Featured Artist
Featured Artist
by Elizabeth Steinebach on November 16, 2009
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Jimi Hendrix by Robert Djordjevic
Welcome Robert Djordjevic
Creative Stained Glass Design
How was it that you started working with stained glass?
Stained glass was introduced to me by my father in law. When I lost my job I started painting again to ease the stress of not working. I applied and was accepted in a Government program to start a small business. I knew that painting was not the answer so I asked my father in law to teach me stained glass. He's been doing it for over 20 years so I definitely learned from a true stained glass artist. I fell in love with this new form of art and that's how Creative Stained Glass Design got started.
Where does the inspiration for designs/work come from?
My inspiration comes from my moods or a feeling - I think that's the abstract painter in me - or when a customer gives me a theme or an idea on what they want created. Or if I want to create something different for myself, I draw or doodle pictures until that one picture gives me what I want then I go from there. I get a natural high from certain glass pieces I create. My Jimi Hendrix stained glass is one for example. It's like getting into a groove when things are just going good.
Who influenced you the most, or helped you along the way?
There is no doubt that my father in law helped me on this journey to stained glass. But my creative side is a raw natural talent that took years to learn. And I want to improve and learn on every piece I make. I want to make stained glass pieces like using a brush on a canvas. I'm still pretty new to this and I want to get better on every stained glass I make.
When have you ever been frustrated/disappointed with the material?
What frustrates me is the one piece that I have to cut a few times to get it right especially when the glass I'm using is important to the piece and I'm limited or almost out of that particular glass.
What is your favorite glass and why? How did you use it?
I love the colorful types of glass, iridescent colors along with spectrum baroque glass
creative stained glass designs
by Elizabeth Steinebach on November 16, 2009 Filed Under: NEWS
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Sarah Hall's name is no stranger to the stained glass world. I happened to be in Toronto this last Thursday when she spoke at the Ontario College of Art and Design, a collaboration with the Ontario Crafts Counsel as part of their "craft talk" series.
It was an exceptional presentation. The possibility for photovoltaics is really opening up, especially as the world needs to become more energy conscious and efficient.
If simple solar panels - a sample similar to what Canadian Tire sells - are being used to power computers and telecommunications even in the most remote and hostile environments - because the energy of the sun is free and available across all political borders, image what a well thought out design and purposeful placement in an architectural setting could do!
This is more than just windows, entire skins of buildings could be glass covered. Re-think an office tower, which is mostly glass to begin with. Southern exposures could potentially provide substantial energy savings to the building - lighting interiors, stairwells, foyers and the like. The photovolyaic cells becoming part of the overall pattern and design.
Even a simple school's photovolyaic window installation cost less than 1% of the entire project. This recent installation not only demonstrates to the student body, everyday, the magic of the sun, but will have an impact on the buildings energy requirements long into the future.
I think it would be prudent for all stained glass artists to start familiarizing themselves with this amazing technology. I believe there is a podcast of this presentation available, either through the OCAD or the OCC. Will let you know when it's up and running.
by Elizabeth Steinebach on October 31, 2009 Filed Under: NEWS
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Happy Halloween and welcome to November!
It is difficult express how excited I am at receiving a wonderful package from Robert Jekyll. In it were a huge collection of Lead Line Magazines starting from the inaugural issue, April 5th, 1977 - completely typewriter written, as are the next 4 or 5 issues, then, right up to about 2000. They are a delight to read. The quality bond paper of the first issue, is just yellowing evenly now, showing thoughtful reflections of the stained glass happenings of the time.
As I continue to get each paged scanned digitally, issues will become part of the Artists in Stained Glass archive. To encourage exploration of these future additions to the website, I'll be sharing some tidbits as I go. So - from humble beginnings - the membership list from April 1976:
Ulrich Beier, Clive Blewchamp, Carol Dunsford, John Foley, Ira Ginsburg, Martha Henry, Robert Jekyll, A.A. MacDonald, Karen Morris, John Stonkus, Jack Taylor, Denise Therrien, James Tompkins and rounding out the group - Yvonne Williams, at number 14.
I know where Robert is, and it's been a few years since touching base with Carol Dunsford and sadly I know that Yvonne Williams has past, but what of the others?
Please let me know where any of these stained glass pioneers are.
Exhibitions:
Turtle Creek Art Glass - Eleanor Brownbridge
Saturday, November 14th
BlueShores Club House at 28 Waterfront Circle, Collingwood. 10am – 4pm.
