Still toying with ideas as I cut the glass...

You can start to see a pattern emerging.....

You can see how the two panels are beginning to evolve. This is just beginning of the journey for these two pieces of art. I will continue to post the progress as this commission must be done within the next month. Still more glass designs will be added. An antique Chandler which belonged to the customer's grandmother is being incorporated within as well as antique glass from the Aldridge Hotel in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The historic old hotel located near main street is now turned into a upscale senior living project. When they began the renovation years ago I saw all of the things they were taking out of the hotel to throw away. I asked a gentleman what they were going to do with the old glass and he said.."Do you want it?" and I said "SURE". It is beveled and very thick.

Once the glass has all been cut, each piece will be individually foiled, soldered, then covered with a copper patina process. The end design will look antique, edgy, intricate and elegant. The more you look, the more you will see.....stay tuned!!!

A new commission I am working on..see the stages so far...

Excuse my table...I write, I draw, I sketch, nail, cut, break, and hammer on this table...but hopefully you can see some of the long sheets of glass I was cutting.

These columns were cut for the top and bottom parts of the frame. Isn't the texture of the glass unique? These two panels will be clear crystal in color, with different textures throughout,

The lead crystals will hang loose and dangle within the piece. The crystal pieces and the circular pieces are from an antique chandelier which belonged to the customer of this project.

This is the beginning of laying out the ideas. The two panels will be 20 inches wide and 42 inches in length.

Moving around glass and trying more ideas....

I love this.....I am very pleased....

Don't have a title yet for this design, but I sure had fun creating it. Last year in my "Spirit of the West" solo show I created a large abstract of an Oklahoma Sunset.

I took the same colors of the larger one and created another smaller version.

...more abstract pictures from the same design.

Next year I plan to have cards printed up with designs just like this. I am a letter writer and believe it is one of the last great traditions that is fading fast. Hand written cards or letters just to say "Hello" or bring a smile to someone's face. I would like writing on cards with this design - how about you?

I bought this frame at a antique store way over in the upper NE. I can't remember the state but I remember the freezing temps and snow on the ground.

The edges were of carved wood and I knew someday I would put something special inside its edges.

This sums it up...CURIOUSITY..in seeing something old done in a NEW way....

Thanks to all the people who came by to say hello...(and give me a bathroom break) ;-).... For those that couldn't be there...I felt your positive energy and prayers..everything went very smoothly.

I enjoyed my experience at the Arts Festival. I made some new artful friends, saw so much talent and creativity, and felt proud of what I had created in glass. I had people ask me about glass classes, and commissions. I handed out hundreds of cards. I heard great music playing all weekend long. On the last night the Oklahoma Philharmonic played which is Oklahoma City's premiere orchestra.
It was a very VERY good experience for me. For the most part - people in general - were so curious as to how I had worked with the glass in the way that I do. Stacking it, layering it, extending it out over the frame or leaving spaces in-between....I think it opened up people's minds a little more...(I hope).

In the future I plan to travel across the states and participate in more festivals. To the west - here I come!!!

Enjoy the photos and video and thank you for taking the time to visit my blog.

Setting up...

Just getting everything unloaded and to the area.
Reaching high to get those velcro straps adjusted.

What would I have done without dolly and my great help. You know who you are...God Bless you!

hmmmmm - does that look right to me?????

It took us most of the day to set up on Thursday although when the festival was over, it only took one hour to break it all down...now why is that????
I was making a list of glass pieces that still needed price tags.

Random shots...

One side of my tent wall. I had spotlights on everything, but it still did not do justice for my work. When I brought each piece out in the sun, with light reflected behind....well what can I say but "WOW" !! The light electrifies the colors in any piece. I am already thinking through ideas to get light behind the pieces if I do this again.
Me chilling out...I drank lots of water those three days....well...and a few diet cokes...and yes - a couple of Red Bulls.

Tent view in the morning.

I call this hanging piece of glass art "Teabag". It never did sell, so I am enjoying it some more in my own home. It's price tag was $175.00....interested???

Three lamps on display. Like I had mentioned - I changed the table cloth to white and believe this helped. They looked more interesting the darker it became. I still have these. They did not sale, but know they will eventually. In the meantime...I am enjoying them lit in some rooms in my home.

People gave me new ideas on things to create - like creating leaves in fall colors, making dragonflies, turtles, and snails....hmmmm??????

Tents

The OCCC campus had four tents set up that covered multiple artist's booth. I was drawn to this festival because of their secure set up. I am challenged with winds or bad weather that could break my glass. In this case, we had good weather - with some gentle gusts of wind, but being inside a covered tent, in another covered art tent (mine) - I felt at ease with all my glass hanging.

Red Gold Maze was surprizingly one of the stars of the show....

An angle shot of my booth. Red/Gold near the front.

The next day - hanging near the left. Notice I changed out the black tablecloths for the white ones and it looked better to me. Felt cooler even. Will do this again!

