Greg Lawlers, Artfair Sourcebook

I was given some wonderful information from a couple of artists I met while doing a show at the Manchester Riverfolk Festival. For those of you interested in entering the art fair circuit, it is very difficult to know which shows to do and which are not worth your while. I only got my preliminary book and am looking forward to getting my full set of information, but what a wonderful resource.

This book appears to be geared towards the serious artist, more in the high-end category than in the craft type category. In fact, the cover reads, "The Complete Guide to Fine Art & Craft Events Nationwide". But, what a wealth of information. It rates the shows from 1-10 which indicates the average sales for artists at that show. It tells you about the marketing company and how they operate and treat the artists. Descriptions of setting up and tearing down, what the best place for your booth is, what percentage of artists come back, what your return on investment should be at that show, and on and on.

To try it out, go to this website and get a free trial. You will be able to see for yourself how much information is available to you there. http://artfairsourcebook.com/cgibin/ctool/ctool.pl?command=searchform

Let me know if you get a chance to visit the site and what you think.

If you have already ordered this sourcebook, let me know how it has worked for you. Other people would be interested in your experience as well.

Happy searching!

Pat Deere

Flight Of Fancy Art Birdhouse Festival

The Flight Of Fancy Art Birdhouse Festival is going on now in Tecumseh. My mosaic birdhouse can be seen by going to United Bank and Trust, it is pictured on this postcard being sent out by the Tecumseh Center for the Arts, you can bid on it by going to the link shown here: http://www.salinepictureframe.com/showroom/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=10294 at the Saline Picture Frame Company, and you can see the other birdhouses available for auction at their site or the TCA site: http://www.thetca.org/flight_of_fancy/default.htm . There are a lot of fun birdhouses. If you don't have time to walk around downtown, certainly take time to browse through these sites!

And, as is the case with most art... these pictures just don't do them justice. Some other links to glass artists and their birdhouses are:
Jean Lash: http://www.salinepictureframe.com/showroom/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=10266
Lorenzo Cristado: http://www.salinepictureframe.com/showroom/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=10253
Scott Smith: http://www.salinepictureframe.com/showroom/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=10289
Toni Herrick: http://www.salinepictureframe.com/showroom/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=10299

Enjoy browsing!

Pat

Intricate Framing by Jason Maan

This week-end I was in Ypsilanti at the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival. While there, I talked with many people interested in learning the exciting art of stained glass. I also talked with many talented artists. The picture here was taken from the comment you will find in the blog below. Click on Jason's link to find the rest of the pictures he attached.

For those of you with wood working talents along with stained glass skills - what a combination. Take a look at the time consuming woodwork here designed to frame Jason's glasswork. Where we might put lead came or copper foil, Jason builds a wood structure to place each piece of glass in.

Thanks for sharing Jason. I have been encouraging other people to send their inspirational photos to be posted here. If you have a project you would like to share with other glass enthusiasts, please send them along!

Pat

Slumped Glass Panel Lamps

This is an unusual find. When my customer brought in this green lamp that was found in the garbage of a friends parents, I told her it was definitely worth keeping. Repairing them back to their original beauty is not easy but well worth the investment.

The process to go through is to remove one good panel. From that good panel, I make a mold that can be used to make the new panel. I wrap the good panel in tin foil so I can get the shape of the glass I need. Once I have the shape, the tin foil is cut out and laid flat which gives us the pattern to cut the new piece of glass by. Matching glass on these old lamps is not always easy. Once the glass is found, the pattern is traced onto the glass prior to cutting it. The size is checked and any adjustments are made.

Now, back to the mold. Once the mold is made it needs to be thoroughly dried. This mold is very thick in some areas and thin in others. It needs to be dried slowly to keep it from cracking. Once the mold is prepared and ready, it is put into the kiln with the new glass carefully placed on top. The kiln is turned on low and vented until I am sure all of the moisture has been removed. Once I am sure there is no more moisture, the vent is closed and the glass continues to heat slowly. When it gets to about 900-1000 degrees, the glass will start to bend and take the shape of the mold. Over a period of 2-3 hours I will watch the glass, open the kiln and check to see that it is shaped correctly, and turn of the kiln when finished so it can slowly cool down to room temperature.

The moral of the story... don't throw these lamps away. They do have value. They can be fixed. And most often, they are worth saving.

Class Notes: In my fusing class, if you would like to learn how to go through this process, bring an old lamp with you and I will help you step by step.

Manchester Riverfolk Music Arts Festival Review

What an absolutely wonderful day. I had the opportunity to become an exhibitor at the Manchester Riverfolk Music Festival this week-end in Manchester, MI. The weather could not have been better. My booth faced the main stage so I could hear beautiful music all day. Visitors stopped and talked and were very engaged in my work.

The collection of artists work was very nice. My favorite of the show was work created by Sea of Glass Studio in Manchester, MI. One of their necklaces is shown here. Pictures never do glass justice and I can tell you seeing them in person is a real treat. I could not leave without purchasing a necklace from them with a leaf similar to the one shown here. Take the time to visit their web site. You will not be dissapointed. http://www.seaofglassstudio.com/pages/photo.galleries/gallery.html . On top of being wonderful artists, Trudi and Eric Cooper gave of their time and knowledge very willingly. I always appreciate an artist who is willing to help another along their path!

Now, the music. If you have never attended this event, I urge you to put it on your calendar for next year. It is hard for me to pick a favorite because I truly enjoyed every musician I heard throughout the day. My booth faced the main stage... what a treat! I purchased CD's from two of the bands. One of them was from a singer with a voice I am very jealous of. Her web site is: http://viennateng.com/streetteam/ . The other was from a family of musicians with a collection of instruments unlike anything I have heard before. The bands name is MacTalla Mor and their web site is: http://www.mactalla.com/about.html . When they said they were going to play Free Bird unlike anything we had ever heard before, they were absolutely right. Free Bird with bag pipes? I know it sounds wierd but everybody truly enjoyed every song they played.

I could go on and on. It was a great day. Don't miss it next year!

Pat Deere

Sacred Heart Church, Hudson

As much as I love creating new works of art, there is something very rewarding when working with churches. It is a passion for me. If you have never attended church at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Hudson, MI or never seen their stained glass, you are in for a treat. We are in the process of releading one of the windows in the church. Removal of that window is shown here. For more information about the church and their windows, go to the web site for the Michigan Stained Glass Census: http://museum.msu.edu/museum/msgc/dec03.html . Sacred Heart has been featured many times over the years.

If you're not familiar with the Michigan Stained Glass Census, check out their web site as well. They document stained glass throughout Michigan and count on volunteers to get the information to them. If you would like to volunteer or if you know of some beautiful or historic stained glass you feel should be documented, contact them or myself for more information so a volunteer can be linked to that building. To find out if the building you are inquiring about is already listed, go to this page: http://museum.msu.edu/museum/msgc/ . Click on Look for Registered Windows in Your Community . Then follow the instructions.

As we go through the restoration process, I will show photos and describe what we have to go through to restore these windows to the condition they deserve. The photo here shows Chris from C.A.P. Construction beginning the very slow process of removing the windows from their frames. Each section of glass was very carefully lowered on a framed board where it was then loaded onto a truck and transported to my studio, Pictures In Glass in Tecumseh.

The web site for Sacred Heart for those who would like to visit is: http://www.laforestnet.com/church/ .

Pat Deere

CLASS NOTES: Classes in restoration don't come along every day. If you are interested in learning about the restoration process, call today to discuss available days and times.