15 years ago today, my beautiful daughter, Abby, was born. She came into this world, marching to her own beat. One of her favorite phrases as a toddler was, "Abby do that!" Starting my business while my kids were toddlers, I worked before they got up, during naptime and after they had gone to bed. Glass isn't a very kid-friendly medium so in the beginning I kept my work and family pretty separate. Over the years, Abby has started to spend more time with me in my studio, offering her suggestions and even just entertaining me while I work. She also has started coming with me to shows. This photo was taken last night at the Spring art show at the Raritan Bay Medical Center. I have been doing this show for the past 6 years, initially coming by myself, but in the past few years, Abby has come along. She brings her unique charm and sharp eye and makes the night so much more fun. I don't imagine she will follow in my footsteps; she's far too independent for that. But I am so grateful for her big personality and warm spirit. Happy birthday to my sunshine!
The older I get, the more I've realized life is mostly about attitude. One of my clients emphasized this to me over the past few weeks. I had worked on a commission for her in the end of 2015 and then hadn't heard from her. That's not unusual but she had told me she wanted to have me make something else so I was still expecting I might hear from her soon. About a month ago I did, only to learn that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and was undergoing treatment. She said she still wanted me to make something but now what she wanted was a gift for a woman she had met while undergoing treatment. She explained that the woman's diagnosis had been more complicated than her own but she had a very positive attitude and was inspirational to her. My client asked me to create something for her that would incorporate this quote, "It's a great day for a great day!" (a take off from the title of a tv show on HGTV). We discussed the transformative nature of life and decided a butterfly, created in the colors she loves with some pink sprinkled in as a nod to her battle with breast cancer, would be perfect. I've been inspired by her while working on this; I hope it gives her strength and courage on the days she needs it the most to keep fighting.
Thanks again to the Metuchen High School whose supervisor of Music, Art and World Languages, Christine De Simone, gave me another fabulous intern! Last year was my first year offering an internship to a high school student and I had a senior who was motivated, enthusiastic and a perfect fit for my studio. This year I knew there were some big shoes to fill but again I got a great student who is a sophomore and is equally energetic and committed. We have been working together, mostly creating jewelry, which is what she is doing in the picture above. I shared with her some of my trade secrets, one of which you can see in the photo (shhh...cheap hairspray glues together glass pieces when they go into the kiln). As with my previous intern, it is fun to show her new things and to learn from the different perspective she brings. In addition to the internship I offer, students in Metuchen High School are able to work in a number of different local businesses to get a flavor of what goes on behind their doors. It's a great opportunity for the students to get some real life experience and is also a positive experience for the business owners to interact with some terrific kids.
For a number of reasons, we decided to stay home for Spring Break this year. So I scheduled a bunch of "necessary" things-- the dog & cat's vet appointments, dentist appointments for the people, the dog groomer, etc. Once we finished all that, we decided to have some fun! My daughter asked if we could make glass beads so we pulled out the torches and got to work. Even though she's only 14, my daughter has been making beads with me for years and is pretty good at it. We spent a whole day, trying out different color combinations, shapes and techniques. I'm not sure where I will use the beads we made but it was such a fun day and we had a blast spending time together making art
Here's one of the images from my photo shoot last week with David Glasofer of Image Up Studios. I love the way it turned out with the light reflecting off the butterfly's black body and the subtle colors in the wings. Glass is tricky to shoot because the light both transmits through it if it's transparent and reflects off it. Without David's skills, tricks and equipment, getting a good picture is really challenging. This series of 4 butterflies was created with a multi-step process-- each one was fired in the kiln four times at temperatures up to 1500 degrees. I used a product called fiber paper and a technique called kiln carving (which I mentioned in a blog post on March 4). Initially I explored the technique by creating simple shapes and then realized it would be possible to turn those shapes into letters and those letters into words. I made butterflies with the words faith, hope, love and joy. I'm sharing the "Faith" butterfly today as Easter is this weekend and also because a number of my friends just put their kids on a plane, heading to France for a school trip. As parents, we know there's a lot of faith needed each time we let our little butterflies go to spread their wings and fly.
