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Artists in Stained Glass (AISG) Artists in Stained Glass Home & News About AISG Galleries Classes/Workshops Forum Article Archives Join AISG Survey Links Contact AISG NeumannStudiosStainedGlassGiffenStainedGlassGallery(ScottyGiffen)ArtGlassEnvironmentsInc. Do you have any stained glass news, information or events that you would like to share with our visitors? Email us with details! Wholesaling Stained Glass in the US by Jason Peter Brown on September 12, 2007 Filed Under: REPRINTINGS, FLAT GLASS JOURNAL, WHOLESALING Permalink to this Article This article by Emily Zeitlin originally appeared in the Flat Glass Journal Volume 24, Issue 5. I thought it might be interesting to republish this from a historical perspective. How much has changed for Canadian artists selling to the United States in the last decade or so? Has the stronger Canadian dollar had an effect? While wholesaling may not be everyone's cup of tea, it can be a full or part time venture that is profitable in the world of glass. During the course of the past twenty years as a full time glass artist I have had the opportunity to explore all aspects of earning my living via glass. I have also found it necessary to change and try various marketing avenues as the economy changed. Initially my studio functioned as a site specific commissions studio, but it became apparent after several years that retail shows and home shows, etc… were a natural and needed component. The U.S., particularly the Connecticut area (where I was), was hard hit by a recession. Retail shows were an excellent opportunity to meet one-on-one and educate the general public to the world of glass techniques and options. Retailing is an education as to pricing, styles, comfort levels, and interest in different glass techniques. The next step was testing the waters in the world of wholesaling - from gallery owners to corporate buyers to catalogue companies. Many decisions - personal and economic - must be factored into the mix of how each of us pursues a career in the world of glass. The good news is that glass work is still in strong demand by buyers in the US wholesale marketplace. The important news is that if you haven't already taken your blinders off, for the most part, glass work is not a "need" item. It is vital to recognize and respect that you are running a business no different than any other service business which requires strict attention to the needs and wants of your clients as well as the overall economic climate. Fortunately, or unfortunately, many of us learn the economic lessons the hard way. Face it, it is definitely not the easiest task to be self-employed, let alone in an area where emotions, self expression and creativity on a very personal level are the driving force. Example of author's work. Links to author's page in the AISG galleries I personally found that John Iverson's newsletter "CraftSmarts" addresses some of those nuts and bolts realities. On a personal note, my former partner and I grew a very successful wholesale glass business, but without the proper preparation on meeting the new levels of demand, it took a heavy toll - both in our personal and business lives. On the brighter side if you do your economic reality checks, wholesaling can be a rewarding and lucrative part of your glass experience. It is very demanding and challenging, and it calls upon creative reserves in putting all the pieces in place. You may even become a trendsetter, or create a specialty niche and clientele. What I can pass on to you is that having experienced many different wholesale venues, I personally now participate with one show and have been with them for many years. This promoter welcomes the inclusion of Canadian exhibitors, and appreciates the special quality and flavour that characterize Canadian artists of all mediums. Who and what is that entity you ask? The Buyers Market of American Crafts, commonly referred to as the Rosen Show. Why this show? the quality of work the professionalism the fact that unlike general gft shows, this show is designed to serve buyers who are seeking original design, quality, handmade items the exhibitors and buyers attend from all parts of the USA and Canada price points are varied, and the exhibitor must be one of the active creators of the work, buy/sell, knockoffs etc. are, to put it mildly, unacceptable and unwelcome the show ambiance, displays etc. create a gallery atmosphere examples of new work are required prior to every show to keep things fresh for the buyers and challenge us to continue to design, stretch and grow. Barbara Bateman, Rosen team spokesperson said "…let the Canadian artisans know we welcome their participation with open arms… Over the years we have noticed a growing number of Canadian based exhibitors in all mediums and they are well represented in the world of glass both hot, warm