Gorgeous Paintings by Noriko Wakayama of Tokyo and Hawai'i

We recently took a trip to Oahu to celebrate my stepdaughter's graduation from the University of Hawai'i (and do I need to say I'm so happy she attended there? Great excuse for a vacation!). We stayed in Honolulu, and on our very last morning made an artistic discovery that added an extra layer of enjoyment to the trip.

Noriko Wakayama paints large, absolutely gorgeous paintings of tropical flowers. She takes you right into the flowers, as if you are a bee or butterfly, honing in to get that nectar. In fact, our favorite painting is of a huge butterfly (maybe 3' across) with translucent wings perched dead center on a giant sunflower. It is a stunner.

It would be easy to say that Noriko's work reminds me of Georgia O'Keefe's flower paintings, but surprisingly, it doesn't. The feel of the paintings is entirely different, perhaps in part because the flowers themselves are so different. O'Keefe often painted the flowers of the desert--perhaps that's it. She also focused, usually, on just one flower. Noriko's flowers are rich and vibrant, evoking the lushness of Hawai'i, and many of her paintings show a whole armful of flowers.

That being said, Noriko's singular rose paintings are memorable. How does she do it? See for yourself . . .

New Fused Glass Jewelry Class Announced

Wendy and I have added two NEW classes in Fused Glass Jewelry. These are going to be so much fun! I can hear the excitement in womens' voices when they call to register. I'm busy now (even at this moment!) fusing new jewelry pieces to show students, playing around with dichroic glass, sepia slides, and 22kt gold adornments. And frit and stringer and glass paint . . . all the goodies that make creating jewelry so much fun.

So when are these classes?

Date: Saturday, June 19, 2010
Time: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Place: Arts of Snohomish Gallery; 105 Cedar Ave., Snohomish, WA
Price: $65
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Date: Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Time: 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Place: ArtWorks; Dayton and 2nd Ave., Edmonds, WA
Price: $65
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Date: Saturday, July 10, 2010
Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Place: Arts of Snohomish Gallery; 105 Cedar Ave., Snohomish, WA
Price: $65

In each class, you will learn how to create beautiful fused jewelry using Bullseye glass, dichroic glass, frit, and metals. All materials are provided for in this class. By the end of instruction you will have up to 10 pieces of beautiful glass jewelry to keep for yourself or gift to friends and family.

Jewelry will be fired and ready for pick-up 1 week after class. Class size is limited; first-come, first-served, so sign up now to reserve your spot!

You can email Judy at alpha@OmegaArtDesign.com or see our website for more info: www.OmegaArtDesign.com

Evolution of an Idea in Fused Glass Spurred By, "What Do I Do With Bits of Glass?"

I love our customers! They look at our work and get ideas that push us into new realms.

It all started with a simple tile I made when I piled up hundreds of bits of colored glass on a 4" clear glass. When I took it out of the kiln, Wendy and I both said, "Cool."

Then I thought, "If that looks good, then I'll bet it will look good as a bowl!" And it did! So I named this line, "Anything Goes."

Weeks later, an etsy customer contacted us. Could we make her an oval for her fireplace mantel in the same style? Yes, we could! And did! And IT looked cool.

So I tried it with a little bit of design, using orange, yellow, and blue frit swirled in the middle. (Truthfully, I did this because I was running low on glass bits, but I had jars of ready-made frit.) Thus I created "Starry Night."

Recently, a woman from Connecticut contacted me and asked if I could make her a piece similar to "Starry Night," but as an 18" platter. Whew! That's big! Her plan is to mount seven bowls/platters on her stairwell, kind of like bubbles (she said). When I opened the kiln to my fused 18" circle, we all stood around and said, "Wow. That's big." We liked it. We saw future table tops in it. We saw possibilities.

I slumped that bad boy into a platter, and now it is "Super Nova Explosion." My customer received it the other day, loves it, and is going to send me a photo when her installation is complete. And that's my story.

Just 12 More Days of our Fused Glass Art Garage Sale

May is the month for us to clean our shelves and make way for new art. We have reduced our prices to garage sale lows on many of our fused glass art, so you can get a terrific bargain.

The sale ends May 31, so hurry for the best selection. Visit our etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/OmegaArtDesign and grab a bargain today!

A Car as an Inspiration for Art?

Yes! My husband and I went to lunch today at a bread bakery that sells lunches (it was as wonderful as it sounds). And there was this car parked right in front. Painted beautifully. I looked at it and looked at it, and the more I looked, the more I began to see a fused glass piece. Hmmm . . . Not sure when I'll make it, but I will make it! And I'll post the photos to show how a car can inspire art.

New Jewelry in Fused Glass Classes! Snohomish and Edmonds, Washington

We are excited to announce our newest class: 

Jewelry in Fused Glass

No experience is needed at all.  

