Upcoming events: Too Many, Too Soon…

Taking off

I am amazed at how busy this season has started out!  I’ll tell you about that in a minute, but first I want to talk about my play date.   I love big birds and when I see one (anywhere, anytime) I pull over, grab my always-close-at-hand-camera and take as many photos as the bird allows.  Mind you, this is a point and shoot camera…a good one, but nonetheless not one that can really capture a great shot unless the bird happens to be very close.  My friend Charlene feels the same way about stopping to photograph birds … or anything else for that matter, so I promised her a play date for her birthday.  She has a great camera with a telephoto lens, and I can hardly wait to see her photos.  I’ll share them with you by editing those she sends into the bottom of this post.

Through the branches, we could see 5 eagles

We found a great spot close to the Columbia River, but off the beaten path where a dozen or so eagles were soaring and circling a food source.  It was cold but clear and the thrill of watching and trying to photograph them made us forget about everything else.  In a way it was frustrating trying to get my little camera to do something it wasn’t made to do, so rather than fight it, I decided to enjoy the ride and shot what I could.

Landing strip

As you can see, this shot is blurry, but it was incredible to watch these large birds, symbols of freedom, land one after the other onto this tall, narrow snag.

Woolly Bear

As we left, I found something my camera was very good at photographing, a Woolly Bear!

The Dalles Dam

And a petty landscape.  We stopped for lunch at The Bistro, inside Waters Edge Health and Fitness Center where we happened to meet the director, who graciously showed us around.  It’s a wonderful facility including a spa, conference center, excercise room and so much more.

Back in the studio I have way too many projects going on.  Several private commissions, a couple of public and educational proposals just finished up and sent out, as well as gearing up for a busy ‘show’ season.

If you’re in the Hood River area, please stop into Good News Gardening during the month of March where Charlene Fort and I are sharing a wall to display our glass. I’ll have butterflies, fairies, ladybugs and wallpockets. What more could you want for the garden or to hold your garden’s treasures?  Have a bite to eat with friends at the cafe.  Oh, and they have plants too!

The end of March you’ll find me heading to Las Vegas for the big Glass Craft and Bead Expo.  I know I’ll see many of you there – be sure to say ‘hi’ when you see me!  You’re welcome to stop into my classroom in the late afternoon when we’re finishing up from our day’s work.  Better yet, sign up for a class!

The Pines Tasting Room in Hood River will be hosting a show in which all participating artists from the Gorge Artists Open Studios tour are featured.  You can stop in during the First Friday opening on April 1st, or anytime during the month of April to see an example of the studio tour artist’s work.  Taste some fabulous wine while you’re there!

“Bite of the Gorge” takes place on April 9th, a feast of a fundraiser for Columbia Gorge Arts in Education.  Most artists paint a ceramic plate for the event, but I’ve been donating glass plates.  I’m better at glass than I am at painting ceramic and I want them to have my best.  Taste and silently bid on art.  Fun!

April closes with the huge Oregon Glass Guild “Glass Gallery” in Portland.  April 29 through May 1st.   There’s more….too much more, so for now, I’ll go back to creating glass to fill all my upcoming events.

Don’t forget, when Charlene sends her eagle photos, I’ll post them here.

By the way, if you like my posts, please feel free to click the appropriate buttons below to share with your friends!

Come to the Glass Craft and Bead Expo!

It’s already the first of February and my classes at the Glass Craft and Bead Expo are filling up so it’s time to start ordering equipment and supplies.  Glass, check. Kilns, check. Grinders, check.  Class supplies, check. What am I missing, it’s too easy this year.

I always look for interesting new ways of working with powdered glass and accessories that will enhance student projects.  I was the first to introduce dicro slide in my classes and continue to include it.  This year I bought some fun murinni from Glacial Art Glass for students to play with and some cool new fine-line laser imagery from Dichroic Alchemy.  We always find time to play with chalks, dichro, mica, and more.

This year I’m teaching 4 different classes instead of any repeats (You can read about them on my ‘Class Listings’ page toward the top in the right hand column).  Without further ado, here they are:

Play Date with Paste:  learn how to sculpt, make pattern bars, and more with wet glass paste, aka glass clay.  Very fun.

Exploring Glass Powders:  an introduction to many ways of working with powdered glass.  I’m told this one can be overwhelming, there’s a lot of information to take in just one day.

Beautiful Butterflies:  create your own imaginative or realistic butterfly from the initial sketch to execution.  Includes making your own pattern.

Build a Better Pocket:  learn how to make your own original design with an assortment of decorating tools.

Each year gets better at the Glass Craft and Bead Expo. I love teaching and getting to know each of the people in my classes. I’ve had some truly gifted and talented students and made some great friends.

We’re at the South Point again making it ultra convenient to stay, play, dine, wine, and hang with other glassists.  March 30th through April 3rd in Las Vegas NV.  See you there?