TIME TO THINK ABOUT SEDER PLATES

I will be accepting orders for custom-made fused glass seder plates beginning on January 1, 2011.
Posted here are samples of past seder plates made for commission or general sales. Contact me here, visit me on the ORA Northwest Jewish Artists website or send me an email: sparksofspirit@gmail.com and tell me what you'd like. I have many glass colors in stock and many designs to choose from.

I'll deliver your plate free in the city of Portland or arrange for low cost shipping to your location.

I have just drawn up plans for two new designs of seder plates styles which should go into production in a week or two....I'm vacationing at the Oregon coast but am also dreaming up new glass designs! It's very exciting!

I'll post new pix as the pieces emerge from my kiln.

In the mean time.....Happy New Year 2011!

Northwest Spirit

A tray for your lox?  Maybe for your sushi?
In honor of our common love for salmon, this is my adaptation of pacific northwest Native American art.


The plate uses copper foil cutouts sandwiched between layers of steel blue and clear glass. Accents include dichroic and red glass.

Dichroic Pop!

A transparent dichroic star of david was fused to the surface of a clear capped plate of colorful dichroic glass.
The impact is remarkable.....the star seems superimposed ....almost 3D!

I love watching how the colors shift in color and intensity as the light changes.

Home show scenes

Here are some simple shots of my home display for last weekend's sale. We had slow but steady traffic.
I hope to post pics of Julie and Esther's display soon!

We hope to do more sales, perhaps in other people's homes. There is a different energy when you do a home sale in contrast to large group shows and exhibits. Although it is still a tiring experience, it is a more relaxed effort and you have control over the background music!

Now it's time to inventory what is left and pack it all up in anticipation of the next event!

Private Sale Next Sunday! (december 5)- new items

Cheese plates and wine bottle stoppers made from fused glass will be available for sale in addition to my usual items. The sale will be at my home in Portland Oregon from 11am-5 pm.   Custom orders available!

We'll have beadwork, fine silver and gem jewelry and glass. There will also be a sale at another location on the 4th.
Need directions? send me a quick note: sparksofspirit@gmail.com

Coffee, a nosh, and the perfect hand crafted gift!

Private Sale Dec 4-5

Bead work by Esther Liberman, fine jewelry by Julie Hockley, and my glass  will be available for sale on these two days.....
@ my house on Sunday the 5th.
There will be all kinds of functional glass...not just judaica.
wine bottle stoppers, cheese plates, sushi dishes and trays, bowls.....
Interested? DROP ME AN EMAIL and I'll send directions for either/both days!
http://www.northwestjewishartists.org/

want to see work by Esther and Julie? go to http://www.northwestjewishartists.org/   then click on
artists.

Weaving glass....REALLY?

I call this piece spiritual gridlock. I was talking with a friend a while back and she was talking about her spiritual practice. As she described her spiritual journeying I began to see glass imagery. It was a great conversation that inspired me to finally try weaving glass. It was a little frustrating but in the end, very satisfying!

I look forward to playing with this process a little more!

Celebration of Art 2010!

We had a sizable crowd (approximately 600!). Sales were brisk for some artists and less so for others. These types of sales/exhibits are tricky. Sometimes very talented artists don't sell and we all are left wondering why?

We'll be exploring the possibility of diversifying our venues and perhaps adding more shows. Different Sales attract different customers, so I think the exploration will continue.

I was pleased with my sales, especially since I had limited new stock. In addition to sales I also received a few commissions. With luck I will complete them in the next week.

  Pictured are a couple of views of my booth.

Last of the Red-Hot Mammas!

You won't want to miss this! Wendy Westerwelle ( a HOT MAMMA in her own right!) will star in this one woman show about Sophie Tucker. This is must see entertainment right here in Portland at the Coho Theater Dec 2-26, 2010 See you there!

Custom Clips

Leaf clips for the tallit belonging to a landscape architect and
blue pomegranates for a Bat Mitzvah tallit .

The leaves are made from aventurine glass. The green sparkles with subtle gold flecks whenever the light hits it!

The pomegranates have dichroic glass "seed pods"

It's always fun to hear what people select and even more fun trying to use the glass to achieve their desires.

The Celebration of Art Show is this Sunday at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. Hours are 10am-4 pm- October 24th 2010.

