Deere Transom

It's been a long time coming and this is only a temporary installation, but... here is the transom that goes with the sidelights for our home.  The sidelights are still on the work table, and this window still has to be backlit and trimmed out.  I just had to see how it looks though.  Can't wait till tomorrow when I can see what it looks like with the sun shining on it.  This photo was taken in the afternoon when the sun was already on the other side of the house so the colors are appearing a little dark.

My computerized drawing is posted on 8/29/10 of this blog.  I wanted to temporarily install it because I was undecided on the color of the patina (for the solder).  I finished it in copper but was considering using black lead lines instead.  Once I got it installed and looked at it from the porch and street, I decided to leave it finished in copper.

GREAT NEWS:  My supplier has just given us a new option when ordering sheets of glass that customers want shipped large.   Normally, I have to order and have it shipped by truck. Now, I can have 4 large pieces of glass shipped in a box, cut to as large as 24"x24", and avoid truck charges.  Call today to find out more about this option!

Pat Deere

LINKS:  Classes are starting.  If you are interested, check out my web site or give me a call.  517 431-2271.

What a way to start a morning.

Started out the morning leaving my house around 7am.  There was such a beautiful moon when we got home last night and it was really warm for a Michigan Fall.  So, this morning I was in the water using my rented kayak before 7:30.  This is pretty close to what I saw.  The moon was full, the water was still, and it was very quiet.

As I paddled along, the sun started to come up.  Not a great sunrise because it was pretty cloudy on the east side.  But, as you can see from this picture, the color was absolutely beautiful.  A couple of weeks ago it was even more brilliant but we are getting to the end of the color season.  Still quiet except for the fish flopping and geese taking off of the water.

Now to the best part.  I am using my camera phone so the pictures are not great but this is still worth posting.  I have been lucky enough to see a lot of deer while I am on the water.  It is easy for me to be quite and get really close to them.  If you look just to the right of center, left of the two skinny tree trunks, and above the shoreline is one of the six deer I was following this morning.  Two of them came from the top of the hill, down by the water, and back up the other side as I sat in the kayak.  So cool!

On my way back I always pass this beautiful red bush.  You can see from the leaves in the water, it gets pretty soupy sometimes.  Great morning.  Now back to the studio for a busy day of repairing stained glass, removing some church windows from their frames for repairwork, and catching up from the week-end.

Pat Deere

$200 was the highest bid!

The Art Bra I posted yesterday sold for $200 at the auction tonight!  It started at $75 and they closed the bidding at 6:10pm - only 40 minutes after the bidding started.  Thanks to Elizebeth Engle, who made the ceramic base I was able to work with, it was put back up for auction and reached $200 before they closed the bid again.  Fun work for a good cause.  Lots of fun pieces - some bras that people were wearing, some edible art bras, music, food, and a lot of people. 

If you didn't make it this year, put it on your calendar for 2011!

Pat Deere

Art Bra Auction in Tecumseh - Bid on a bra for breast cancer research.

What a fun project.  When my friend, Elizabeth Engle asked me if I wanted to work on an art bra with her using ceramic and glass, I said "sure!"  I have been wanting to use that combination of materials for a while and never had the chance.

While I was on vacation, Elizabeth got a mold from my studio.  She created the pieces, brought them back for me to fire in the kiln, and I used this one as my donated piece.  The top section was created by painting fusers glue mixed with glass frit with a design carved into it prior to firing.  The nipples fell off during the firing process, so they also were covered in frit, fired, then glued back on after the mosaic work was completed.  The strap is copper wire and the bottom is decorated with beadwork.

This is the third bra I have created for this event over the years and it is a lot of fun to be a part of.  Some of the bras are a little quirky, like this one, but the cause is serious.  If you are in the area and have the opportunity to go, I have the information listed below.  Advance tickets are required - I believe they have sold out in the past so call ahead to be sure.

You can find information on facebook:  Tecumseh Art Bra Auction

Contact Info: The Purple Pear Tree, 109 W. Logan St., Tecumseh, MI, 49286, Phone: 517-424-6003

Hope to see you there!

Pat Deere

Glass Class Fridays are starting now!

People have been asking me when I am going to start giving classes again!  Well the time is now. 

TO DO:
1. Take a look at my web site and see the list of classes I offer.  http://www.picturesinglass.net/
2. Contact me to let me know you plan to attend.
3. Take advantage of my incentive - get your first class hour for FREE!
4. After that, class time will be $10/hour including tools.  Materials used are extra.
5. Call your friends... it's always more fun with friends.
6. Think of gifts you want to give for Christmas:  Candle holders, jewelry, picture frames, etc.

The plan for now until further notice is:
Time:  6pm-9pm
Date:  Friday Evenings
Location:  My Studio (10650 Carson Hwy., Tecumseh, MI  49286)
Pre-Registration:  REQUIRED

Pat Deere

Re-engergized!

Lot's has gone on and my energy is peaking again.  Just got back from a 3 week trip to Europe that I am beginning to organize through photos and thoughts... more to come on that.

Friday I was one of the lucky thousands of visitors to Grand Rapids, MI with the purpose of seeing art for the 2010 ArtPrize competition.  Today is the last day.   It is well worth the visit.  Art along the water, inside buildings, outside buildings, in restaurants, etc.  Over 1,000 works of art are everywhere and it represents such diversity.  I'll say it again, it is well worth taking the time to go today if you haven't been already.  I spent 5 hours walking around and still did not see it all.

All of this is giving me the excitement to start my cathedral again.  While in sculpture class quite a few years back I started a 5' x 8' glass and steel cathedral.  To make a long story short, it would dissapoint me at different times in my life when I needed a place to go and feel peace, serenity, or just have private time in a place that I felt close to my God.  That got the ball rolling.  I had no idea it would take the  amount of time it is taking to get the cathedral done.  Needless to say, after traveling through London, France, Barcelona, Florence, Rome and Venice, that inspiration has kicked in - in a very big way.  I am working on it again.  I'll be posting the progress on my blog and try not to think about the hours it will take to get it done.  But, this is being done for my benefit and I don't have to put a price on it.  And, all cathedrals I have seen have taken years, and often are in a constant state of work.

Today's Photo:  The doors to my cathedral.  They have been cut with a hand saw out of steel, sanded, sandblasted and heat treated for color.  My original plan was to cut them with a plasma cutter.  The steel I was using was too thin and it was causing the steel to warp.  So, what I thought would take a day or two, took me many days and hours to do by hand.  OK The photo will have to come later.  Techinical difficulties... my computer is not recognizing my internet card.  But, I don't want it to stop my momentum so here goes my blog update without a photo.  Later this afternoon, working on my flying buttresses.

Pat Deere

Links:  ArtPrize, Grand Rapdis, MI