Fall is a wonderful time to enjoy outdoor activities and breathe in the beauty of nature. It’s refreshing to be away from my glass studio in environments rich with color, pattern and new scenes. I cherish time cooling off on the water and the exhilaration of hiking in the woods. The outings clear my mind of old design themes, they rejuvenate my spirit and inspire new design ideas.
I may be off work, but my creative subconscious is on duty collecting tidbits that’ll later be integral parts of my new art. I seek exciting new compositions by studying tiny details like the delicate curled shoots of ferns. I imagine the extreme color combinations studying the broad strokes of a spectacular, cotton candy pink sunset. Even familiar settings, seen with renewed artistic curiosity, offer new appeal.
Fairy Tale Forest was inspired by a path I frequently walk in the woods. It’s an enchanted place with specked shade, inviting curves that promise adventure and the musical sounds of nature alive in the brush. Tall pines and century old oaks form a canopy overhead. The cathedral-like tunnel makes me feel small, at ease and safe. It’s as if the trees are guarding me with the wisdom of their age. It’s such a magical place, I half expect to see a white unicorn trotting around the palmetto bushes.
The truth is the path doesn’t really look like my design. I exercised my artistic license. I designed the art to convey the way I feel, the comfort and joy I have when I’m strolling down the leaf blanketed trail.
I never would have stretched my artistic vision to that extent without the actual experience of walking down that path.
Paradise Bay was inspired by a favorite lagoon on a lake. Again, the artwork loosely represents the landscape. It’s really a representation of good times and fond memories of time spent with my family.
River Bottom was inspired by the ditch that lines my street. Really. I was walking one morning and noticed the sunlight shining on the water in the retention ditch on my road. The sun pierced through the clear water down to the bottom where it lit up the tiny green leaves of mossy plants. They sparkled like glitter covered light bulbs. It was so captivating I then noticed some lacy tree leaves suspended in time, and the striking shadows of tree trunks stretching across the placid surface of the water. I thought, this is a beautiful scene, how can I render this in glass?
The project is simple. You must see it in person, after hearing the story, to really appreciate the true beauty and depth of River Bottom. The takeaway, the invaluable lesson, is that beauty is all around us. We just have to look for it and then let it inspire us to be creative.
Take it outside!
This fall while you’re exploring beaches, mountains and cities open yourself to discovery. Then, when the artistic spark flares, you’ll have an exciting collection of new ideas to fuel what you fire.
Happy fusing!
Lisa
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Upcoming LIVE Event!
Fusing with Frit Webinar
November 28, 2023
Ramp up the visual intricacy of your glass art!
Clever glass fusers know that using strong line quality and bold color saturation in combination is an effective way to create stand-out works of art.
Now take such trustworthy techniques and sprinkle in gradient blends and subtle shading achieved using frit. You’ll be amazed just how quickly your artwork advances to a new, exciting level of sophistication.
In this comprehensive webinar, I’ll show you how to apply several methods I employ to add the striking, painterly-quality I have developed to improve the impact of your glass fusing projects.
I demonstrate how to make SEVEN projects in this Webinar including a sea turtle, flowering tree, to beach scene and more!
You’ll learn: how to evaluate a design to maximize the imagery, steps for successful fabrication and practical tips for building professional quality, finished pieces.
Along with my step-by-step instruction, you’ll also receive complete material lists and project-specific firing guides.
