Action Painting

Glassline Paints on a 10x10" clear glass canvas

backed with a compatible black glass and full fused

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This one was a lot of fun. I normally over think my work. With this exercise I just laid out the glass and the bottles of paint and attacked. I didn't think. I just acted and reacted.

SAGAG meeting you will not want to miss

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This Saturday, February 23rd at 5 PM the San Antonio Glass Art Guild (SAGAG) will be meeting at Dragonfire Hot Glass Studio 1211 West Blanco Road in San Antonio, Texas. We will be entering the working studio of Larry West, respected local glassblowing artist. You will not want to miss this great opportunity. Hope to see you there!

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Courtesy of American Airlines, I recently had a four hour block of time to do little else but enjoy a good book. In these situations you general hope a book will either 1) help put you to sleep for the duration of the flight or 2) be so captivating time flies by (no pun intended). Rushing to catch my flight I had given little thought to my selection. The Glass Castle had been a recent impulse buy, impulsive because I had no idea when I would have time to read it, thus close at hand when I ran out the door. Lucky me here was my chance.

The story Jeannette Walls tells is of her own childhood and family. Although it is a collection of experiences from her life, it is so far from my own it read as fiction. While reading I escaped my own worries as I entered a different world. In a way this provided prospective and comfort. In another light it was encouraging. Regardless of the situation; poverty, hunger or alcoholism it consistently had a underlying positive tone. Each character was complex and well developed enabling me to easily relate to each of them in one way or another. Well written the book swept me up and made for a smooth read and a smooth flight.

Inspire Me Thursday - Glass

My normal relationship with Inspire Me Thursday involves logging on to check out the weeks challenge, seeing the work others have done in response and if/when I can responding to the challenge myself. It is typically my inspiration, so it was a great honor this past week to feel I was contributing to the inspiration of others when I saw that weeks challenge was glass. Initially I thought this should be easy for me. Just about everything I do involves glass. But nothing seemed right. I had finally decided to let the material stand on its own and as posting some pictures I had taken of bundled and labeled glass rods. I started out just adjusting the color and contrast in Photoshop and the next thing I knew I had gone from here to there. A week of thinking and deliberating solved by 1 hour of action.

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Thank you Melanie for the honor of being a featured artist. I hope everyone enjoyed this weeks challange.

San Antonio Visual Artists

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I am excited about what I have learned about SAVA and thought other San Antonio Artists might be interested has well. I was only recently introduced to them in the San Antonio Calligraphy Guild (SACG) newsletter. In visiting the website I quickly recognized artists from SACG as well as the San Antonio Glass Arts Guild (SAGAG). SAVA is a nonprofit (501)c3 orginization developed to enrich the cultural life of San Antonio by spotlighting San Antonio artists and their works.

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Arstists living, working or showing in the Bexar County area are invited to participate fee free. I simply completed the online form and was added quite quickly as a member on their website. And what a lovely website it is. Check it out... you might find it interesting whether you are a San Antonio artist or not.

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11th Annual Mays Symposium

Saturday, February 16, the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) will be holding the eleventh in a series of seminars on decorative arts underwritten by the Mays Family Foundation. I find this symposium to be of particular insterest as it will be on The Alchemy of Glass: Magical Medium of Color and Light. Speakers will present the following topics:

• Mummies to Minarets: A Very Short History of Ancient Glass


• Light, Color and the Inspiration of Nature: Glass and Art Nouveau


• Seismic Shifts: Chihuly in the Northwest


• Glass: Material in the Service of Meaning

It all sounds just facinating. You can find registration information on the SAMA website. If you happen to attend I would love to hear all about it. Febuary 16th I will be at Wired Designs Studio facilitating a Fusing I workshop and that is always a blast.

2nd Annual Art from the Heart Show

Second Annual Art from the Heart Show and Silent Auction

at Sweet Liberty Creations

February 10, 1 to 4 pm

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Join Diana Kipfer, and fellow artists - Jane Matthews, Kath Long, Nicole Vachier Lozano, Françoise Pointeau, Diana Ramirez, Nancy Natho, Nona Whittington, Kim Pierce, Christine Pointeau, Carolyn Thompson, and Pam Cleveland for the Second Annual Art from the Heart Show and Silent Auction.

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Auction items include original paintings, silver, beaded and dichroic glass jewelry, fiber art, pottery and more. Proceeds from the Auction will be paid to individual local charities designated by the artist.

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Festivities will be from 1 to 4 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2008 at Sweet Liberty Creations. Come make your own valentines, bid on auction items and take a look at all the wonderful new artwork by these central Texas Artists. Decadent Chocolates, succulent fruits and refreshments will be served. Live music performed by Woody Russel, who's his third album Salt was nominated for the Independent Musician of the Year award in 2006, will complete the event.