I will have some pre-made clips, bowls, trays, Torah adornments on display...and commissions are welcome.

I am pleased that despite setbacks by my arm, I have sufficient stock to put out a nice display.
I hope you'll come, stop by, say hello and tell me that you saw my blog.

Lots and Lots of squares

It still hurts to cut glass, so I've been rummaging around my studio looking for pre-cut anything....

...and I found a small box of 1x1" squares!

I am dreaming up something a little more creative than a checkerboard plate.....at least a different kind of checkerboard.....
...hmmmmm....?????

I've washed and dried them....now to play and arrange and rearrange! Hope something great emerges!

First Effort

Well, it's a start. Four months of physical therapy and I have some decent range of motion in my elbow. The shoulder is improving at a snail's pace...and I'll admit, it isn't fun to be cutting glass. Elbow and shoulder strength are needed and I just don't have it yet.

A big sale (Celebration of ART 2010 @ MJCC) is only a couple of weeks away so it's time to get busy and hope that my arm will hold out. Come see me at the sale....Oct 24th 10am-4pm~!

New x-rays on the 20th.....hopefully I am continuing to make solid healing progress!
P/T is helping and I am now down to 1x/ week. I can do it!!!!!

New Stuff !

Brooches...the "in" word for pins....
just came out of my kiln .
Here are two of my favorites....pinless thus far.
They aren't typical of the work I usually do.


Tell me what you think!

Optimism

I have nothing new to post! This is a piece (a flat tile) I made last summer. It speaks to me of possibilities.....

....sigh!.....We didn't get around to setting up the saw and cutting glass. The short time my son was home evaporated...but every moment was worth it. When Rosh Hashanah has ended, I will tackle some new projects. I will invite some friends to come help me set up the saw and help me get the needed blanks cut. Asking for help really is ok!

I am determined...and optimistic....even though I still haven't heard a word from my surgeon about when I can begin to handle weight with my right arm (yes, I am sulking!....okay, I'm done!)

So I am pledging optimism for myself! RH is a week away......a time for renewal, asking for forgiveness from others, and a time to forgive myself.

To those of you kind enough to visit this site...and to those who do not......wishes for a peaceful, joyous, and HEALTHY new year!

Torah Adornments / Breast Plates

I'm not sure what my resistance is to calling them breast plates- I just prefer the term adornments!

Congregation Neveh Shalom in Portland, Oregon has been kind enough to offer ORA (my art group) display space. The High Holiday show opened today and will close October 5th. Much of our work is Judaica based...and the rest is spiritual in nature and represents the hard work of my artist colleagues.

I don 't have much to display since I haven't been able to create new items, but I am displaying a fused glass seder plate and a Torah Adornment.  Rabbi Brad Greenstein has agreed to display two additional Adornments on Torahs we'll use in the downstairs services he'll be leading with Cantor Ilene Safyan.

I am so honored....and so excited. I have been using the adornments to mark an eastern interior wall of my house...each, a mizrach. I love looking at them there, but seeing them actually on a Torah.....I can't explain the feelings I have! Much gratitude to the shul...and Rabbi Brad!

Celebration of Art 2010! & .......

ORA: Northwest Jewish Artists proudly presents its 5th annual art show.

This will be our third show at the MJCC.  Most exciting is our commitment to support the Kehilla Housing Project by donating 10% of our proceeds to this endeavor.

You can learn about this project which will develop assisted independent living apartments for adults with developmental disabilities....  http://cedarsinaipark.org/explore-our-services/kehillah-housing/

I hope I can get my arm back into production mode soon.....! I hope to make some new designs in fused glass art and judaica. I hope you will come to our sale and buy my work......your purchases will help a fantastic cause as well as boost my self esteem!

Mark your calendars now.....October 24th 2010  10-4pm at the mjcc!

more info to follow!

Son + Saw = some new glass....finally!

 I still can't do any weight - bearing activities....but now that my son is home for a visit.....he can lift, and schlep, and tote water for my Taurus Ring saw!

I was able to use my left hand to push the glass and only used my right arm to "steer."

Ok, I had to take several breaks to relax the shoulder, but it worked and I was able to craft several tallit clips.