Thursday, November 26th to Monday, November 30th.
ONE OF A KIND Christmas Show and Sale, Direct Energy Centre, CNE, Toronto.
booth R29 for the first five days of the show only.
December 2nd to January 2nd
WINTER'S GIFT at the Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts, 163 Huron St., Collingwood.
Installations:
Sarah Hall Studios - more info Sarah Hall Studios
I am happy to share our new solar art glass windows at Grass Valley Elementary School in Camas, Washington. The school will host an official opening on October 28, 2009. This colorful project for the main stairwell presents solar energy in an imaginative, joyful way for the students. Rainbow projections fill the space and the glass spiral of LED's (connected to solar panels) glow brighter when there is more sunshine.
Laya Crust and I are pleased to announce a 2009 Design Award from IFRAA (American Institute of Architects) for our triptych "I Will Bless You" created for the Beit Knesset of Union for Reform Judaism, New York City.
Great news from our friends at the Stained Glass Association of America
The Stained Glass Association of America would like to invite the members of Artists in Stained Glass to join them in Kansas City!
Summer Conference - June 28th-30th, 2010 Kansas City Missouri
The Stained Glass Association of America is extending their member's rate to all members of Artists in Stained Glass. Early member registration is only $200.00 until December 31th, 2009.
Registration fee after January 1st is $250.00 and after April 1st is $275.00.
To take advantage of $75.00 savings - call toll free from Canada, 1 800 438-9581 before the end of the year - just make sure your membership with Artists in Stained Glass is current and in good standing. More conference information at the SGAA website, it sounds like a great conference line-up. Hope to see you there!
by Elizabeth Steinebach on October 14, 2009 Filed Under: NEWS
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Sue Firpo - New work using vintage Bullseye glass
Welcome Sue Firpo.
How was it that you started working with stained glass?
I started with a class about 16 years ago. A friend of mine asked me to donate the first window that I made to a school auction. The piece was a hit and got bid up at the auction. I got a lot of feedback from the people at the auction that made me think that I should continue making stained glass. A couple of years later, I did a trade with someone. I made them windows and they made me a website. The website sort of took off and I transitioned from a stained glass hobbyist to a stained glass professional.
Where does the inspiration for designs/work come from?
Architecture. I have a degree in architecture and have my own design practice as well as the stained glass business. Many of my patterns are inspired from my travels while I was an architecture student in the 1980's. I studied overseas and many of my stained glass patterns are derived from tile patterns or stucco patterns that I saw on the walls, floors, and ceilings of the buildings that I visited .
Who influenced you the most, or helped you along the way?
I am really drawn to the work that I see by the stained glass artists from the late 1800's and early 1900's, especially La Farge and Tiffany.
But really, on a day to day basis, I am influenced by all of the people that I have taken classes and workshops from, and by all of the people that I have had work with me in my studio.
When have you ever been frustrated/disappointed with the material?
I haven't been disappointed, but I do think that it is very challenging to use stained glass in an interior installation. I mean… an installation not lit by natural light. An interior piece needs to be creatively lit and well lit in order for the glass to show well. I find artificial light incredibly challenging. And since, I do a lot of intricate patterns that use a lot of lead and copper foil, light really needs to wash one whole side so that the glass glows. Otherwise, the lead/foil lines can take over and the piece can come off looking heavy or a bit "leady".
What is your favorite glass and why? How did you use it?
I love glass with depth and texture. I use a lot of Youghiogheny stipple glass for art glass and Lambert's makes a mouth blown cathedral glass that really looks antique because it has so much depth to it.
But here is my most recent spectacular glass "score"… A few months ago, I bought a truck load of old Bullseye glass from someone who used to work there in the 1970's. She was clearing out the barn on her property where she had been storing the glass for all those years. She said most of the sheets were products of experiments as the company was perfecting their methods of glass making. The glass is absolutely gorgeous with tons of mottling and rich deep colors and unusual blue-gold-aquas. Bullseye doesn't make most of this glass anymore ( though I recognize some that they still do make), though it all has very distinctive Bullseye characteristics to it.
by E Steinebach on September 12, 2009 Filed Under: NEWS
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Self Portrait by Scotty Giffen
How was it that you started working with stained glass?
