stones as a hobby and thoroughly enjoy the time creating. Each of the stones weighs approximately 30-35 lbs. and so shipping these creations makes the price somewhat restrictive to many who have shown an interest. This was another reason for not creating an internet outlet for them. In spite of this, sales have been very good and we will continue on with this at a local level for now. Thanks to everyone who has shown an interest. Please respond to this blog if you would like more information.

New Beginnings

I am very excited to let you know that very soon I will be starting a business using much of the garden art glass items I have made and placed around my property for many years. As I entertain guests and invite people into the gardens to see what is growing, I have been encouraged by many over the years to share the craft of glass stepping stones. Since retiring from teaching, I have had quite a bit more time to devote to this hobby and so now I will begin offering the stones and other "garden art". Along with the stepping stones, there will also be outdoor garden twirlers and sticks. Many of these I have pictured on some of the older posts on this website. With each new year comes different creations along with some of the "tried and true" ones I have had for many years. This is all outdoor glass. In the past 20 years, I have refurbished glass items for the home as well including transoms, windows and sidelights. With the current trend towards saving historical buildings in their original state, this has become very popular and one of my favorite work assignments. I once had a client bring me a box of glass she had in her attic. When I asked her what this had been, she dug down in the box and found a picture of the transom where it had originally been in her uncle's home. Her intent was just to give me the glass to use, but after discussing the contents of the box and the picture, we decided to rebuild the transom. The "new" transom hangs between her dining room and parlor - keeping a window to the past of the memory of her uncle's old home. As I get closer to the launch date, I will provide a link to the website where you can see some of my work, order glass items or contact me with a special project you have in mind.