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.

WORKING WITH GEODE SLICES

Each day that I try to come up with a new design for my next piece of stained glass, I try to do something a little different.

Recently, I've done that by adding a bit of nature into a few of my designs by adding a geode slice. These beautiful specimens of rock are cross cut to expose the crystal formations within, then polished to bring out its 'inner' beauty. Each geode slice has its own distinct personality with its crystal formation and the banding of color. What a beautiful addition to my stained glass they would make.

The first step was finding the 'perfect' slices. I called my favorite gem and rock store, Gary's Gem Garden in Cherry Hill, NJ. We have been customers of theirs for years and have bought everything from polished rocks to fine jewelry. Denise, his wife was a huge help in making sure I got the perfect geode slices for my work. I described what I wanted and how I was going to use each piece. She began her search through their inventory, looking for what I described, scanned each one and emailed the pictures to me within a day. Through this process, I bought ten geode slices in shades of blue and amber. I received them within a few days and they were even more beautiful in person. I couldn't wait to get started.

The next step was to start designing stained glass pieces that had the glass and each geode slice in mind. I wanted each to compliment the other. This takes some time.

My first design was using the amber piece shown above. It reminded me of the color of the moon, as it sets behind the western mountains of Las Vegas, in the early morning hours as the desert awakens to a new day. I quickly put my idea on paper. Next, I picked out the glass with shades and textures that best fit the sky, mountains and desert. What better way to use a piece of nature than to put it in a picture of nature?

Within a couple of days, I completed my first piece that incorporated the geode slice and glass.

"Moonset Behind Desert Mountains" - 8-1/2" x 11" - SOLD

The sky is a beautiful dark blue glass with small bubbles, it looks like a night sky with all of its stars. The mountains are black opaque glass to be in the shadows of the 'moon'. The desert is a piece of textured amber glass that looks like the sand dunes created by the desert breeze along with a piece of amber and green glass being the desert flora.

Currently, I'm working on two more pieces using geode slices. Another nature scene and a Prairie/Mission style pattern piece. I hope to have them finished and photos posted soon. And, of course, the designing of future pieces is never ending.