and flat." The Rosen group's policy to allow non-profit guides to have a booth at the show for no charge has been a wonderful stepping stone for many. Quebec has taken advantage of this opportunity showcasing some excellent talents. Anyone interested in considering the Rosen Show would benefit highly by visiting the show to get a sense of the displays, price points, trends, etc… You may request free passes from the Rosen Agency. The USA with so many population centres, diversified populations, economic, geographic climates and tastes is a vast marketplace… an opportunity to gift many with your work. The Rosen Group provides a supportive environment - with preparation, some solid dollar and "sense" planning you may open a new doorway to your future marketing plans. ¤¤¤ Participating in Art Shows — Tips and Tricks by Jason Peter Brown on September 11, 2007 Filed Under: REPRINTINGS, FLAT GLASS JOURNAL Permalink to this Article This article was written by David Wilde and originally appeared in the Flat Glass Journal Volume 24 Issue 5. In preparation for any show, I would have to recommend the following: Have a business card that is current. No scratched out phone numbers! Have some inexpensive visual materials available, even if it is for the mindless hordes who pick up everything. What I do is every two years, I get some postcards made up at Adfactor in Toronto. If the information on the back is no longer current, what I did is print up some new information on card stock and spent a night gluing them together with double sided tape. I still have cards left over from the mid eighties that at least covey the impression of contemporary design and colour possibilities. Have some information about yourself. Have some information about different things you do. I had one small sheet for residential commissions, one for corporate or commercial work, and one for liturgical work. On the back of each was a short description of the design and commission process. I made the mistake of saying a design fee would apply to most jobs, which I think acts as a deterrent, at least in Canada. You could mention this if you get asked to visit with a client, but I don't recommend mentioning it beforehand. I rented a booth that was Velcro receptive, but I didn't take full advantage of it. Pictures could be mounted on card material and very easily hung with Velcro strips on the back, I had a portfolio open, which was popular at both shows. Take good lights! I had two 500W halogen lights illuminating my triptych from below, and a couple of clip-on spots to sunlight from above. Jane and Kathryn have a collapsible booth with openings cut into It so that they can back light their works and use their own walls to hang their printed materials on. I think that worked well for them. My work was three pieces which formed a triptych, and it just about filled the booth in width, and was quite dramatic, just hung from a simple stand. The Velcro receptive gray background gave enough texture behind to really show off the antique glass, a good selling point when asked why stained glass costs so much. Take a comfortable stool or director's chair! Standing for hours is a killer. Sitting in a low chair is even worse because people think you're pooped and not interested. A stool puts you on eye level, and gives your back a rest. Take a notebook with you. I would use double sided carpet tape to put the business cards I would get from the trade right into my book, and make notes beside the cards so that when I followed up with the my mailed portfolio of colour Xeroxes, I would have something personal to say to get acquainted again. I send out a simple folder with about 6 or 7 Xeroxes, my CV, another business card or two and some press clippings. This format allows for updates. I get 5 x 7 colour prints of all my works because it looks a lot better on a sheet with printed information about the piece shown and about the studio in general. With colour Xerox, you only have to get what you need printed, the reproduction is fantastic, and you can change your information on the printed part and set up a whole new sheet very easily. Be prepared to talk with everyone about how their Uncle Fred used to make stained glass sailboats, I used to, and it was fun at the time, but I have changed since then. You are there to sell and you can't do that if you don't educate. Mind you, on the zoo days next year at the Interior Design Show, I think I'll just clear the booth of any colour cards, go for more breaks whenever the crowd gets too thick, or read the weekend paper. Move-in and move-out are stressful, and no one seems to ever be happy. The One of a Kind Show was the worst move out I've ever witnessed. After its all over, you go home, have a drink and hot shower or bath, and start thinking about next year! If you're prepared for some stress, its fun to sit back and watch all the others who can't