Learn how to create beautiful fused jewelry using Bullseye glass, dichroic glass, frit, metals, etched stencils, and fusible decals. All materials are provided for in this class. 

By the end of instruction you will have up to 10 pieces of beautiful glass jewelry to keep for yourself or gift to friends and family.

Jewelry will be fired and ready for pick up 1 week after class. Class size limited to 8. First-come-first-serve, so sign up now to reserve your spot!

Price:  $65

Date:   Sat., June 19, 2010

Time:  2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Location: Arts of Snohomish Gallery; Snohomish, Washington 

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Date: Thurs., May 27, 2010

Time: 1:00 - 3:00 pm

Location: ArtWorks Studio; Edmonds, Washington

Email Judy at readtobe2002@yahoo.com to sign up or get more information! 

 

Volunteers Make an Art Galley Shine in Snohomish,WA

Today was a day of hard work and cold, cold hands at the Arts of Snohomish Gallery in Snohomish, WA. Wendy and I are proud members of this artist-owned galler (I'm the treasurer), and today was the day to make the exterior shine.

Artists, husbands, significant others, Kiwanis members, and high school students all came together to weed flower beds, remove unwanted plants, plant new plants, and spread beauty bark to make the gallery's landscape beautiful.

I spent most of the day painting our corner sign--it was completely white beforehand, and I wanted to give it a Victorian feel while drawing the eyes of passers-by.

Our grand re-opening is next Saturday, May 1, 3:00 - 6:00 pm, so it you're anywhere near Snohomish, come on by! We are the Arts of Snohomish Gallery, 105 Cedar Avenue, Snohomish, Washington.

Mosaics in Fused Glass? Beautiful!

We love mosaics! Whether they are on the wall of an ancient Pompeiian villa or on the floor of a Seattle Banana Republic, mosaics appeal to something deep within us.

Using bits and pieces of fusible glass, I create my mosaics by carefully fitting together the pieces like solving a jigsaw puzzle. The colors need to coordinate, the shapes need to be interesting, and most of all, I need to be patient. The "grout" is really very finely ground glass called "frit."

Sometimes, I enjoy adding surprising details to my mosaics. The bowl above has bright lines of colored glass called stringer placed randomly on top of the mosaic.

The bowl to the left includes round dots of glass and a mix of translucent and opaque glass pieces.

The bowl below features stringer in the shape of swirls on top for something really fun.

I don't think I'll ever stop making mosaics, and fused glass mosaics keep offering me more opportunities to play!

Visit some of our mosaics for sale on our etsy shop:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/OmegaArtDesign

Wendy's Art a Permanent Part of Lynnwood High School, WA

Back in 2000, Wendy created two glass windows for her high school in Lynnwood, Washington. Using the Native American story of the crow and the sun as inspiration, she drew two large images then sandblasted the images onto glass that would become two windows into the computer lab.

This September, the brand new, $100 million Lynnwood High School opened. She and I visited there last week and were so excited to meet withe the librarian and see how her windows look in the new library. You see, when the architects were designing the new building, he insisted they include the windows, even though they are different sizes.

We are happy to report that the windows look great, and Wendy is a star!

New Glass Tiles in White, Black, and Turquoise--Dots and Dashes

Dots and Dashes 
Custom Fused Glass Tiles

Wendy saw how much fun I was having designing tiles, so she decided to join in. Introducing . . . Dots and Dashes.


Starting with an opaque white background piece, Wendy added a layer of clear glass on top and then her design of turquoise dots and black dashes in two thicknesses. These tiles are 4" x 4", and they can be made in many different colors. Complementary 2" tiles give you the option of mixing and matching for interest.

What I love about these tiles is that you can place them horizontally for one look or vertically for a completely different feel. Personally, I think they would look stunning in my shower, vertically of course, to simulate the water.


To see more of these tiles and our complete collection, visit our website and click on "Custom Fused Glass Tiles": www.OmegaArtDesign.com

Photographing Glass Art--the Challenges and the Rewards

When Wendy and I first opened our shop on etsy, we took out our camera, shot some clear straight photos of each piece, and loaded them up. Then we sat back and, well, nothing happened. I began to notice that our photos didn't look like most of the other photos on etsy, so I began to read some of the tips for taking photos.

Photographing glass is a special challenge because of the reflection. How do you get a head-on shot of glass without any glare? And without buying lots of fancy equipment? My answer--practice! And find a good place to take the photos.

Here are some examples of recent photographs I took of our work:

Hanging Bud Vases

I like this photo for a couple of reasons. I think the colors look good together. I like how the S's line up, and I like the diagonal lines of the bud vases (experts say diagonal lines create a more dynamic photo). I took this photo on a bench just inside my front north-facing window. This spot provides indirect light so I don't have to use the flash. I put the vases on an off-white sheet to provide a neutral, bright background so the eye is focused on the vases. I did have to lighten the photo in PhotoShop, but the colors are true to the actual vases. Oh, and I rotated the photo so it looked like they were hanging, which is how they will look on someone's wall.

