What a winter! It was the rainiest season in over 35 years at the store. Many of our customers work out of what we call “fair weather studios”- such as a garage, basement, or outside on a patio. Not great places to be when it’s cold & rainy. So when the weather started warming up and Spring was near, we thought, “what better way to kick-start the season of creation than with a glass contest?”
This is our second annual Amateur Glass Artist Contest at Stained Glass Garden. Fittingly, the last one channeled Winter, so the only guideline we had this year, was the best representation of “Spring”. Our panel of 9 judges (glass artists and teachers from around the Bay Area) chose based on creativity and skill, but most of all- what said “Spring” to them. I am grateful that myself and the staff were not judges, but instead got the fun job of seeing ALL of the amazing submissions as they rolled though, in each of the 3 categories: “Stained Glass” “Mosaic” and “Fusing”- almost 50 entries in all.
Every piece entered displayed a great sense of Spring feeling: lightheartedness, new beginnings, creation, fresh color, joy, and fun! In addition, we saw a lot of incredible skill, and a fascinating combination of techniques- a stained glass entry by Carol Swift in a hand-carved frame, with etched fish on one side and copper overlay on the other. A mosaic entry by Nancy Edwards, featuring a mosaic bird with soldered wire legs and a real twig nest! And humor- Donna Siu’s entry titled “Spring Fever” shows a stack of adorable (and impeccably cut) farm animals on a checkerboard ground.
These pieces were so much fun, and the winners and runners up were made up of both glass newcomers (Mosaic Winner Kim Angers, who has only been working with glass for 1.5 years), students (Stained Glass Winner Abi Polin, and Fusing Winner Maureen O’Halloran, who have been regulars in our Fusing and Stained Glass classes over the last few years), and long-time SGG patrons from around the Bay Area (Fuser Brian Giorgi & Stained Glass Artist Jill Owens, both from Walnut Creek, and Nancy Edwards from Clayton, CA)
Our hope is that with the Spring, the nice weather is here to stay, and that all of the contestants felt renewed in their glass inspiration, and ready to keep creating throughout the year! Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who participated- and keep making glass great! Continue to share your work on our private facebook Community Group: “SGG Artists”. If you aren’t already a member, send in a request (via facebook) today!
(Stop in the store before March 31st to see all of the finalists on display)
