Where Do You Find Inspiration for Your Art?

My most rewarding moment as an artist happened today. My art gave a woman goosebumps.

I was working in the gallery we are part of (Arts of Snohomish), when a customer came in. She wandered around, then stopped in front of our display--she didn't know it had my art in it. She called out to me, "This fused glass reminds me of Frank Lloyd Wright."


I was so excited, I ran over there and said, "I made that." She replied, "Look at my arms. You've given me goosebumps!"

She told me she lives near Phoenix and the Biltmore Hotel there has a huge free-standing glass piece made by Wright that my piece resembled. I had never seen the Wright glass, but I have been a fan of his since reading The Fountainhead and discovering he was the inspiration for the protagonist. When Martin and I were in Phoenix, in fact, I tried to get him to take me to Taliesin West, Wright's winter home, but we didn't have time for it. This woman, Jane, told me she designed her home to resemble a Wright home, and she has a replica of the Biltmore Hotel piece of her own.

We chatted on and on about Frank Lloyd Wright and his style. She gave me her phone number and told me to call her when I'm next in Phoenix. Which I will definitely do. I hope she invites me to see her home. At the least, she and I can have high tea at the Biltmore and admire Wright's piece. What a wonderful day for me!

See the impact a bit of dichroic glass has? Fused Glass Mirror Frame w/Dichroic

Shimmery dichroic glass pieces complement the black, white, gray, and apple green glass pieces, making this mirror frame POP! Fully fused at 1450 degrees and annealed slowly for strength, a mirror and hook epoxied to the back make this piece ready to brighten a quiet corner or create a small focal point.

Size: 5" x 4"

$22

See this mirror for sale on etsy at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22437480

Surfboard Art: Hammerhead Sharks Swim on This Fused Glass Sculpture

This is a stunning piece Wendy made last summer, inspired by her 18 months' service in Guam as an Air Force Airman. The base is two layers thick: clear glass over a deep amethyst glass. With glass paint, she painted the hammerhead shark, ocean waves, and other disctinctive designs on the top piece, then she "shaed" them by painting their shadows underneath, in blue. This gives the piece a beautiful depth, like the ocean itself. Dichroic glass pieces add additional intrigue. It's both art and practicality: it is slumped into a useable platter. Large: 20 3/4" x 8 3/4". On sale now through ebay for $199.99 minimum bid.

"Spring Tulips"
This artwork began its life as a line drawing I made during one of last summer's art festivals. I decided to represent a portion of it in glass.

First I painted the tulips onto clear glass using glass paint. Then I added a white opaque backdrop with blue and red frit. Another layer of clear glass on top and more frit--in yellow, orange, and a lighter blue. All three layers were fused in the kiln at 1485 degrees.

I put the finished piece onto a black mat with epoxy, and framed the whole art piece with another, white mat. The glass is 5" x 7"; the frame is 10" x 12".

$125

Surfboard Interpreted in Fused Glass

Ocean Waves

The inspiration for "Ocean Waves"? Wendy was stationed for 18 months in Guam with the Air Force years ago, and can't forget the warmth of the water, the weather, and the people. Evoking the warmth of Pacific Ocean waves, this surfboard she made has various shades of aqua that bring the ocean inside. "Ocean Waves" is made with two pieces of translucent glass, cut and ground to size. Wendy hand-painted designs in gold and white glass paint on the glass, then added pieces of dichroic glass for depth and sparkle. Fused at 1450 degrees and annealed slowly, the surfboard shimmers with ocean colors.

Whether you wish to display the surfboard on a table or mounted on a wall, we can provide the display pieces. (Our wall mounting system sets the piece one inch from the wall, allowing light behind it.) Size: 10.5" x 5". $60

Do You Like Modern Sculptures?

Clean and crisp lines mark this sculpture unique! "Retro Crest" has a 60's modern vibe with its cobalt blue, aqua, and white squares and rectangles contrasted with the lime dots. Fused in a "tack fuse" cycle, this piece has textual depth and tactile pleasure. It was handcrafted as a fully unique piece by Wendy Clark. Complete piece stands abou 11" x 9" in the stand (included). $145

Wildly Whimsical Art

Isn't this piece fun? Wendy made it the other day--usually she focuses on careful geometric pieces, but this time, she just went crazy! Starting with a cobalt blue translucent background piece, she added some geometric opaque pieces for structure, then had a blast with colorful stringer and a candle flame, creating the "doodles" you see here. She fused it in a tack fuse, which means each piece is textured, not flush to the background. Standing in a wrought iron display stand, the total piece is about 9" x 12" in size. $165

Do you love dogs?

I think dogs are the most entertaining animals around. At least my dog, Rex, is! Here is a pack of dogs I created in honor of Rex. No two are alike--some are cute, some are goofy, and some look like they just did a bad thing and they know it! Each is about 1 1/2" square. They can be made into magnets or pins to wear on your coat or sweater. $12 ea. or 2/$20.

Christian Crosses in Fused Glass

Here is one of many different crosses I've made in fused glass. It reminds Wendy and me of cathedral stained glass windows we've seen in Europe. Each cross is 5 1/2" x 7", and it can hang either indoors or outdoors. I have them in many different colors. These are our best selling item, at $32 each.