When I first started out in business, I tried to take my own photographs but I soon realized I am not a photographer. I can occasionally take a decent picture but for really high quality images, I need a professional. Lighting is everything in photography and I didn't have the set up, knowledge or tricks of the trade to be able to make a photograph of my work accurately reflect the piece. This week I was at the studio of my friend and favorite glass photographer, David Glasofer. I had created some large glass butterflies with words "kiln-carved" in them-- this one says LOVE but you would never be able to see that if I was the photographer! With lightening, knowledge & Photoshop magic, David snapped, clicked, and edited and in no time, created 4 lovely photos of my pieces. This is especially important to me since most of my work is residential commissions which means they are only seen by the homeowner, their friends, and family. I have been working with David for almost 10 years and he is always careful, patient & professional and because of that, I can share images of my work with pride. If you haven't worked with a professional photographer, I highly recommend it. Next week I'll post a few of the photos he took.
Last week, some friends and I went to Two Buttons, an import store in Frenchtown, NJ owned by Liz Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love, and her husband. We had been a few times before, always enjoying wandering the store which was packed with unique, handmade items they had found on their travels. We were sad that this is probably our last trip, since the store is closing at the end of March, but we were excited to see there were still a number of beautiful things left, including this lovely marble Buddha who I felt needed to be a part of my studio. Initially I wanted a larger one to place outside in my yard but I decided I would get to spend more time with him if he sat on my desk while I was sketching, doing paperwork, or working on my computer. It wasn't until I got him home that I looked at his ears and noticed that his lobes don't match. After learning that earlobes were symbolic of wisdom and compassion of the "Enlightened One," I have to admit, I felt a little disappointed. My Buddha was, at best, half-wise and half-compassionate. And that's when it occurred to me, none of us is perfect. Nothing we make by hand is without a flaw, not even my Buddha. He's doing a pretty good job and manages to look serene all the time; even with just one good earlobe. It makes him even more special to me is that he reflects what I believe: what makes handmade goods beautiful are the unique quirks that come from the makers' hands.
I recently created a small series of glass and copper work, including this piece, titled "Joy." If you receive my email newsletter, you saw a photo of another piece in the series titled, "Square Pegs in Round Holes." (To sign up to receive my newsletter, click here.) I've been working with copper wire inclusions in glass for years and decided that I wanted to take a class in copper sculpture so I looked around and found a really cool place called the Carving Studio, located in a historic marble quarry in Vermont. I decided to fiddle around a bit with copper in anticipation of the class in April. The three pieces in this series are wall sculptures and they feature glass that has been "kiln carved" which is another technique I've been exploring lately- more on that in a future post. What I was playing with, in this piece in particular, was the texture and dimension of both the metal and glass and how they rose and fell and spiraled. I was happy with the way all three of the pieces in the series turned out but when I look at this one, it makes me smile and that's why I decided to call it "Joy." In life we're always seeking balance; I h ope there are some things today that make you smile and bring you joy.
Planning for the 9th annual Junebug Artfest is underway and there is a lot happening behind the scenes already. At our monthly meetings, we catch up on what each team has been working on since we last met and, even though it's only February, things are moving . This month, forms and documents have been revamped and the website has been completely redone. The big news this year is Junebug will now take place on Saturdays (still from 6-10 pm). Our hope in making this change is to make a calmer and safer event that is more convenient for people who work all week to attend. Another exciting change is that we are experimenting with the closure of Main Street for the 3rd night-- June 19th. We are hoping that people who come to the artfest will enjoy strolling without cars on Main St. In addition to the new details, there are a lot of regular logistics to manage with a four night event. I am working to schedule the interactive performers and have a great lineup for a wide variety of interests. Take a look at the website to learn more about the artfest and to find out how you can get more involved. Even though the weather doesn't feel like it, June is fast approaching and we will be ready with the best Junebug yet!
Recently, I was commissioned to create this keepsake box as a wedding present from the groom's siblings. The church where the couple was married is very significant to the bride as her family had been involved with the building of the church. There was a old stained glass window with a memorial inscription painted on it as a dedication to her relatives. I used that stained glass window for inspiration to create this box, painting the bride and groom's wedding date as the inscription. When they give this gift, each sibling is going to write a note to the couple which they will put inside the box along with the wedding invitation. Creating a one-of-a-kind, sentimental gift like this is one of the most satisfying types of commissions for me. I hope the bride and groom cherish it and the thought that went into it; I wish them many years of happiness together.
