New Collaboration: Neighbor Artists!

It started with a 12" glass disc and a chunk of wood.

After some careful measurements, my neighbor Jack Liskear set to work on the wood, while I returned to my studio to work on the embellishments.

The most challenging part was cutting the tree.  The glass is a reptilian patterned iridized black glass that creates a cool effect when light hits it.

The leaves came next..... and when the wood and the glass met again....

GOBY!

My neighbor is a woodworker...today he took me to HIS candy store....GOBY!

I like working with pretty, shiny things. Wood is pretty. It doesn't shine...at least not in its raw form. But oh my, wood is seductive!

And I couldn't just look...right?   I had to buy some pieces. I am excited about the pieces I selected, even though it means finishing and oiling the wood to bring out its characteristics. These pieces will become mounting boards for my glass work. I am quite excited about the prospect and am looking forward to some future design work wth the wood in mind! Tonight I shall have dreams of wooden tables made from the slice of a tree. Someday, I will make one!

Glass and Wood!

This is my adventure into combining glass and wood. I'm pretty happy with the results.

I have always been bothered by the incredible waste when I cut glass and have pieces left over that aren't necessarily large enough to use. Glass is expensive, and when I weigh my scraps, I see just how much money I am losing every day!

We're doing some home renovations, so I am also discovering hunks of lumber going to waste.  

So yes, I am dumpster diving...in my own dumpster...retrieving wood scraps. I am excited, energized, and ready to explore this new combination! Some of the wood will become part of my art...and some of the wood will keep me warm this winter!

I only had time to make this one wood/glass combo for the art show this Sunday...but after that, I am going to dedicate some time to my new projects. I have plenty of other new art as well.

Most exciting about all of this is the opportunity to listen to the movement of the glass and the wood. The interplay between the two, the selection of stain, the choices for how else to blend these elements.... the possibilities are simply tantalizing!