A Summer Sail

I like this photograph because of the sharp contrasts between the white and black which also really highlights the bright, sharp colors of the bowl. The contrast also highlights the unusual, fun shape. Also, the angle is different, providing a view that's a bit unusual. The bowl lines up diagonally, too, for that dynamic look.

Welcome Sunshine! Warm Orange, Yellow, and Red Fused Glass Tiles

These tiles warm me up just looking at them! The secret is to use orange fused glass--I have two shades (one is more of a tangerine). 

Mixing these colors a la Josef Albers, I found such pleasing combinations. My mother is sure to love them, too--she is definitely a "summer." Enjoy!

To see our full line of custom fused glass tiles, please visit our website: www.OmegaArtDesign.com and click on "Custom Fused Glass Tiles."

I Love a Martini Fused Glass tiles

Based on the color theory of Josef Albers, these tiles remind me of the olive in a nice, cold martini. Refreshing yet sophisticated. I love how the tiles look so different depending on how they are mixed with different colors.

We can make these tiles in just about any size: 2" and 4" are standard.

To see more of the Albers tile collection from us, go here: www.OmegaArtDesign.com and click on "Custom Fused Glass Tiles."

New Fused Glass Sculpture: "Spring!"

This is another result of Wendy's recent spring break--a beautiful fused glass sculpture bursting forth with leaves, rain, and pieces of dichroic glass. The unusual half-moon shape looks sharp in the iron stand. Here's the link to our etsy shop to see this sculpture and more: "Spring!" fused glass sculpture.

Fused Glass Classes for Beginners Offered in Snohomish, Washington

Wendy and I are announcing our first fused glass class in Snohomish, Washington:

Glass Fusing 101 (3 hours)

In this introductory class, you will learn the basic techniques of making fused glass while creating flat fused glass pieces yourself. Possible projects include:

• coasters,
• tiled box (box costs extra),
• decorative wall piece such as an animal,
• sun-catcher,
• cross,
• backsplash tiles, or
• mirror frame.

Make pendants and magnets with scraps!

We provide all materials, including fun extras such as frit (small glass chunks), fiber paper, glass paint, and stringer for unique designs. Class size limited to 6.

Your pieces will be available for pick-up within one week of the class.

Date: Sat., May 1, 2010

Time:  10:00 am – 1:00 pm Price: $65

Teachers: Judy Macauley and Wendy Clark, fused glass artists and members of the Arts of Snohomish Gallery

Just one opening left for the May class.

My "Starry Night" Fused Glass Plate featured in blog

Yesterday, LUCE DI VETRO featured my "Starry Night" fused glass plate in her blog, "Ode to Blue." Check it out: http://odetoblue.blogspot.com/2010/04/etsy-mini-archive-blue-glass-4510.html.

 

Wendy's Fabulous Fused Glass Tree Sculptures

Today it's Wendy's turn to shine as an artist. She just took her spring break, and boy did she go to town on the fused glass artwork! I love the one featured here. She drew her whimsical Maple tree on clear glass using black glass paint, added lines of black and dark blue stringer and three squares of dichroic glass, then fused it onto a sheet of opaque white glass.

This glass sculpture stands 10" high and 7" wide in a black iron stand. Here's the link to the etsy listing: "Black & White Maple." 

Artists' Reception in Snohomish on April 10 for Two Fine Artists

This month, the Arts of Snohomish Gallery presents two of our members, Tatayna Deynega and Sakae Ouchi. They are both talented painters with very different styles. One is from Russia and the other is from Japan, but both have made their way to the Pacific Northwest to our gallery.

Join us on April 10 for the reception! Here is the link with more information: Arts of Snohomish Gallery

Seattle Tile Store Now Carries Our Fused Glass Tiles

We are so excited to announce that Art Tile Co. is now carrying our very own custom fused glass tiles.

Art Tile is a great store, located in the Maple Leaf community of Seattle. Currently, we have three different designs featured there with plans to provide them with more. This is going to be an exciting new phase in our business!


Art Tile Co., Inc.
http://www.arttileco.net/
8511 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115  
(206)523-3032

Evoking the Southwest with Fused Glass Tiles

We have this lovely turquoise blue glass that takes on any number of "looks" depending on the colors we pair it with. Here, as soon as I added the red and orange glass, I was back in the Southwest: in Albuequerque, searching the skies for the hot air balloons; in Santa Fe, wandering the rich art galleries; in Phoenix, delighting in each new cacti and succulent.

The picture is of a pendant I made that spurred me on to envision it as a wall tile. I had fun playing around with the possibilities: what would it look like surrounded by solid turquoise tiles? what about red or orange tiles?
See some of the variations of this tile and others on our website: www.OmegaArtDesign.com