message in a bottle

"My 'Poet's Bottles' poke fun at marketing and warning labels, but their whimsy also resonates with core truths." Jeff Crandall

with short & sweet snippets like HOPE - warning: do not abandon and one of my favorites,MOAN - a varietal alternative to wine. this product sold by volume, not by weight. please keep it down, jeff crandall has sandbasted and etched a niche for himself in the artworld. sounds like he took the advice on one of his bottles seriously - DREAMS - drink deeply and believe. you can find crandall's poet's bottles at vetri glass.

the whole is greater

"I try to make my art reflect the peace and harmony off the beautiful environment of the Teton Mountain Range. I choose to live in the midst of beauty, and try to create lyric vessel forms which reflect the sublime quality of this fabulous place." Lauri Thal

the collaborative relationship between lia kass and lauri thal demonstrates that the whole is greater than sum of its parts. kass and thal, already talented and acclaimed artists in their respective media (fine art painting and hot glass), have created a captivating body of work that combines lia's beautiful drawings with lauri's sandblasted sculptural bowls and vases. simply stunning. graceful. textural.

choreographing a different kind of dance

"I want viewers, when seeing these pieces, to write their own stories; creating metaphor and allegory for and from their own lives." Milon Townsend

self taught glass artist milon townsend studied dancers in new york city for ten years - those intense studies are apparent in the details on the figures that grace the vessel above (click here for more pictures of this vessel).

though not vessels, you won't want to miss townsend's deco series - simply sublime - the sculptures look like ethereal figures dancing to their own private music. oh, to be there among them...

townsend's art glass sculptures, goblets, martini glasses and vessels are clean, crisp, collectible and in addition, this talented artist has written books about flameworking, marketing and philosophy; produced eight technique focused videos; taught at several well respected institutions and continues to write columns for three periodicals. i wonder what's next?

toby scores again! thanks for the juicy link.

splash!

"Drawing inspiration from age old Venetian glass techniques coupled with my own playful interaction with glass as a material, I work with geometric and organic shapes and colors to create whimsical new glass forms. Utilizing my delicate hot glass skills and passion for the material, I add character and unique personality to each piece I create." Jen Violette

jen violette's animated vases capture the speedy splash of liquid droplets in brightly colored glass. her work reminds me of another artist who also delights in preserving the drips and drops, the splishes and splashes, the specks and spots. fun.

contortionist

"Color outside the lines, bend the rules, and think outside the box. It makes life more interesting." Carol Milne

con·tort: to twist, bend, or draw out of shape. aren't we all contortionists in some way? what lengths will you go to conform, to fit in? glass artist carol milne's 'slave to fashion series' incorporates the humor and play on words that almost always accompany her subtly carved sculptures. the shoes carry a strong statement about our penchant for looking good and fitting in at any cost.

the year is coming to a close. this is a good time to reflect: are you living to look good and fit in? are you on a path that makes sense to you or just a path that makes cents? are you stuffing yourself into an ill-fitting life that is decidedly uncomfortable? change is hard but necessary and you could be pleasantly surprised. it might feel oh-so-good. you know, like taking off a pair of tight shoes.

sheepish shakers

every vessel that i highlight makes me smile broadly, laugh out loud and say "wow" or sit quietly absorbing the surprise. the work of skip horton and donna beverly made me do all three. well respected glass artists, the pair are known for their sensational hand-blown salt and pepper sets.

with a product line that includes climbing frog wall sculptures, butterfly topped perfume bottles, colorful snail ornaments and a barnyard full of salt and pepper shakers, i'm guessing that this husband and wife team also share a love of animals. elegant venetian artistry meets contemporary sensibility. and a touch of whimsy. the result is magical. see more of their work here

bottled up emotions

"I am a product of the Golden Age of Hollywood as my father wrote many of the hot comedy shows of that time. My mother came from the theater world in New York and her father owned the largest costume company in the world so I guess all this has influenced the look of my work." Kate Stern

antique bottles + your beloved photograph + kate stern = a unique work of art. stern's love of old bottles and photographs inspired her to find a way to combine the two. this is the stuff of classic, vintage nostalgia.