15 steps-- out my back door, across the deck and I'm in the studio. That means any time of the day or night, in any weather, regardless of what else is going on, I can be in my studio in a flash! That's a blessing and a curse. When I am really busy with commissions, deadlines, holidays, tricky firings in the kiln or other projects, I often take advantage of that convenience. But after a while, it starts to wear me down. Plus, the weather in New Jersey in February is not my favorite. With my husband's birthday the day before mine, we often try to get away for a long weekend to some place warm and this year we chose Key Largo. Although it was a bit cool and windy, we had a blast kayaking, biking, sitting in the hot tub, eating, drinking... all the good fun of vacation. But here was the highlight: we swam with 3 dolphins-- and a bonus 2 babies who we were instructed to ignore since they were still being trained. It filled my heart with such joy to interact with these beautiful animals. The four of us were the only ones in the water (62 degrees-- yikes!) and the trainers let us do some extra tricks with them, probably because it was so chilly and they couldn't believe how excited we all were anyway. Back in the studio again, I am re-energized and starting on a new commission. But sometimes my mind floats away and I am back in that water again, doing tricks with Leo, Brigg & Zoe.
When I have some free time in the studio in between commissions, I love to play around with different products and techniques. A few months ago, I found something called photo fusing paper which allows me to print an image, transfer the image to glass, and fuse it in the kiln. I decided to give it a try with an image of my Dutch grandparents, Oma & Opa, taken in Holland in 1933. (It's noted on the back in my Opa's distinctive handwriting, "Zondag wandeling in Den Haag") I transferred the image onto a piece of vanilla glass and, after firing, it had become a beautiful sepia tone. It turns out this is because the coloring agent in the toner is iron which creates an iron oxide, also known as rust! This technique is a great way to personalize jewelry boxes, holiday ornaments, gifts, and keepsakes. I think the sepia tone makes old photographs especially beautiful.
Whenever an artist invites me to visit their studio, I always accept! I find it interesting to see how they work and what goes on behind closed doors. At an art show in Highland Park, NJ in December, I struck up a conversation with an artist named Ellen Rebarber who has worked in a variety of media-- clay, wool, plaster, stone, wood, glass and metal. Sculptors and glass artists are few and far between so to find another woman who does both felt like winning the lottery. After visiting her studio and talking with her, I feel even luckier. The photo above is of a large copper sculpture she created who stands prominently in her living room (check out her website for many more images). We talked for a few hours-- much of it about kilns, glass suppliers, tools, etc. but we also talked a lot about inspirations, good teachers and learning to conceptualize art as a sculptor. I was so inspired after leaving her studio, I registered for a copper sculpture class that I had been thinking about and began sketching some ideas for a new piece featuring copper and glass. What a pleasure to have gotten to know her and her work better!
One of the nicest parts of having my studio right behind my house is it gives me the ability to move back and forth between work and home life easily. Over the holiday break when my kids and husband were home, I wanted to be around to spend time with them but I also had two projects that needed to be delivered the first week of January. I took advantage of the down time, when everyone was off on their own checking out Christmas gifts or relaxing, to slide into the studio and work on these projects. The one pictured above is for a repeat customer who is hosting her daughter's confirmation party tomorrow. Her daughter wanted to give her guests a small charm that could be hung on a backpack so we developed these butterflies which measure about an inch and a half. Despite their small size, there's a lot of work that goes into each one-- the wings are created separately from the body and then the piece is fused together. After fusing, the black veins and white spots are painted on and the piece is fired one last time. The butterfly is a symbol of so many types of transformation and seems fitting for her confirmation. I hope it's a wonderful day for their family and all the guests go home happy with their little piece of glass art.
photo credit David Glasofer, Image Up Studios
About a month ago, I finished and installed this piece in a customer's home. I had started talking with this client in the summer about his upcoming bathroom renovation. He knew he wanted a stained glass piece to add interest to the space but initially he was considering a geometric design with straight lines and bright colors. As a painter and ceramic artist, he was very engaged in the process of developing and colorizing the designs but the more we explored the ideas, the more he was drawn to a simpler, natural design with hardly any color. Because the bathroom is small, he wanted all the elements to be harmonious and serene. In this window, I used the texture of the clear glass to help fill in the details of the imagery-- the leaf veining and the bark of the tree have texture that helps add interest. The background glass, called "rhubarb," is a very light green that shimmers with a gold-pink that comes from the actual gold that is in the glass! Ultimately, this final design and the glass that he selected keeps his small bathroom feeling very peaceful. In creating custom pieces, getting the design and colors to fulfill what a customer wants is one of the most important parts of the process.