A wonderful discovery in my studio...... apparently I cut some round and square blanks before I broke my arm. YAY! If i can find some clear blanks to go with them or get some help cutting the clear....I will actually be able to begin creating work for the Celebration of Art 2010 show in October (October 24th...in case you were wondering!) This will be ORA: Northwest Jewish Artists 5th annual show (our 3rd at the.
I'll be posting more info shortly!

NOT READY TO ARM WRESTLE YET !

Well, I'm not ready for  arm wrestling yet....but the elbow is straightening out  and also bending well.
I'll get fresh x rays at the end of the month and hopefully will then get the go ahead to start weight bearing.

Our art group, ORA will have a show at Neveh Shalom for about 6 weeks. I'm a little sad that I can't create something new for that so I hope to figure out a way to display my Torah adornments.

I'm starting to sketch out some new ideas and hope that I  can get started soon. I did find some pre-cut blanks in my studio, so maybe I can create some embellishments using the saw next week.....I might just pull that off!

wish me luck!

Quackin' Good TIme!

Despite my frustrations with not getting to make glass for a while, I have had a bit of time to reflect on the month I spent in Eugene teaching an education course at the Uof O.

I had an amazing group of grad students on the verge of becoming teachers. My fears about not having useful information were thankfully unfounded. My prior experiences at PSU teaching Literacy in the Content area was good preparation for this course which was sub-titled: Everything They Should have taught You That You Need To Know. I appreciate the trust the Ed. dept. gave me- allowing me to invent this elective course. I especially appreciate the welcome I received from my students.

The world of public education is a tough place to be in these days- lots of meaningless testing and accountability crap (sorry about the soap box!) We need the idealism of these fresh new faces to beat this ridiculous set of BS procedures so we can get down to really teaching our kids!

My first year of retirement was a busy one....teaching writing at the Rose Schnitzer Manor, tutoring bar/bat mitzvah students, orchestrating JAM (Jewish Arts Month), continuing my glass work and having a leadership role in our  art group, ORA. The broken elbow/major surgery does not make the list of highlights, but teaching at the U of O does! 

The old arm is sore but I can feel myself growing stronger each week. I resume physical therapy tomorrow and hope  they can find some ways to help me get the arm a little straighter!..

New glass ideas are emerging so hopefully this fall will be a time of productive glass work! 

Disappointments

The 99W Craft Show enjoyed great weather but a very poor turnout. I was hoping to move some of my older stock but you can't have a good show with a small customer base. Oh well! It was a pretty day and I was in good company.

The other disappointment is i am still a couple months away from working on glass. The surgeon says no weight bearing activity until at least the end of August...and even then I may not be able to work on glass. Darned elbow!




I will try to redirect this sadness into design work so when I do get the thumbs up from the medical world, I will be ready to create new pieces for the 2010 October 24th Celebration of Art at the MJCC. New Judaica ideas are already brewing

But now....I am off to the beach for some inspiration and a little R&R.

Come see my booth at.....

SUMMER CRAFT SHOW- come see me!

My friend and amazing bead artist, Esther Liberman will be sharing a canopy with me at:

"Craft-In" Arts & Crafts Show
Saturday, July 17th
10 am - 4:30 pm
at the historic 99W Drive-In Theatre Parking Lot
in Newberg, Oregon 97132
Admission: Free


come see us!


Esther will have her usual creative and exotic jewelry, I will have a few pendants and a number of plates, bowls and dishes. Little to no Judaica will be featured but we can always discuss a commission.


It's a great opportunity to support local artists while on your way to or from wine country and/or the coast. 


Hope to see you there!

taking a break!

broke my elbow and so.....it's time to take a break. I'll resume blogging when i can figure how to effectively make glass with just my left hand!

More Fused Glass Judaica

This is a more contemporary piece. I call it Aseret HaDibrot...literally ten speakings or sayings...more commonly known as the Ten Commandments.

Text and subtext...it's all there.

A CALL FOR ARTISTS

ORA: Northwest Jewish Artists has put out a call for guest artists to be juried for the fall Celebration of Art Show and Sale.

Information can be found at: http://www.northwestjewishartists.org/callartists2010.html

Latest Commissioned Work

I was commissioned to create a wedding gift- a 15" bowl . Colors: Black, red, blue.
That was the extent of the directions I had.

The groom is the son of my customer's dearest friend. It had to be special.
I thought about what kind of metaphor could influence the design.