The year was 1979, I took a weekend Workshop Class in `Stained Glass', taught by Karen Krupa at our local Community College. We started by designing something on the Saturday morning then moving onto cutting glass and leading our little panel by Sunday afternoon. I was hooked, for the next 30 years I've been creating my version of Stained Glass. And teaching, sharing my love of this medium.
Where does the inspiration for designs/ work come from?
I've worked as a Professional Artist for 25 years or so, upon being hit by the Stained Glass bug, I returned to school (both College and University) to study Art and Design for 4 years.
While attending school I started my apprentiship with stained glass at a local stained glass company `Edwards Glass` London, Ontario, Canada. After 6 years of doing, learning every aspect of glass work, I left and opened my own Glass Studio. Work comes from commissions, either as a Memorial Church window, or a private residential piece. I respond to each of these commissions by looking at where the window will be installed, and finding out from the client what the idea's or wishes are. I supply small sketches until we arrive at something that works. Then I draw the design to full size. In my own art work, my inspiration comes from where I'm at ! What interest's me, what's exciting me at this time, what am I thinking about, reading, researching? etc. Lately its been about `Energy within us' and how to express this in a Painting using Glass or Canvas.
Who influenced you the most, or helped you along the way?
The Thousand Year History of Stained Glass (book). In the beginning of my learning about Stained Glass, I joined AISG. They, at the time offered courses with Masters of Stained Glass. I took everone I could afford. That introduced me to the Ideas and Techniques of Paul Marioni, Patrick Reytiens, Robert Jekyll. Of course, he was the founder and inspiration of AISG. I also took class's and Workshop's with Narcissus Quagliata, Richard Millard, Kenneth Von Roen, Lutz Haufchild. Peter McGrain, to `name` only a few of the best ones.
When have you ever been frustrated/ disappointed with the material?
I have never been frustrated by the medium. Working with Glass and fellow lovers of the Stained Glass Medium has been a thrilling adventure, full of challenges. It's taken me places I once only dreamed of.
What is your favorite glass and why? How did you use it?
Antique Glass, Flashed or Handmade Glass because it is quality glass. Someone created the glass by eye, hand and experience. It's `not` the same old piece produced by machines.
You can see it and experience it in everything I've ever created. I especially enjoy flashed glass because of the different effects that can be produced.
Thank You ! Scotty Giffen. September 2009.
See more of Scotty's work in the Members Gallery - Thank you Scotty.
by Elizabeth Steinebach on September 5, 2009 Filed Under: NEWS
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September is staring off with a flurry worth of busy!
AISG member Sue Obata, wrote:
The Historic Alton Mill is now open in Alton, Ontario near Orangeville. The Mill has been restored and now serves as a centre for artists' studios, art galleries and a small museum. I am currently part of an exhibition in the Alton Mill Gallery until September 20th. For more information you can check:
Congratulations Sue! Hope to see a photo or two?
Word of another conference:
GAAC Conference
Initiated by the Board of Montréal Museum Directors (BMMD), glass will be the theme of choice for more than twenty Montréal Museums' exhibitions and activities, in 2010. From architectural, artistic, environmental, historical, scientific glass, etc., each of the museums will depict different aspects of glass. As of April to December 2010, there will many glass themed exhibitions, demonstrations, movies, lectures and activities.
Simultaneously, Espace VERRE will organize and host the Canadian Glass Art Association of Canada Conference, from May 26-30th, 2010. International glass artists such as Lucio Bubacco (Italy), Sylvia Levenson
(Italy), Anthony Schafermeyer (USA), Clifford Rainey (USA), and world renowned Canadian glass artists such as Susan Edgerley, Sarah Hall, Peter Powning, Donald Robertson and Tyler Rock have already confirmed. On May 2010, a glass fashion show, hosted by Laura Donefer, combining glass artists and fashion designers will be the culmination of the conference.
Registration for pre and post conference workshops have begun on September 1st, 2009.
Contact: Catherine Piazzon, Catherine Piazzon
"MENFOLK": an exhibition of stained glass by Debora Coombs
"I am trying to explore the world that lies behind the threshold of language. My series of stained glass panels titled Menfolk, attempts to unravel the emotional complexity of ‘maleness' from youth to old age."
Debora Coombs will be exhibiting Menfolk, a series of richly painted stained glass panels at the Cochrane Theatre Gallery, London WC1 from October 8th to Nov 29th 2009; and at the Stained Glass Museum at Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire, England from Jan 2nd to Feb 14th 2010.
