This summer I spent a lot of time reflecting on the amazing things I saw both in museums and outdoors as I traveled around the country.  I thought about the ways in which we as artists are influenced and inspired by the raw beauty of nature.

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And how each artist takes that inspiration in new and interesting directions.  One never knows what you may happen upon as you explore in nature and where it will take you if you let your imagination run with it.

Or explores it in their own favorite meduim.

I also reflected on how art and museums have changed and become more open and inclusive of various media. I recall being in grad school in NYC and how some people turned their nose up at the thought of photography being included in the MET.  Now art includes many more media and college students today would likely find it humorous that anyone once objected to photography, much as it seems odd that once the impressionists were thought to create ugly work.  Fashion in museums is an example of inclusiveness that I found very engaging on a recent visit to the MET.  The show Heavenly Bodies exhibited contemporary fashion inspired by medevil and Catholic traditional art.

I love the peacefulness of the wing housing Native American art. I especially enjoy seeing contemporary work by people of the various indigenous cultures and have always felt it was important to share contemporary work with my students so they understand that many cultures are not just something of the past but are still alive and creating art. I enjoy seeing the ways that tradition influences the contemporary work and is re-envisioned for today’s world and messages.

Additionally I was struck by the use of fashion in an exhibit in Seattle this summer in which the artist designed the fabrics to represent the places in which crimes against women took place then created a dress from that fabric as a statement against the crime.  It was not only innovative, but incredibly moving!

Similarly to fashion,  glass was once only shown in glass museums, so I was excited to see it on display at the MET now too.  As I head back into the studio next week to start working on new sculptures, my head is swimming with the connections between nature and our own mental well being as well as the importance of protecting the environment if for no other reason for our own self-preservation both mentally and for survival reasons.  As I drove through CA this summer the scarcity of water and how to use it made it ever so clear that once nature is scarce, there are no good answers so we need to protect it before it is a problem, not when it becomes too late.  I look forward to seeing how these themes of the connectedness between our own well-being, nature and art play out in my new work.

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Lately I feel like my head is going to explode from all the ideas I have!  I keep grabbing my sketchbook and spending hours drawing!  I can’t wait to get back in the studio in the fall.  My mind is spinning from all the things I have seen this summer!

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“Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working.” –  Pablo Picasso

My mind was most definitely working this summer as we traveled around the country.  Our days were filled with beautiful landscapes and works of art,

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interspersed with laughter and visits with family and friends.  I was inspired by so many things we saw and experienced…

Our camping journey began with a visit to the Black Hills, SD

then on to Glacier National Park.  I was in awe looking at the mountains, lakes, waterfalls and obviously the snow and glaciers.

Next we traveled along the coast of California with its’ incredibly diverse landscapes…from the tall, awe inspiring redwoods,

to drought ridden farms,

to beaches with cool seaweed and back to desert.

And then we journied back home via the desert and canyons of the south west and back up through Wyoming.

I thought deeply about water and the lack of it and how that impacts us as humans.

I thought about the fragile state of the glaciers and our climate.

And I reflected on the beauty and peacefulness of nature and the rejuvenating power of meditation.

All of these inspiring experiences provided me with ideas for new work and installation projects.  I look forward to getting back to the studio in the fall and seeing the next journey I will take with my art.

In my recent exhibits, many people purchased my functional pieces to use in their home.   Today  I spent much of the day adding several made to order functional blown glass pieces to my Etsy site. I will be on vacation with my family soon and won’t be creating the work for orders until the end of July, but if you see something you like,