off the wall

"When I sit at my table in front of a blank shade or my lighted easel with a chandelier, all thoughts leave me. With no sense of time or place, I just begin to paint. Often, I am the one most surprised when I see the finished glass. I feel that I have given myself to a greater power. I really did not do the painting but, instead, just allowed my higher consciousness to flow." Ulla Darni


ulla darni's wall sconces are created using the ancient style of painting referred to as 'reverse-glass painting'. darni paints her designs on one side of the glass knowing that they will be viewed from the other side. to do this, she paints what appears closest to the viewer (the details and highlights) first rather than last. the image is backwards while painting, because the paint is applied on the backside of the glass. when she finishes painting, the glass is turned over and viewed through the other side.

darni's chandeliers, her signature pieces, are owned by royalty and celebrities alike. beautiful designs, bold use of color. light up your life.

rose bowl

"As a lampworker and artist, my interests currently are in two directions. One being technical lampwork, represented in my work by thin, classical, wine glasses and vessel styles influenced by the Venetian tradition. The other is a strong interest in large scale sculptural and architectural art." David Willis

david willis' joyful glass botanicals offer a riot of color and the graceful curves of the real thing. with titles like 'life has enough thorns' and 'looking at the world through rose lenses' you get the sense that this widely exhibited glass artist is thoroughly enjoying himself. look a little closer and you see the delicate details that reveal a master at work.

klissed

"Glass has always intrigued us, especially the material's ability to convey pure color. Some of our current series take advantage of the pure color of glass in the form of shard drawings. Shard drawings are basically abstract assemblages of colored glass shards, cane, stringer, and murrini. The vessel's form becomes the canvas upon which the shard drawing is displayed." Bob & Laurie Kliss

bob & laurie kliss' are having fun creating colorful blown and fused glass vessels and it shows. their collection of 'bobtanical' bottles are playful, graceful and sweet. they look like they are having a conversation, don't they? yes, yes, i know they are glass, so they can't really be having a conversation...but...but...can they?

bubble bath

"My work is a series of experiments done in pursuit of knowledge Each piece constitutes a small experiment which tests my ideas. The ideas can be visual, emotional or political. The true goal of my work is to increase my understanding of myself and the world around me." Walter Lieberman

glass artists walter lieberman and james mongrain combined their considerable talents to design sleek floating stemware as tempting as the liquid they contain. originally created to be used in the bath, their romantic champagne flutes give new meaning to the term bubble bath. a stunning example of collaboration at its best. inviting. hmmm...might even invite collaboration of a different sort.

carnival glass

"The meaning of life is to find your gift, and the purpose of life is to give it away." Emilio Santini

murano, italy is steeped in a centuries-long tradition of glass blowing, and today it continues to turn out the finest glass artists in the world. emilio santini comes from a long line of master glass blowers, including his father mario santini. he began learning this ancient art at the age of eleven, studying under legendary modern glass blowers and eventually making a name for himself with his flamework sculpted-stem goblets. today, his name is synonymous with the famous island where he was born. santini moved stateside several years ago and now teaches his techniques all over the united states. you can see some of his delicate goblets and a glimpse of the master at work here.

the masked mardi gras-esque figures above look poised and ready for some serious carnivale fun. indeed, the work of a master. bravissimo emilio!

ocean moods

"I like to take the traditional idea of a seascape and bring it into contemporary glass." Caleb Nichols

the coastal shore's rocky edges, fog and frothy sea are changeable and moody, but oh-so-beautiful. caleb nichols developed a technique that traps an illusion of the ocean's images in the sloped walls of his fused and hand blown sinks. they are mesmerizing, captivating, and dangerously hypnotic. you are getting sleepy, you are getting very, very sleepy...