City of Gresham Art Committee 2014 Juried Show

Ann is pleased to have her piece, Dormant Orchard, accepted into the City of Gresham Art Committee’s annual juried show.

Dormant Orchard

This piece features kiln carving on the back side (shown above), giving an extraordinary dimension and depth that changes with the light.

The show’s opening artist’s reception is happening on April 22nd from 5:30 – 7:00 PM at the City of Gresham Visual Arts Gallery, 1333 NW Eastman Parkway, Gresham, OR.  Ann would love to see some familiar faces!  

If you can’t make the artist’s reception, don’t worry–you can still catch the show any time between now and May 29th from 8:00-5:00.  More information can be found at the City of Gresham Art Committee website!

Battleground Art Alliance Spring Show and Sale is upon us!

It’s that time of year again–the 13th annual Spring Show and Sale, a juried show put on by the Battleground Art Alliance is happening this weekend and Ann is excited to be participating once again.  This show is close to her heart, as she calls Battleground home and it was the first place she publicly showed her fused glass art.

The show is open on Saturday from 10-8, and Sunday from 11-3, with various events happening throughout the weekend (listed in the flyer below).

Come see Ann’s work alongside other talented SW Washington artists this weekend!

More from the Narcissus Quagliata Workshop!

Here is a look at Ann’s projects from the workshop with Narcissus Quagliata at Bullseye Glass last week.  It was an amazing learning and growth experience!

Project 1: 3rd firing, low temp tack

Project 2: Slider high temp tack fuse

Project 2: detail

Project 2: detail

Project 3: full fuse

Workshop with Narcissus Quagliata at Bullseye Glass

This week, Ann is participating in a class at Bullseye Glass with glass artist Narcissus Quagliata (take a look at his work on his website!  You won’t be disappointed!)

Here’s what she has to say about her experience:

One thing that is essential for me is continuous learning. This week I have the opportunity to be in a class taught by internationally renowned painter and glass artist Narcissus Quagliata, who is not only innovative and amazing but very generous and gracious as well. Not only am I learning interesting techniques but I am doing the hard work of reflecting on who I am as an artist – what is my core?

She shared some pictures from the work they are doing today.  Take a look!

Narcissus demonstrating painting with enamels

Narcissus’ work in progress–adding frit

Ann’s slider in the kiln before firing

a kiln full of student work

Narcissus and Ann

Pretty cool!

Fresh Out of the Kiln

A peek at a few new landscapes and techniques Ann has recently finished.

A new vibrant landscape:

Joyful Valley

A winter landscape that achieves amazing depth by carving the backside of the piece for subtle dimension when light comes through the piece, as well as giving the backside a display-worthy look of its own:

Dormant Orchard

And finally, a landscape that has been rolled by a glassblower into a cylindrical form:

Muted River

 

These pieces have been added to Ann’s glass gallery pages.

Creation of Oregon Land Board Awards

Ann has an exciting new project to share–she was commissioned by the Oregon State Land Board to create a series of small landscape pieces which will be turned into award plaques for this year’s winners of the State Land Board Awards.  Ann is grateful for the honor of being chosen for this project, as the awards recognize work in areas Ann finds valuable.  The Oregon State website describes these awards as follows:

The State Land Board Awards were established in 2004 to recognize worthy projects and efforts that promote responsible, sustainable stewardship of state resources or benefit Department of State Lands-related programs.

Julie Curtis, with the Board’s communication department, provided Ann with photos of areas around the state where the land board has done work this year, which were beautiful and inspiring.  The finished pieces will be 6″x5″, which is a smaller scale than most of Ann’s work.  This project was a fun change of pace!

Ann has been hard at work since Christmas.  Here’s a look at the award pieces as they go into the kiln:

And another look as they come out!  Can you match up the before-and-afters?

The pieces will next be cold-worked (smoothing and polishing the edges) before they are finished.   She is very happy with the way they came out, and hopes that the award recipients will be as well!

Better Late than Never!

A belated, but still big THANK YOU to all who attended this year’s Wild Arts Festival!  Ann had a great time talking to visitors, artists, and volunteers at the show.  The volunteers in particular made setting up and taking down go so smoothly–their help was greatly appreciated!

Ann at the 2013 Wild Arts Festival

With Ann’s shows for the season under her belt, now is the time to get the studio organized and plan for the upcoming year.  New class schedules will be coming soon, and Ann will be contacting those of you who have expressed interest in taking a class.  Feel free to email Ann at ann.fusion@gmail.com if you want to get more information!

Wild Arts Festival

Don’t miss this weekend’s Audubon Society Wild Arts Festival!  This great show is a fun opportunity to do some holiday shopping, see some amazing wildlife, and support the Audubon Society!  

The show is at the Montgomery Park Building, from 10-6 on Saturday, November 23rd, and 11-5 on Sunday the 24th.  Hope to see you there!

Here’s a preview of some new cast glass pieces, fresh out of the kiln for the show:

Cast glass pieces for Wild Arts Festival

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who participated and visited the studio during the Arts of Clark County Studio Tour!  Ann and Kerstin had over 200 visitors to Ann’s Battle Ground studio, and there was lots of conversation and inspiring discussion about art.  What a great way to get to know about the art going on in our own community!

Thanks for coming by!

Ann is looking forward to next weekend’s event, also–the Audubon Society’s Wild Arts Festival.  Ann participated in last year’s festival and we were so impressed by the caliber of artists at this fun show (not to mention the amazing birds brought in by the Audubon Society!).  It’s a great opportunity to get some holiday shopping done too!  The show takes place this weekend, Saturday 11/23 from 10-6 and Sunday 11/24 from 11-5, at the Montgomery Park building at 2701 NW Vaughn St in Portland.  Tickets are $6 for adults, and kids 16 and under are free (and here’s a downloadable 2-for-1 coupon)!  Ann’s grandchildren came last year when they were 2 and 4, and loved seeing the birds as well as a large children’s book area.

Ann has been busy in the studio ever since the Studio Tour making pieces specifically for the Wild Arts show, with a focus on the local landscape and wildlife.  Definitely worth a visit to see what she’s been up to!

Clark County Studio Tours This Weekend!

Ann has been hard at work with her friend Kerstin Hilton of If Wishes Were Fishes Glasswork, getting ready for this weekend’s visitors for the Arts of Clark County Studio Tour!

Ann and Kerstin

The studios will be open from 10-5 this Saturday and Sunday (November 9-10).  You can pick up a map at any of the stops on the tour, or print one out here before you head out.

Getting ready for visitors!

In addition to both artists having plenty of their own work available in the studio, they are excited to share their new collaborative pieces with the visitors.

Several collaborative pieces on display

These indoor/outdoor sculptural pieces have many unique features.

First, the metal backgrounds are made from reclaimed steel salvaged from a metal recycling yard.  The pieces were chosen for their beautiful patinas, then rolled to create the wave textures.  The artists then bent and soldered the metal into hanging boxes and secured the fused glass pebbles to the foreground.

Finally, Ann and Kerstin created a variety of kiln-formed pate-de-verre organic shapes (which they have nicknamed “wonkie pods”), which adhere to the metal backdrops using an extra-strong magnet.

This means the glass wonkie pods are interchangeable!

And it also means that they can adhere to other metal surfaces in your home and garden!  And guess what else–the wonkie pods have a standard hanging bracket on the back as well, so you can hang them from any wall or post–no metal required.

More Wonkie Pods displayed next to the stairs

You have to see these unusual pieces for yourself, and try out some different combinations.