I titled this piece On A Path... Together. The path is filled with dichroic gem nuggets tacked to the surface. It's a fairly firm tack so it is smoother than bumpy. i don't want to wish the couple a bumpy journey....! I hope they like it.
The colors are much brighter in real life.

They'll make you cry!

Rose Schnitzer Manor writers are vibrant and young at heart. 
Won't you join us as they present some of their favorite poems and stories.


They will provoke tears of laughter and they will touch your hearts with the more somber tales they will tell.


Music by jazz pianist George Fendel begins at 6:45 and the reading will begin "Jewish Standard Time" @ 7pm-ish!


The Older But Wiser Cafe is jointly sponsored by Cedar Sinai Park and Jewish Arts Month.

ROSE SCHNITZER MANOR Writes!

With amazing assistance from my friends Laurie Fendel and Diane Solomon, I have been privileged to teach a  writing class once a week at Rose Schnitzer Manor (RSM- an independent and assisted living facility here in PDX!)

Book artist Shu-Ju Wang helped us assemble these books!

My love of stories has only grown because of the rich lives members of this group have lived.

We have compiled a book of their stories and poems. Thursday, April 22nd RSM will host the OLDER BUT WISER CAFE at 7pm. Just come through the front door and ask for directions!

There will be a variety of snacks, beer and wine.....and most importantly: great stories!
Come hear the voices of these writers, learn their stories....laugh and cry..... I can hardly wait!

MUST SEE THEATER

Wendy Westerwelle is stellar in her role as ROSE in play ROSE @ Coho Theater.
I just saw it this evening and it is "must see theater." It will only be in town for one more week and tickets are going fast.

I am picky about books, film and theater with HOLOCAUST themes. This play is about a survivor. Some may say that her life isn't plausible....those people don't know true survivors.




Yes, there is sadness...but there is also humor and wit.

Don Horn is the Director of Triangle Productions and this play. He has wisely allowed Wendy to "channel" this character in her kishkes.....and she does it well.

Go see the play. You'll be glad you did. If you go on a Saturday or Sunday you can enjoy a "talk back" session with local survivors.


Location:CoHo Theatre
2257 NW Raleigh St.
Portland, Oregon 97210



http://www.tripro.org/20th-season/rose.html  or call 503-239-5919

Glass Has A Language of its Own

  04/08/09

       by  Eddy Shuldman

Glass has a language

with subtleties sandwiched  between

pounds of silica

heated,  melted,  then rolled

off the tongue

into poetry

hidden

within my lexicon of glass

What began as play

became a journey of metaphorical archeology.

Stuck to a shelf, exposed to the elements

The journey goes deeper

where Inclusions are cast,

bubbles form

pockets of air that failed to escape

are suspended, frozen in space

Hard, soft,

liquid, solid,

transparent, opaque…..

draping , fusing,

slumping, melting,

hot, warm,

cold.

There are meanings 

layered on top of meanings,

a language of love ,

frustration, and hate.

heat spikes that puncture skin

and fractures,

that grow

like spider veins and 

bleed to the surface

frit, powder,

a score,

breaking , shattering, exploding

and then

a search for some compatibility

a weaving together

coefficiency

New Tallit Clips

Taking photos of dichroic glass is always a challenge.
This is one set of dichroic tallit clips- doves of peace.  A gold chain is strung between them.
This set is sold but can be replicated in other glass by commission.
Lots of  designs are available...prices vary according to the complexity    
of the design and style of glass.   sparksofspirit@gmail.com

Commissions

Much gratitude to my customers who have kindly commissioned me to make fused glass judaica including seder plates, wedding bowls, and smaller items! It keeps me focused and creative.


Tomorrow I will post some new tallit clips. One set will head to colorado and another set will go to a Bat Mitzvah here in pdx.


Stay tuned.....tomorrow!

Three New Torah Adornments

These are the three new Torah Breast Plates I made to complete the set.

I'll spend some time in later posts discussing each individual piece in the set.

I was happy to finish this project- the result of trying to study each book of the Torah and then narrowing down the theme of each to a simple phrase.

From top to bottom, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuternomy.

Our Night in the Elements!

We had a great night at Elements gallery. Estimates run between 225 and 250 guests!