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Blue flutter bowl

[#Beginning of Shooting Data Section] Image Size:L (7360 x 4912), FX 2017/07/31 16:50:51.56 Time Zone and Date:UTC-6, DST:OFF Lossless Compressed RAW (12-bit) Nikon D810 Lens:VR 24-120mm f/4G Focal Length:120mm Focus Mode:AF-S AF-Area Mode:Group Area AF VR:OFF AF Fine Tune:OFF Aperture:f/9 Shutter Speed:1/200s Exposure Mode:Manual Exposure Comp.:-0.3EV Exposure Tuning: Metering:Matrix ISO Sensitivity:ISO 100 Device: White Balance:Preset manual d-1, 0, 0 Color Space:sRGB High ISO NR:ON (Normal) Long Exposure NR:OFF Active D-Lighting:OFF Image Authentication: Vignette Control:Normal Auto Distortion Control:OFF Picture Control:[SD] STANDARD Base:[SD] STANDARD Quick Adjust:0.00 Sharpening:3.00 Clarity:+1.00 Contrast:0.00 Brightness:0.00 Saturation:0.00 Hue:0.00 Filter Effects: Toning: Optimize Image: Color Mode: Tone Comp.: Hue Adjustment: Saturation: Sharpening: Latitude: Longitude: Altitude: Altitude Reference: Heading: UTC: Map Datum: [#End of Shooting Data Section]

please place an order now or when I return.  I look forward to creating beautiful pieces for your home or gifts.Reflections Glass Arts Etsy Site

While ‘Splash!” was on display at my last exhibit, I had many people tell me they wish it could hang in their house or at the yoga studio they go to so they could mediate on it daily.  This gave me the feedback I had hoped for without me even asking…

In creating “Splash!,” I thought about a lot about what it means to me.   I also thought about what I have learned from the children I teach.  Children love to share what they think and feel about a work of art.  Before they have any interest in who the artist is or when or why they created a piece, they want to tell you how they react to it.  To me that is what art is supposed to do…make you react, think, reflect on your own experiences.  Yet, as adults we so often forget to let ourselves do that and jump right to reading the notes on the wall about the artwork.   In creating “Splash!,” one goal I have is for adults to experience the work of art and to give you, the audience, the opportunity to actively react to the piece.  Before I share my thoughts with you, I want you to look, listen, smell and think about the piece, reflect on what memories or thoughts it brings to you, then write them in the journal.  Feel free after you write down your reactions, to also see what others have written, then come back here and I will share my thoughts with you.

There are many levels of meaning that I reflected on while creating the numerous blown and flame worked glass pieces for “Splash!”  On the most basic level, I thought about rain and the different reactions or meanings it may have for people.  Rain can be cool and refreshing, hard and pelting, damp and cold to the bone.  Some people like to walk in it, dance in it or stomp and splash in the puddles, while others hate the wetness.  My favorite memory of rain is when my daughters were little girls not yet in school.   As the rain slowed down or after a storm, I dressed them in their rain gear- boots, rain pants and coats and we would go out for a walk to go “puddle jumping.”  They always had a great time, with lots of squeals and laughter and I loved the joy it brought them.  The memory always brings a smile to my face.

The raindrops themselves were carefully thought out.  I wanted each raindrop to be unique in its own way to represent the beauty of diversity and individuality in all of us.  Some patterns on the raindrops are bright and bold and would stand out in a crowd.  Some are soft and faint, almost shy, fading into the background or nearly invisible.  Some are long or large, others short and small.  They all come together to create one piece, yet can each be appreciated individually for their unique patterning, color and shape.  The world would be boring if we were all the same, as would the work of art, the diversity is what makes it interesting.

Rain can also be a metaphor for life.  Life brings with it both joy and difficulty.  Sometimes a storm seems too much to bear and we hide from it.  Each person handles it in their own way – some quietly, some loud, for some pain washes over them and they move through it, others focus on the little details meditatively, some search for the rainbow at the end, others stomp and splash in the puddles as they go. We can choose how we see the storm. Rain can be refreshing and brings new life or growth. There is a well known quote by Vivian Greene, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”  This is a good message or goal, to not wait for the difficult times to pass, but to find ways while you deal with them to still enjoy the good moments, even if they are small.  Rather than seek shelter from the rain, may we find joy in the splashes or rainbows.

When I blow glass or create flame worked beads, I can be completely lost  in the moment, almost meditatively, concentrating on working with the glass and gravity to create beauty.  I can leave all other aspects of life and problems behind and when I finish I feel rejuvenated.  Creating my work brings me peace and joy and I hope that it can help others find that too.