Black tablecloths the first day. Red/Gold Maze got a lot of attention...it was right in the sun most of the days and I believe that might have been key.

This young couple made the final purchase. What a prize piece they obtained. Husband and wife have plans for this dynamic piece in their front room. I was excited for them. Little did they know that while we were finishing out the transaction another man was driving his way back to the festival to purchase it. Too late.

This man had bought another piece of my glass art. When he took it home, put it in the window - he couldn't believe how the color affected the entire room and wanted more. He wanted Red/Gold Maze.

It is all good though and Red/Gold Maze has gone to a good home and the man and I are in discussions about a private commission for his home.

Pretty cool huh? Controlled chaos - contemporary dynamic colors, set in an old antique window frame.

Arts Festival Oklahoma - Video

This shows a little activity at the festival. It was very humid and hot. It was worth walking around and seeing so much talent and creativity.

Some of the artists that I met were:

- Silver Leaf Gems www.silverleafgems.com

(two sisters who make beautiful jewelry in Edmond, Ok.)

- Manchester House of Oils

Bonnie Manchester - Thanks Bonnie for helping me when I got lost in the tents...!!

- Oklahoma Native Art & Jewlery

1316 South Agnew (across from Cattlemen's Steakhouse)

Oklahoma City, Ok.

Beautiful jewelry. Yalonda - thank you for keeping us all on track in Tent 4.

THIS WEEKEND.....

ARTS FESTIVAL OKLAHOMA
THIS WEEKEND....

Come to the Oklahoma City Community College at 74th and South May Avenue in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Click on the top web site to the right column of this window for more specific information.

Be THERE or be SQUARE!!!

Now is the time to take a break - pull yourself away from your worries... and do something different. Say "YES" to a new idea that can bring a little peace and joy into your life...come see lots of great art and meet some great artists too.

This is the first time I have participated in this juried arts festival - although I have come to the festival two years before as an observer and was not disappointed. So far - it seems like a very organized event. This weekend a very diverse display of talent and creativity will be available for you to see. Good food - some great music AND SOME GREAT WEATHER!!!!

The hours are:
Saturday - September 5th - 10:00am - 9:00pm
Sunday - September 6th - 10:00am - 9:00pm
Monday - September 7th - 10:00am - 5:00pm

So for me...that is 29 hours of hanging around, chilling, talking with other artists, fidgeting with my art, reading, talking with people, looking at my art, fidgeting with my art...and the most fun of all "PEOPLE WATCHING"....

So come by and say hello!!! It is great to sell art, but the thing I get the most enjoyment out of is saying hello to old friends and meeting new ones.

Whatever you do - get out and enjoy yourself this weekend....

To all my friends over the PAST ONE HUNDRED YEARS who are celebrating a 100 YEAR REUNION this weekend at my high school Alma mater in Anderson, California - I WILL MISS MEETING YOU AFTER ALL THESE YEARS - GO CUBS!!!
GO ANDERSON UNION HIGH SCHOOL -

God Bless
Jennifer Lynn Farrar

The hanging yellow flowers....have all just SOLD...

I had so much fun creating these. This past year I had two commissions from people who wanted yellow flowers. I had some petals left and thought...WHY NOT...why not make some single hanging yellow flowers that might cheer someone up....yellow always give me cheerful energy...it seems like a homey, kitchen, secure color to me.....

These flowers have all just been sold to a wonderful lady in Alabama-Thank you Diane...

A fish - swimming with other little fish....

This was a glass art piece of an abstract fish that I made a few years ago. IT IS NOW SOLD!!! I can see how my style has evolved over the years. I used tropical colors and the frame has sort of a Hawaiian carving around the edges. I remember when I first started working with glass nine years ago....it was like - give me the supplies I need and let me GO.....

I remember I couldn't cut and break glass fast enough because I was so eager to apply the skills I had learned and get better. What a journey it has been. I hope he finds a good home this weekend.

More angels

These are all handmade. The wings are from broken plates. I matched the gowns with traditional flat glass with colors that matched the plates. Each come with a little silk bag with a hopeful saying inside.

Angels for sale

These angels will be for sale this weekend...the prices range 20-35 dollars. They are all hand made. The wings come from plates I have broken, then I added flat glass that matched the different colors in the plated wings. Each have a wired beaded hanger and come with a little silk bag with a hopeful saying inside.

"No Clothes Required" another show to see this weekend...

Gayle Curry is an artful friend of mine. She has a solo show this weekend in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. These photos show some examples of what she has created. Her solo show is called, "No Clothes Required".

Specific information about what this show is about and to view more photos can be seen at: http://www.inyoureyegallery.com/

You can meet Gayle in person at the gallery Friday, September 4th - Saturday Septmeber 5th. "No Clothes Required" will be on display for the entire month at this unique gallery.

What a great weekend ahead. You can stop by the Paseo Block - see Gayle's work, visit the rest of the galleries that are open and then head over to the OCCC Arts Festival Oklahoma and see me!!!

Her website is: www.GayleCurry.com