Last, but not least:
I have had an email from Katei Gross, from the Stained Glass Association of America. She has some very good news for AISG members, which unfortunately will have to be a secret for a few more days, as I unravel some computer software compatibility issues. The news will be posted here first and copies will be sent to all users.
cheers!
by Elizabeth Steinebach on August 27, 2009 Filed Under: NEWS
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Whew, at last, the American Glass Guild Summer Conference, opening day.
No wonder Michael and I were exhausted. All the extra stuff we managed to see before the start of the conference and staying up late watching the latest installment of Harry Potter, at the local cinema. But here it was, the kick off day to the AGG conference.
I bumped into Vic Rothman and Gene Mallard playing around with the bits that were to become the members exhibit matrix. The days first glitch showed up almost immediately, the frames were too tall to fit under the mezzanines covered walkway. The mezzanine opened to the atrium, overlooking the restaurant below and had great indirect sunlight. Hmmm. There was another walkway, just perpendicular to this, but it was a dead end and served as an additional exit, for the ballroom adjacent. The decision had to be made for this to work. So with almost half of the gallery tucked into a very narrow space where people had to jostle around a bit, the only saving grace was the morning light, which flooded in on Saturday morning. The area could get so congested, that Barbara Krueger put out orange pylons for pedestrian and artwork safety.
The opening of the conference was both a great idea and a quirky disaster. It seemed that not many people had arrived for the 1:00 pm opening address. Art Femenella greeted everyone , gave a few tangents about the various auctions and then Art started to lead the group with a meet and greet.
What should have been a short greeting, became a lengthy meandering, where the microphone was passed around, for everyone to say a bit about themselves. Art started us off with - your name and the studio or place you work for, the usual short quip, then he also asked that you include the type of work you do and where you came from, and then adding, how you got started in glass, and then maybe add something about what did you expect from the conference and … just about anything else you felt was important to share.
Well, I heard later that this exercise worked well at the last conference. But this time it was like the energizer bunny got hold and it went on and on and on and on and on. People were getting up and taking a bathroom break or going for coffee. It was going on so long that by the time the microphone got round to the back of the room, at least a dozen late people had time to arrive. This went on so long that it bumped the opening presentation back an hour and a half.
By that time it left the presenters with no sense of timing. Made it completely mandatory for them to hang around, not exactly sure when they would go on or how much time they would have left, to actually present. You could hear the frayed nerves and fatigue in many of the speakers voices, only compounded now by the technical difficulties of dimming house lights, not having a lamp for speakers to read notes, which meant lights on too bright to see slides well or too dark, so the speaker was fumbling with notes and most infuriating issue, pointers and slide advance devices, that did not work. This is not how the caliber of Patrick Reyntiens, Robert Jekyll, Barbara Derix or Bronwyn Hughes should be treated.
By the time everyone spoke, I 'd guess it was about sixty people in all, I could count on one hand the number of truly professionally trained stained glass people that started that way. Again and again it was the studio in the garage, in the basement, spare bedroom, that was the starting point. Making things for family, for friends, when someone came along with a job too big or too good to refuse. Then the need for learning more showed up and by guess or by gosh, the work improved, expanded, grew.
In any organization there is a hierarchy, from those just starting, usually at the bottom, to those wrapping up or finishing their careers, at the top. With any industry, including an artistic one, there are egos and businesses posturing for more than their share of attention. In ours, it's usually the church commission, or some other extraordinarily large installation that is our measure for greatest accomplishment. What was demonstrated with the microphone being past around, was that there were a lot of self taught people, a lot of small studios and a lot of people looking to increase their skill set. If you really paid attention, this exerise spoke to the hard work of the small studio worker/owner and less to the random glory and past history of large studios.
So for those of us still tucked in your one man studio thinking conferences are for the "big" guns of stained glass, you are very misinformed. The "old" studios have the history because they have been around a long time. "Big" studios get big commissions because they have the manpower and need to make big bucks to keep every one employed. And if you weren't at this years conference you wouldn't have met Barbara Derix to know what she and her firm, can do for you.
Then there are cliques, every business or industry has them. It doesn't just play out here at the AGG, but it's seen at the SGAA and most every stained glass forum. The incredible focus on this one little aspect of the business, be it fusing, painting, beveling…whatever, to the exclusion of anything else glass. We really need to remember what is good for one glass person is good for us all. And what better way than learning about different things that are going on with glass, but at a conference?
