Leaf by Leaf

The update on my studio— still delayed! While we wait for a new timeline from the builder, I'm keeping busy with some smaller projects. I was able to install some sidelight windows for a client a few weeks ago— you can see a photo on my Instagram. I have 5 other commissions that are in the design phase, waiting for clearance from Clarence; I'm hoping to move forward with them soon. In the meantime, I have a project which is just about perfect for this phase of my studio transition. I am having a wrought iron railing built for my studio by a talented metal worker, Josh Smith of The Metaled Company, who I worked with a few years ago to make a chandelier for the Burke Arts Council (here's a blog post about that). The railing will look like a tree and has a lot of leaves which I am creating glass inserts for. If you look carefully at the photo above, you can see that each metal leaf has been forged and hammered for interesting texture. That means that each glass piece needs to be custom fit for each leaf! It takes a lot of time but they are coming together. And since they are small and I only need a glass cutter and grinder, I can work on them in the smallest amount of space— hooray!

The details are always what take the longest— whether it's glass leaves or house construction— but when they're done right, their beauty is everlasting.