In Central NJ, my hometown of Metuchen is a pretty great place-- it's small enough to walk everywhere and has a cute Main St. with a variety of shops and restaurants. It's a great place to raise a family, be part of an active arts community, and catch trains into New York City. A few towns over is Highland Park which has a lot of similarities but a few differences. It's bigger and sometimes feels slightly more urban and quirky. I was asked by a sculptor friend of mine who lives in Highland Park to participate in an art event at the Lotus Studio, a funky loft space with hardwood floors & giant windows, happening this Saturday, December 12 from 4- 8 pm. It benefits the Highland Park food pantry and is sponsored by the Highland Park Artist Collective. When I brought my artwork to the space earlier this week, I loved the way the loft space felt welcoming and full of great energy! I can't wait to see it filled with art work and I'm excited to get to know this group of artists, many of whom I know only by name. The event is open to the public-- for the very reasonable price of a donation of (at least!) one can of food-- at 431 Raritan Ave. In keeping with the diverse spirit of Highland Park, there will be a Klezmer performance, a flute recital, guitar playing and harp music! Hope to see you there!
The holiday festivities are kicking off this weekend-- I'm really excited and almost ready! Tomorrow night (Saturday, Dec 5) is Eat, Drink & Buy Art in a pop-up store front at 476 Main St. With out group of 15 talented artists, this is one of the highlights of the holiday season. On Sunday, December 6, a first for me, my studio will be part of the Holiday House Tour sponsored by the Borough Improvement League (BIL). It's a "bonus stop" so technically you don't need to buy a House Tour ticket, you can just come & visit (but with 5 lovely homes to walk through, you'll probably want to take the whole tour). I am currently working on a commissioned window for a family in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Metuchen and they have allowed me to have it on display during the tour. I think it's interesting to see a work in progress with all the horseshoe nails holding the lead and glass in place. I look forward to seeing many of you who live locally this weekend-- cheers to the holidays!
My Thanksgiving dishes haven't even been put away but we are charging ahead to one of my favorite nights of the year-- Eat, Drink & Buy Art! Today my partner-in-crime, Judy Weinberg, & I went down to our location to set up the window that announces the show. Our site this year is the old Danfords store-- if you have lived in Metuchen for a while, this probably means something to you. If not, it's located at the corner of Main St. and Route 27, directly across from Borough Hall-- 476 Main St. It's a huge space which allowed us to invite a few more artists this year. We have a very talented, diverse group of 15 artists; you could probably get most of your holiday shopping done in this one night with one-of-a-kind gifts that you won't find anywhere else! Not only is it a good night for shopping, we'll have tasty food from 3 local restaurants and wine. As part of the "Hometown Holiday weekend" sponsored by the Borough Improvement League, we always have a nice turn out. With this beautiful location, a great group of artists, food & drink, this will surely be a night to remember! Hope you can join us!
I have been going to the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ with my family since my kids were little. Back then, they used to race around the sculptures and roll down the hills in between them. Now that they are teenagers, we can take a slightly more civilized approach-- on Tuesday evening, we took a tour of Seward Johnson's Atelier. It was a truly amazing place! The first portion of the tour was centered in the Digital Atelier where we learned how they build models for sculpture through the use of computers and 3-D printing. Then we went into the traditional Atelier where we learned more about Seward Johnson's hand built armatures and mold making. One of my favorite things were all the sculptures that were in the process of being built. Although I tend to like sculpture that is slightly more abstract, I have always been fascinated by how life-like everything Mr. Johnson creates is. They showed us how he takes real clothes and uses a bunch of different products in casting to get the exact texture of the corduroy or cable-knit sweaters. If you enjoy visiting Grounds for Sculpture, I highly recommend taking a tour to see what goes on behind the scenes.
This week, in addition to a window commission that I am wrapping up, I am working on a fun piece that a customer will be giving as a gift. She reached out to me a few months ago with an idea for a friend of her's who she really admires and wanted to let her know how much she values her friendship. She had a creative idea about using her friend's signature as a focal point of a piece of glass art and emailed me to see if that was possible. We went back and forth discussing options and both of us had a great time coming up with interesting, beautiful ways to put this art piece together. The concept we developed was a river with her signature painted on it, flowing through some black stones and splashing water up in the air. She gave me the information on all her friend's family members' birthstones (including the dog!) and I created glass "rocks" for each one of them in the solid color of their birthstone. Additionally, to symbolize the family bond, I layered the different colors of the glass birthstones in my kiln to create other glass stones that have their colors fused together as one. All the stones required me smashing apart the fused glass with a hammer-- hooray for safety glasses! You can see all the different types of pieces in the photo above; hopefully I obscured the signature enough so she doesn't stumble upon it before she receives the gift! Once she has given it to her, I will share the finished photo. I'm really enjoying working on this thoughtful piece.