It was a great learning experience and the show continues through the 14th of March.....
19th and Vaughn. A great gallery and glass hot shop.


open daily 1-4.....


Come see my Torah Adornments!


I'll be there on the 11th and 12th. See you there?

See My Work Tomorrow!

click on image to enlarge!

The Avian Spa

Signed, glued and delivered....
My donation to chair affair is a piece of outdoor art. It's a bird bath... Just add water!

What more could a bird ask for than a shallow pond from which to drink and bathe?

Come to the Chair Affair...look at the amazing chairs, and unchairs and bid! One of the finest chairities you'll ever meet!

You'll be glad you did.

More info to come!

CHAIR AFFAIR 2010

Last but not least, I get to put my plan into motion for the chair affair. The Chair Affair is a benefit for the Community Warehouse, one of the finest non profit organizations I have ever seen.

Jewish Arts Month has demanded a lot of my attention and I have sadly been unable to work on my project.

As of 10pm, my glass is in the kiln and hopefully about noon tomorrow I will know whether I will meet the deadline or not.

I posted a picture of the stool I planned to alter in some way.....
so stay tuned. I will post a picture of the transformed piece on Thursday.
Wish me luck!

Getting Ready

Throughout JAM , our art group ORA will be displaying art. We have an exhibit at Elements Gallery and Studio opening First Thursday March  4th. Join us between 5:30 and 9pm  for refreshments and an opportunity to meet the artists. The show will continue through Sunday March 14th. An ORA artist will be available at the gallery  daily between 1-4pm.


We'll also be displaying our work in the MJCC lobby March 7th - 12th. I'm working on some new fused glass pieces for that show.....


But first I also need to get my project for Chair Affair completed.  Busy times ahead!

Unstuck!....and done!

Our jury event was last night. The jury was most generous with me and accepted my submissions.
Thank you !

I'm posting one of the Torah Adornments in process. I struggled with the flames and this renewed effort worked.
There are additional layers of flames on this that lift off the plate. Still not as dramatic as what I saw in my head...but certainly more practical.

Want to see the finished product? Come see all 5 Adornments and more at Elements glass on NW 19th and Vaughn on Thursday March 4th.

check out the JAM website calendar, schedule and blog....lots of great info about Jewish Arts Month!

STUCK

Well, two of the three pieces came out of the kiln looking just like they were supposed to ...but the third...
well...it's pathetic. The color , the shape, the incongruity..AAAAARGH!

I have only myself to blame....I just didn't think it through enough. I have ordered some new dichroic glass which is being made for me and will be ready by Friday...Friday morning I hope! so I can get some work done before Shabbat.

In the meantime, I have more planning and redesign work ahead of me. I won't have time to remake it a third time.....and then there is the fifth and final piece. I started it today  but it needs some of the new glass on order too.

I've cropped the picture so you won't see the total failure of it all. When all five pieces are finished I will see what I can do to salvage this piece ....

Phase 2: "before"

Na-aseh V'snishmah is what the Israelites said to Moses when he told them God had an offer for them (the LAW). They didn't know what they were in for, but having seen a few miracles they knew they were looking at a good deal. They said N-aseh V'nishmah which literally means : We will do and then we will listen. We think that means that they would follow the laws, not knowing what they really meant but that through the doing, they would come to understand. Na-aseh v'nishmah is my journey as I work my way through this series of plates.

For this plate,  I first cut the tablet shape and then split it down the middle. I wrapped these 2 pieces of expensive dichroic glass in newspaper, took several deep breaths and then....smacked them with a hammer...and then I had to hit them three more times because I didn't hit hard enough! It's in the kiln now with plates #3 and 4. Breath holding until tomorrow morning.

I will post the new ones soon. The finished set will hopefully be juried in for the ELEMENTS Gallery show that opens March 4th. ELEMENTS is located on NW 19th and Vaughn. More about that show later.

Phase 1: Torah Adornments

I have various components cut for the JAM Elements Show beginning March 4th.

Phase 1 is fusing a silver irid on black onto clear blanks....should be done by about midnight tonight.

It's a boring picture but this is what is in the kiln right now.

Phase 2 involves layering the various elements I have pre cut.

These are only three of the five pieces as part of my set.

Piece 1 is done and piece five needs some drilling and interior cuts before
I can begin the layering process. It will receive separate treatment.

Stay tuned!