Two Private Commissions Completed....

 This Red Cross is heading to California. It is 21 inches tall and 15 inches wide. The customer really liked one of the red crosses I had made for The Walden Gallery, in Taos, New Mexico. (It has sold already).....but he also had some special requests. Being a religious and spiritual man, one of his hobbies is collecting crosses. He wanted me to consider incorporating them into the design. I said 'sure". He also had some antique nails that he wanted to add if possible.  

 Red glass is the most expensive color to buy. I purchased two kinds of red glass with two different subtle textures. I built up the center with broken plates that had colors of brown tan, black and gold. I decided to hang each small cross in the design so they would dangle freely on the design. Can you see the trinity cross in the center in the photo above?

 In these images, you can see the tiny silver cross dangling from a red glass gem at the top of the cross and another small silver cross dangling from the bottom of the cross.  I added antique nails up the center of the cross and out on the sides. They were rusted with age and I loved working with them.

The broken pieces of glass came from Shawnee, Ok. Hannibal, Mo. and from a big red broken glass lamp purchased in Redding, California.

 This is the second Red Cross I made for a customer here in Oklahoma. She liked the same cross that sold at The Walden Gallery. She liked lots of red, so I took it easy on adding much tan, (only in center and for accent at the bottom). Then I used red textured spectrum glass throughout, but added a touch of a darker red down the center of the cross and out to the sides.

 When it hangs in the natural light, all you see is red.

Here is the Red Cross hanging from a wall inside my home. It looks totally different and is very dramatic. It is 19 inches tall and 15 inches wide. Both crosses were made with two ways to display. There is a wire attachment in the back to hang on a wall and another hook at the top, so you can hang it in a window.

 

This is a close up photo of the center of the first red cross. I wanted you to see how the cross hangs in the center of the design.

 I enjoy private commissions and look forward to the collaborations between artist and customer.

I like to paint too....

 I have really enjoyed painting these flowers. I could keep going with different shapes and colors.

 "Oklahoma Native Sun" has been officially wrapped up and will be heading to Ardmore, Oklahoma.

 I painted this yesterday. I like to paint big signs with simple messages and then put them in places for a lot of people to see. Don't have a lot of time for this...but this is my fifth public sign.

I finally finished this commission which will be heading to Colorado.

Practicing my painting skills...teeny tiny paintings of flowers...

Glass Collages

This trilogy of Glass Collages are on display at The Walden Gallery, in Taos, New Mexico. They are part of a larger event happening in September called the, Walking on Glass Tour. Each piece is eclectic in design encompassing all sorts of things that are red, green, gold, silver, and amber.    

There are glass gems, pieces of terra cotta tile, amber lead crystals, tiny Christmas star ornaments, gold gems, and vintage jewlery.  

They almost resemble shields. All three looks beautiful together.  

The more you look the more you see. Below, check out the terra cotta tile, glass gems, and amber colored lead cystal. All the crystals hang freely from the design, which gives it extra motion.

With the light reflected behind the glass collage.

Quick peek at some of my new work...

 

I have been very very busy. More pictures coming soon.

2012 Taos Art Glass Invitational - Walking on Glass - I made it in!!!

Just click on the link below and you can see the glass design, called, "Blue Blossom" that made it in. This is a juried event and feel so excited to be a part.  

 

http://tiganm.org/ExhibitingArtists.html#anchor92812

 I finally finished painting this four foot tall by three foot canvas. It has been sitting in my back room for months. I found some images that inspired me and within a weekend, this is what came out. I added a few more stems and greenery. I love it.

 This image was taken with a bright light shining on it. The colors look brighter less deep.

 I hung it up on a wall in my living room. As you can see, it doesn't need to have anything else with it in order to shine. It is so big, so deliberate.

 Well, once I finished painting the big one, I couldn't stop myself from painting more. I had several small pieces of small canvas and am now creating tiny paintings with tiny frames, selling at tiny prices.

All my friends...I mean...ahhh tubes of paints.

Sun Catcher - samples of colors

Before I began to work on the commission, I cut samples of all the glass I had purchased for the project. I decided to make a little Sun Catcher for my customer - so she could see how all the possible colors would reflect in the light. I ended up using all of the colors except two.   

"Oklahoma Native Sun" - outside in the sunshine...

Although this might look small, "Oklahoma Native Sun" is almost two feet tall and two feet wide. (22 by 21 inches). This photo was taken outside in the morning sunshine. Background color was a light golden cloth. Colors deepen as the sun reflects its brightest light. My hope is that this design brings sunlight, warmth, and healing to this family's home everyday forever.    

"Oklahoma Native Sun"

 This private commission came about because of the love of so many people for one person named Diana. "Oklahoma Native Sun" is my fifth creation for this special lady and she lets me create whatever I want. She recently retired from the Public School System. Her special friends and colleagues presented her with a gift certificate to commission me as her Artist once again.  She was so surprised. I was able to be there to give her a big hug and smile.   We were both excited to create together again.  

 Diana wanted me to create something that would remind her of Oklahoma.  I asked her to list as many things that came to her mind and prioritize them by putting the ideas she liked the at the top.  She thought of the fertile lands, and rivers in the state and also liked the Oklahoma State Flag. This photo was taken in the evening light at dusk.

 This is a close up of the colors used for the landscape shapes which made up the bottom layer of the sun circle design.  Textured green glass, auburn, gold and blue metallic glass, combined with river glass of cobalt blue and gold. Embellished with green, auburn and gold glass gems. Solder lines were stained with a Black Patina.  

 This was the bottom layer of the landscape design. An abstract of the colors of the Oklahoma landscape, prairies and rivers.

 This image shows all the cut glass pieces. Each piece hand foiled, fluxed, and soldered, then individually stained with a black patina.

 Laying out all of the colors and working through the whole design.  

 All of the pieces have been foiled and cleaned. Laying out the design once more time before the fluxing and soldering are done.

Side view. I still needed to add more glass copper beads.



Things I obtained while in California

 I spent over three weeks in California, helping my family care for my Dad who was ill. He is in a rehab center progressing well. I rarely had free time, but when I did, I managed to pick up a few things for future art projects. This photo above shows some antique nails and a gold cross my big brother wants me to incorporate into some glass crosses.

 I found this little plastic horse in a trashcan at the car wash. I don't normally dig in trash, but the plastic horse was sitting on the top. It looked like it came from a child who didn't care about it anymore. So I took it home and repainted the horses hooves, mane and tail.     

 I found this porcelain glass horse at a thrift shop in California. I bought it so I could set it with the other horse at home. 

 I found these two pink patterned plates at the thrift shops in Redding, California. Don't know what I will use them for but they would be fun to work with.

 My sister, Kaye passed these big glass gems to me before I left. Don't know where she got them. I have never seen this size before.

I found this pretty cup with the flower pattern. I like incorporating china in with my glass art designs.