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June is full of opportunities to visit and browse

6/2/2016

Other Universes is one of my pieces in the show

First, a new show Expressions in Glass opens Friday June 3rd at the Glen Echo Art Glass Center. Opening reception is 6-8 on the 3rd and the show runs through June 26th, Fridays 10 - 2, Saturdays 10 - 4, Sundays 12 - 4. I have six pieces in the show.
The 36th Washington Folk Festival takes place at Glen Echo June 4th and 5th, 12 to 6 both days -- 6 stages of music and dance as well as crafts. I will have a table selling jewelry and small pieces.
The Takoma Park Jazz Fest is June 12th in the heart of Takoma Park MD. Visit the Joy of Glass booth, open from 10 till 6.

And by the way, if you haven't yet visited Glen Echo, this is a great time to do so -- in addition to artist studios, try out the the merry-go-round and visit the puppet theater.

Pink Dangles -- new jewelry style!

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Sparkle or Shine?

4/10/2016

Most glass jewelry gets its brilliance and sparkle from dichroic glass, which includes metal or oxides in its composition. I love the bright colors and the way the colors change when viewed at different angles. It can truly brighten up your stye!

But sometimes the bling is a bit too intense, and I want a more subtle look. In that case I sand-blast the glass, which allows the inner dichroic layers to show but the effect is much more muted I can add a special coating that adds some transparency back but maintains the subtle effect. The glass seems to glow.

These two pieces illustrate the difference. I love having the option to fit the mood to each particular piece of glass and silver design.

Which effect is your favorite? Are you a sparkle person, or a glow person, or does it depend on your mood?

"See the Light" opens April 8th in Rockville

3/29/2016

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Don't miss this fabulous art glass show, opening April 8th at VisArts in Rockville, MD. This juried exhibition of fine art glass begins with a reception from 7 - 9 April 8th, and runs through May 1 at 155 Gibbs St. My Piece, The Tipping Point, is part of the show.

Special events on April 24th
Artist talk 2:00
Glass demonstrations from 1 - 4

Hope to see you there!

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Finding the Ahh moment

3/15/2016

Creating beautiful art involves continually searching for the color, the pattern and texture that “clicks” — what i call the Ahh moment. When it’s right, I actually feel a body sense letting me know I’ve found it. I’m still learning, but its been rewarding to wait for — and to trust — that moment.

This piece is made of 6 layers of glass, each made up of 7or 8 different pieces with patterns and colors. It was great fun, if challenging, to put these puzzle pieces together layer by layer. I had to find many Ahh moments during the process, and ultimately achieved the overall sense of completion.

Does this resonate for you? Do you find an Ahh moment in your work, whether art or writing or another craft?

This piece cried out for copper

2/2/2016

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Silver isn’t the only metal that pairs beautifully with glass. Sometimes the color of a piece of glass just cries out for copper, as this one does. This glass has several layers of dichroic and was sand blasted to produce a subtle shine, through which you can see the depth of pattern and color.

Interesting fact: While copper tends to tarnish a bit faster than silver, it is really easy to bring back the shine with no elbow grease, using one of these: ketchup (really!), vinegar and salt, or lemon juice and salt. cleaning copper

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Looking into the depths

1/8/2016

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One of the wonderful qualities of glass is its depth -- using layers of transparent glass, your eye can wander around within a piece. I have used this quality in glass scenes, as in the landscape piece shown above in the header, and also in jewelry. Of course layers of glass make for a thick piece -- not always desirable in jewelry! So I have been working on create layers of dichroic (sparkly) glass that are still thin enough to make good jewelry. It's not easy to photograph these pieces because the camera doesn't know quite where to focus, but I do my best. My latest piece, below, was made with a base layer of red and three layers of transparent dichro. It's about 1" around and will be set in silver as a pendant.

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Post-holiday -- time to breathe!

1/4/2016

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This January completes my first year of full-time focus on my glass art, and it's been quite a ride! I'm gratified that my art has brought beauty to many people, grateful that I've been able to learn many new techniques, and delighted that I've made many new pieces. And now, I'm happy to be able to step back and take a breath in this season with few shows and pressures.

I will use the opportunity to to communicate with you, my customers and friends, via this web site and a new robust social media presence. I have a number of new products to share, including glass photo remembrance boxes, new styes of jewelry, custom lighting sconces -- -- stay tuned!

I invite you to share your thought, feedback, and ideas -- I'd love to hear from you!

Merrilee

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New, Green Glass Art Studio

5/19/2015

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I am excited to be building a larger glass art studio in my home. And as a lifelong environmentalist committed to clean energy, making art that requires electric kilns, it's been a little embarrassing to use so much electricity.

So I'm especially pleased to have the chance to insulate the heck out of the walls and roof of my studio, and have a brand new 5KW solar system on the roof. I will be offsetting the electricity use of my kilns and a good deal of my household energy use as well. (Note the foam insulation under the window.)

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New Logo!

5/10/2015

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I have finally selected a logo for Joy of Glass, using a crowd-sourcing process in which I reviewed over 100 designs, had a focus group help me judge the designs, and eventually found one I liked. I think it captures the color, spirit , and creative process in my glass art. Here it is, hope you like it!

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Come to Glen Echo this weekend -- they're opening the carousel! And also, a show at the Art Glass Center

5/1/2015

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This is the last weekend of the "Fired Up" show at the Art Glass Center at Glen Echo. These are two of my pieces -- along with about 65 other great pieces from studio artists.

Tomorrow (May 2nd) is Family Day at Glen Echo -- come on out!

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Dimension in Glass

4/24/2015

Dimension in Glass -- I'm discovering how to use layers of glass to create dimension, a sense of distance. The piece above is an inch thick and has long, medium and short vistas.

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