Jennifer McCurdy - Ceramic Artist

Ceramic artist Jennifer McCurdy lives on the island of Martha's Vineyard. She has been working with porcelain for over twenty five years. For the last few years, she has been working with structural questions. How thin can the high fire porcelain be before it collapses in the fire? How much can it be cut away and still maintain structural integrity? How can the structural form be integrated with the visual, as in nature? How can the movement of the potter's wheel and the fire of the kiln be reflected in the finished piece, which is rock-hard and permanent?

These pieces feel effortlessly light and airy. It appears as if the experiments are creating a stunning result.

Lynn Latimer - Glass Artist

“I’m very interested in line quality and detail, how the glass moves, and how to draw with these elements in the design process,” says Lynn Latimer. Several of the glass colors “strike” when heated, yielding a delicate fine brown contrasting line where pieces touch. “It lends another subtle bit of definition that I really like and work with in most pieces.” When this level of detail is achieved there is an intimacy, an invitation to study the glass up close, to follow where edges strike, bend, press into one another and shift colors. “If I’ve done my job right the glass draws you in and offers a deeply satisfying visceral experience: it’s enlivening.”

From a long process of spontaneous and experimental fusing tests, delicious “aha” moments are extracted, studied, expanded upon, and put to work, yielding a diverse, richly colored and patterned series of contemporary freestanding glass panels.

Richard Parrish - Glass Artist/Architect

As an artist and an architect, I find inspiration in both the human-made environment and in the vast landscape of the American west where I grew up. I am fascinated by the juxtaposition of the constructed and natural environments, which I often explore in my work. I find that it is critical to my existence to make things with my hands, using real materials. I focus on the integration of meaning, design and technique in my glasswork and in the classes that I teach. I am particularly interested in the interaction of light and color in the environment and in my own work.
-Richard Parrish

Thelermont Hupton - Designers

Thelermont Hupton’s products and furniture have become recognisable through their willingness to reflect social conventions and peculiarities, and their strong visual identity and sometimes surprising functionality. The products are ingrained with the mark of well considered, bold and inevitably lively design.
Both Thelermont and Hupton arrived in the design world via the route of cabinet making and furniture design. They continue to celebrate this medium and build upon their catalogue of projects and products within this field. The emphasis of the furniture design process remains firmly on creating and maintaining a strong visual presence while accommodating the essentials of comfort and functionality demanded by both the domestic and contract market.
At the same time, they have discovered that product design provides a route through which to convey and express their visual commentary in objects. This satisfies their urge to reflect influences that do not initially appear to have their roots founded in design with thoughtful, challenging and useful pieces that are capable of winning acclaim and sales within the critical and serious retail marketplace. Their products are now stocked worldwide.
(text taken from www.thelermonthupton.com)

* Sneak Preview *

These three pieces, originally thought of in terms of hanging on a wall, came alive once I set them in stands meant for pedestals. It just goes to show how often the glass surprises me even after I have an idea what it's all about.

A touch of "dichroic glass" gives these otherwise subtle pieces real kick. Light hits the dichro and simply dances within the glass. It kinda has to be seen to be believed.

These pieces (plus 97 more) will be a part of my solo exhibition, GLASS: Contemporary Fusion. For more details, please read the previous post.

100 Pieces of Glass - Oh my!

I'm prepping my first Solo Exhibition that will take place during the month of July. It's at the Burbank Creative Arts Center with an opening reception on July 9th from 7-9pm. This is an image of my promotional mailer that's just back from the printer.

I'm providing 100 pieces of Glass Art. 65 wall-hanging pieces and 35 free-standing pieces. Mostly fused pieces, but a few throwback stained glass windows and mosaics. If you're at all interested in attending the reception, let me know.

Tastes of my latest pieces

This is a sampling of some of the works I've been producing lately. I've been extremely busy prepping for a solo exhibition of my Glass Art. I've been asked to present 100 pieces of Glass. From July 9th until the 29th, my artwork glass will represent Burbank Creative Arts Center's first delving into the Glass World. Needless to say, I'm thrilled.

My stock had about 60 pieces and after culling through them, I've set a few aside as "Retired." I've been making tons of new pieces, ones I'm pretty thrilled with. With that being said, with a few months to go, I've got about 70 I'm happy with. 30 to go!

Deciding how to hang each piece has been a challenge to say the least. Glass, in its very essence, is heavy, fragile, delicate. Deciding how each piece is going to hang individually from the one next to it is almost as big a challenge as physically producing the pieces.

The next few months are going to be amazing!