deal with it try to take it out on the staff, who are there to help. So make good friends with the staff, especially the ones in charge of door access. Even if you get stressed, they'll try to help the ones they know who have been decent with them throughout the show, especially the longer ones. The sun rose the next day, just like it always does. Dress comfortably and neatly. Take a hairbrush or comb, and find a booth nearby with a mirror to check for ketchup stains from the hotdog you are inevitably going to have. Take some snacks, and plenty of water. Some people have candies in a bowl at their booths, which seems to work for them. I cleaned out my neighbours jelly beans as fast as he could fill them up again. Yum, yum! Have a quality product on display. No missed soldering joints, no oozing cement, no smudges or finger prints. Have back up light bulbs! Only put your absolute best works into your folder or portfolio, Don't be afraid to send the jerks to your competition. Ha, Ha! Seriously, if someone is from too far away, and you know someone closer, then refer. It's professional. Have fun. Life's pretty good. ¤¤¤ Stained Glass in Muscat, Oman by Jason Peter Brown on September 7, 2007 Filed Under: STAINED GLASS, ISLAM, MOSQUES Permalink to this Article A stained glass window in the main hall of the Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman. © anrivan. In our continued quest around the virtual globe to find diverse examples of stained glass work, we now arrive in Muscat, Oman on the south-east coast of the Arabian peninsula. I found the two pictures included in this post on Flickr. They were taken by a user name anrivan, and he has some other great shots of the sites around Muscat, including some nice shots of the Grand Mosque from which the stained glass photos were taken. I also found this short article about the stained glass work at the Muscat Municipality Building from the Islamic Voice. Stained glass artist Asad Hajeebhoy of Bangalore, India created the 30 metre diameter dome for the building. Unfortunately the images of the dome are quite small, so if any of you have any larger images for us to post, please feel free to email them to us. The underside of the giant chandelier in the main hall of the Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman. © anrivan. ¤¤¤ A Brief History of Egyptian Stained Glass by Jason Peter Brown on September 6, 2007 Filed Under: HISTORY, STAINED GLASS, EGYPT Permalink to this Article Here's a brief article on the history of the Egyptian glass industry during the "Islamic Era". Unfortunately, it has few photographic examples, but it was interesting to learn how glass became increasingly valued in Egypt from 750 AD through 883 AD and how it now features prominently in many mosques and even government buildings. ¤¤¤ Cologne Cathedral's New Pixelated Stained Glass Window by Jason Peter Brown on August 28, 2007 Filed Under: CATHEDRALS, STAINED GLASS Permalink to this Article Cologne Cathedral window by Gerhard Richter Just over a month ago, I reported that a replacement window for one destroyed during World War II at the Cologne Cathedral was going to be displayed publicly on August 25th. That date has come an gone and the window is now open to the public. Gerhard Richter designed the window (inspired by his own 1974 painting "4096 colors") using 11,200 square pieces of coloured glass. The result is decidedly Modern within the Gothic framework of the surrounding building. What do you think? Does the juxtaposition work or fail? Deutsche Welle has a more detailed take on the project with some quotes from Gerhard Richter. A computer simulation of the window in relation to the rest cathedral. ¤¤¤ Lithuanian Stained Glass Sculptures by "Lolita" by Jason Peter Brown on August 28, 2007 Filed Under: ART, SCULPTURE, STAINED GLASS Permalink to this Article I'd like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who have taken the anonymous visitor survey so far. We are working to address the comments that you have provided. One thing that has come up is a request for insights into how artists outside of North America (where it seems the vat majority of our visitors are from) are using stained glass. Well, I have been searching and I have come across the work of a Lithuanian artist know only as "Lolita". Instead of flat panelled stained glass windows, she incorporates flat stained glass pieces into three dimensional sculptures of a variety of subjects — insects, birds, boats & bicycles. If you have any links to interesting examples of stained glass art from around the world, please email us with details so we can share them publicly. ¤¤¤ Stained Glass Ceiling at Palau de la Musica by Jason Peter Brown on August 27, 2007 Filed Under: STAINED GLASS, PHOTOGRAPHY, VIRTUAL TOURS Permalink to this Article Ceiling at the Palau de la Musica © Carlos Lorenzo Carlos Lorenzo has taken an amazing