I think all the speakers were relieved to get there presentations behind them. Some cut them a bit short by choice, others by the moderator. Breaks were shortened as was the dinner break. Things seemed to pull themselves back into some order for the members slide show. This seems much improved from previous years, meaning more than just a few members participated. However the audience had to rely on each other to recognize someones work and something of how it was made or where it was installed. A few members were actually there and could speak to their work. However just as things were going to wrap up, it was mentioned that at least two members had submitted images that did not make it into the show. Then rumblings from a few others, that they had images and could they still be included. The decision was made to reconvene the following night and try again. I personally didn't go back.
I support the AGG, but if you don't notice the warts, they only spread. Art went out of his way to ask for the conference feedback surveys, because the AGG executive know that they need member feedback in order to get better, get direction and ultimately increase membership, so as to survive. The feedback in the past has been so limited, so as for the AGG to offer a discount on next years conference fees, in a lottery of those surveys returned, in order to get that information. So it is vitally important to let them know what you thought.
I'm pretty sure that the speakers individual monographs will be available in the future. It certainly won't be the same without the slide shows and other devices of entertainment, you really missed something of Ken Leap's Lawrence Saint. Conferences are what you make of them, social networking, learning a new skill, having new thoughts and ideas that come from sharing, I hope you are encouraged to attend the conference in the future.
by Elizabeth Steinebach on August 25, 2009 Filed Under: NEWS
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Thank you for the great feedback!
I hope there is more coming. The dialogue has started and it is looking good.
First some housekeeping. Jason has changed the newsletter feature of AISG to include a - user friendly- reply option. As many of you noticed, you had to go to the website to find my contact information. Thanks to all who persevered. I know it took a bit more of your time, but many of you checked the website out and gave feedback about it as well, which was greatly appreciated.
Second, some back ground. I almost met David at the AGG conference in Buffalo this year. It was timing and circumstance that didn't allow us quite to chat in person. Part of the next initiative for AISG is to electronically capture the AISG Leadlines. For those that are not familiar with these, they were the quarterly published magazine that AISG created in it's early years. They should be made available, in a search-able format so everybody can enjoy the interesting articles, but more importantly, see some exceptionally great Canadian Stained Glass. I knew that David was a past member and so I contacted him, asking if he had any copies that he might share.
It was during these email exchanges that David mentioned that while at the AGG conference, he was either approached or did the approaching, to the AGG executive, about the possibility of a Canadian conference.
As an aside, Vic Rothman (AGG) and I have been chatting about this possibility, since the Rhode Island conference. And it has been my personal wish to see a Canadian conference since I took the stewardship of the AISG on. However the priorities for AISG required a website overhaul and increasing the membership, before I could even imagine tackling the idea of a conference.
And so, here is the opportunity. David, who just simply asked me, to ask the membership if there was any interest in a Canadian conference. All he wanted was a show of interest. Like any good creative project, sometimes you just need to percolate with all the possibilities, before an action is taken.
So for all of you, as excited at this prospect as I am, please use the the forum to share your thoughts and ideas. The canvass is still blank and we just need to keep the creative juices flowing and feed the possibility.
Some other issues on the table: David is not a current AISG member, though he certainly has been in the past. Our membership is still very small, it is not going to be able to support a conference on it's own, we are going to need a lot of outside support. This looks like it will be from the American Glass Guild. The AGG usually have a host at the conference city, usually a local stained glass studio. As this is David's idea and initiative, AISG can only play a supportive role.
Personally I know a stained glass conference in Canada would be a very good thing for our local industry. It would generate a lot of interest in stained glass on many levels, from the wholesaler right up to the public commission. I hope you step up and help David get this off the ground.
by Elizabeth Steinebach on August 13, 2009 Filed Under: NEWS
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My stained glass buddy, Tod Beall sent me this link last night. It looks like Blenko had a great event.
by Jason Peter Brown on August 12, 2009 Filed Under: MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, TULL CRAFTS, VIDEOS
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I just found these great stained glass musical instruments on YouTube, made by Tull Crafts [i=(AISG has no affiliation with Tull Crafts, nor do we endorse their products or services. I just thought these videos were a neat example of a different use of stained glass).
I'm also just testing out a new feature of our website software that will allow us to embed YouTube videos, so this post might be temporarily broken while I get things working! Woohoo! worked first try!
Glockenspiel:
Gong