THE NAMING OF MY GLASS - DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU SEE

When I started designing and creating my stained glass pieces, I wanted each to have it’s own name. A name that truly describes the piece. I have found that sometimes that is not so easy to do. Also, I found that some people see it 'different' than I do and they can come up with a name that I just don’t understand.

As you all know, I’ve been creating pieces of stained glass art with a geode slab in it. The first being named, “Moonset Behind Desert Mountains” because the color of that geode slab reminded me of the color of the moon setting behind the western mountains of Las Vegas. It fully described the piece.

Then came the second piece using a geode. I added a geode to a very simple prairie design and couldn’t come up with a fitting name. I showed it to Ed, my husband and he said he had the perfect name. In a confident tone, he told me to call it, “Moon on a Fork”. I just looked at him in disbelief. “Moon on a Fork”?? I laughed and then told him that he was no longer part of the ‘marketing department’ and could no longer name any of the pieces. I decided to name it, “Prairie with Geode 13”, being it was a prairie design with the 13th geode that I purchased from Gary’s Gem Garden. I posted a picture in my photo album on Facebook, listed it and sold it.

Last week I received an email from Craig, a friend of mine on Facebook. He asked if I had time to design a special piece that he wanted to give to his friends as a gift. He asked if I could design a piece similar to the, “Sausage on a Fork” (aka "Moon on a Fork") piece that I had posted but he wanted the sausage being held over an open grill. “Sausage on a Fork”?!? Really?? Someone else also saw something on a fork in my “Prairie with Geode 13”?? I laughed and figured it had to be a “man thing” since my husband also saw the fork. I couldn’t believe that these two men were reducing my ‘art’ to something on a fork.

But then I thought about it. Who says that art can’t be whimsical and fun and ridiculous? Thinking that my friend was kidding, I still decided to see what I could come up with just for fun. I sketched a design with an open grill, with a geode as a sausage on a fork being held over the hot coals of the grill. I scanned it, emailed it and instead of him just laughing, he said, "Sold!".

And yes, I have named it, “Sausage on a Fork”.

Craig is moving to another state soon and he is giving his friends this piece as a gift to remind them of all the great times they had grilling together. I hope that every time that they look at it, they smile and think of Craig, their friendship and the good times they had.

This piece may not be considered glass 'art' and may be considered just ridiculous but I'm okay with that as long as it brings a smile to someone's face and good thoughts to their mind. Isn't that what art really is about?

Oh and by the way, “Sausage on a Fork” will be the first of my “Man’s Line” of Stained Glass which all pieces will all be named by Ed, my husband and 'marketing' co-director.