photo of the ceiling of the Palau de la Música in Barcelona, Spain. Make sure to click the image at the top of the blog entry to see the spectacular full–size version. You can also take this virtual tour of the building to witness the architecture and use of stained glass "first hand". ¤¤¤ Colour Inspiration by Jason Peter Brown on August 24, 2007 Filed Under: COLOUR, INSPIRATION, BLOWN GLASS Permalink to this Article Top ranked palettes at COLOURlovers Summer fun has gotten in the way of submissions lately, but as August winds down we should be back to a more regular posting schedule. I've found a great online community for fans of colour, approriately called COLOURlovers. If you enjoy opening up a brand new box of Crayola® crayons, or if you need a little colour/palette inspiration for you next work, then you will love this site. COLOURlovers allows you to search for palettes by colour, hue, keywords and ranking. It also lets you submit your own palettes for judging by the rest of the community. It also features a blog dedicated to spectacular colours in all forms of artwork and experience. The blog includes an entry that may be of particular interest to stained glass artists about the glass-blowing work of artist Dale Chihuly. Piece from the Seaforms series by Dale Chihuly from a COLOURlovers blog entry. Image © Dale Chihuly ¤¤¤ The Other 'S' in Stained Glass by E Steinebach on August 12, 2007 Filed Under: REVIEW, STONE Permalink to this Article Wanted: Stained Glass The other "S" in Stained Glass This is for all you architects, builders, restoration experts and stained glass artists working within the public domain, for city halls, community centers and churches. You might be starting from scratch, you might be designing an addition, you might be repairing, or you might be restoring. You will want to know about the other "S" in stained glass. This is of course the silent "S", the "S" that most of us stained glass artists don't even want to know about. But you should. The American Glass Guild did a fine job of getting new and old presenters to come and share their knowledge and expertise. Some lecture choices were very difficult to choose from, because it meant you had to try to be in two places at once. And if you missed this lecture, where it was declared that the cost of this silent "S" has dropped by about 30%, you are going to be at a great disadvantage. So, what is the other "S" in stained glass – well, it's Stone. Laurie Wells, of Old World Stone Limited gave a very informative slide presentation and shared three case studies, typical of the work they are capable of. Their Burlington, Canada operation can handle both new and old materials, from cutting massive slabs of limestone to modern plastics and all sorts of materials in between. And they are not limited to new construction or restoration; want a big rock or two for an accent or wall? They can handle your landscaping needs as well. Laurie's second case study illuminated the need for all of us working on these kinds of buildings/situations, where stained glass will be used, to know something about the stone work the glass will be framed into. She shared how faulty glazing, lead to the stone weakening, through freeze – thaw cycles, that ultimately lead to the stone actually shearing away and falling to the ground. Not a good thing when people might be walking by. I hope you all have excellent insurance coverage. I was very impressed with their stone cutting equipment, especially the six foot diameter cutting saw. Combined with Laurie's no nonsense and straight up, professional assistance to help with material selection and specifications, she will have you considering the possibility of building with stone. These two distinct offerings provide excellent customer service and have brought the costs down, for using stone as a contemporary building material. Check - Old World Stone Limited - out, for yourself. Old World Stone Limited ¤¤¤ American Glass Guild Conference 2007 by E Steinebach on August 10, 2007 Filed Under: REVIEWS, AMERICAN GLASS GUILD, CONFERENCES Permalink to this Article American Glass Guild Conference My grandmother was a smart woman. She said, if you want to have something new to talk about, you have to get off your own front porch. The world will pass you by, if you stay safely tucked in. Thinking I had lucked out on finding a direct flight to Providence, Rhode Island, I have lots to say about flying in an Air Canada aircraft, where I had both a window and an aisle seat. This twin propeller beauty sailed through to Providence, in less time than it took me to drive to the airport. It takes a tremendous amount of planning and work to prepare a conference, the calibre of the American Glass Guild. Yes, there were some glitches, yes there were some egos and attitudes, but more importantly, with tolerance and understanding, we worked through them. Part of the excitement and drama, is the people watching, anyway. We are a small community, both with stars and warts. I had a great time. I met some amazing people. Even travelling on my own, coming from a self taught stained glass background and a one woman studio, I was welcomed. When, even in the moments of not being entirely sure about why I went, someone like Robert Pinart, would graciously materialize, sit and chat about his own excitement and being not so sure where he was supposed to be, either. This gentle sweet man was a delight and we would drift into and out of each others schedule, only to reappear, with a smile and a brief insiders tidbit. My secret agenda was to meet with Jean Jacques Duval. I am a sucker for dalle de verre. I purposely attended the church tours in hopes of seeing some American installations. My sole, must see, lecture was the slides of Jean Jacques' works. When we were at St Brendan's Catholic Church, Helmut Schardt, who has worked with Duval, was there to answer questions about Benoit Gilsoul's work. Had I been able to corral Helmut into a quiet corner, the questions would have been about the dalle work. And providence was with me in Providence, during one of the extremely expensive breakfast buffets, at the hotel, who should walk in a bit weary from the late night festivities, but Jean Jacques. He agreed to join me while he waited for Helmut to join him. Needless to say we had a wonderful conversation, with which Helmut joined in, on his arrival. This few moments are the ones that will stick with me for the rest of my stained glass career. Sure, learning about new techniques, being inspired by new and inventive work, seeing new materials are also what these conferences are about, but it is the unforeseen gifts of friendship, and generosity of spirit from a someone you admire, that truly make an event, for me. Besides my secret agenda, I was there to network. Not my strong suit. Being, what I thought, was the sole Canadian didn't help either. I was very impressed with the number of people who knew each other, it almost felt like I had somehow crashed the wrong school reunion. Again the warmth and friendly curiosity, offered me a comfortably greeting into an interesting community, so much of my concerns, were unwarranted. For all of you a bit apprehensive about coming out to this kind of event, don't be. There will always be someone to connect to. The evening we had a community dinner, at a local restaurant, was somehow more informal than some of the meals, at the hotel and it turned out to be a great evening. I learned lots and will be sharing some of the information I gleaned from the various lectures, in other articles. I will, however share an interesting meeting right off the bat. The morning of the church tour, had us meeting the bus fairly early. As we waited, I noticed a man in full motorcycle leathers. Musing to myself, I wondered if this man could be Dennis, the bevel guy. I had posted my intention of coming to Providence, but had heard nothing. When I overheard the couple in front of me recognizing the man, I inquired. Yes indeed, it was Dennis Swan, the bevel guy. When we returned at the end of the day, Dennis greeted the bus and we had the opportunity to meet. In less than 20 minutes he had me upstairs looking at his newest bevel creations. His Illusion series, is mind blowing. Bevels, bevelled partially on both sides. The effect is hypnotic, especially as you move the bevel in a level plain. The internal dimension of the bevel's reverse bevel, fills the glass with refractive potential. These bevels will look good no matter where the sun tracks in the sky. I was very fortunate to receive a sample of this type of bevel and am excitedly waiting for the right project to showcase it. So for all of you who said you couldn't, wouldn't, or feared that they can't afford to, I say get it in the budget, so you can! One thing I've noticed about glass artists is that we can be an independent sort of lot. And that's great. It lets us be very resourceful, inventive and creative. It can also keep us from networking with each other, and dare I say, prevents us from getting to know our competition. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. When we can honestly refer to our competition because we know they are better able to do this one thing that separates us, well I think it speaks to the professionalism of all stained glass artists. How does it go… united we stand, divided we fall? So start the piggy bank for next years conference. The Artists in Stained Glass forum is a great way to let others know you are going. Perhaps you can meet and share the ride or flight. I know quite a few people bunked in with each other, to save money. So there really is no excuse, see you next year. ¤¤¤ « Older Articles _uacct = "UA-2195998-1"; urchinTracker();

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