Visiting Roots of Knowledge windows at UVU

If you get the chance to visit the Roots of Knowledge windows at Utah Valley University in Provo, Utah, you will have a treat. The Holdman studio designed and built a beautiful wall of 80 panels in the school library

It all starts with Earth's place in the universe.

. I was lucky enough to be invited to a dinner hosted in the room surrounded by the lovely windows. Aunt Annette is a donor to the school and was honored with the other donors with a dinner and presentation by one of the builders of the window.
Each panel depicts an era of time throughout history. The skill involved is so impressive. Having done this work myself, I know how much effort went into this project. The  objective of the project is to ignite hope and confidence in individuals to make a difference for good in the world.           

Some of these buildings are depicting real city-scapes while some are works of imagination using genuine circuit boards.

Most of the detail was painted with crushed glass fired a 1,200 degrees.

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It was fun to follow the history of explorers and events.

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Alexander the Great has his image in mosaic. 

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The detail is amazing along with the research involved. I recommend downloading the Roots of Knowledge app for more explanation of  the windows. Art has such an influence on our scenes and emotions. Especially stained glass. I was moved by the expanse and artistic vision of the piece. 

Hunting for treasure

This weekend I crawled around a house before it will turn into an estate sale. I was hunting for glass treasures. I am amazed at how much can be saved by one family. It was like burrowing in and around a rabbit hole of history. There were lots of lovely glass pieces hiding in old cabinets, drawers and cupboards. I found secret closets and a room full of cuckoo  clocks. I dug through piles of lace and linen, pots and pans, lamps and letters. The light started to dim as the evening came upon us and it was more difficult to see all the wonders of the place. Old Victorian lighting just doesn't do the trick.  We were very careful what we were reaching into. All in all it was a lot of fun wondering what some things even were. I came away with beautiful glass to incorporate into windows. I even found a clock for David for a steal of a deal. Its dirty and dusty but the exploration is a hoot.

There were many rooms full to the brim of "stuff". There was no rhyme or reason to the collections so we just explored every nook and cranny.

I was going to bring this 1930's table home with me to put a mosaic on the top but changed my mind. I couldn't bring home everything!

I got a few awesome table runners. 

This is the clock I got for David. He didn't even mind that the glass was broken. "I can fix that" he said.

I loved the color of this little bowl. Glass has amazing properties. Now to design some windows. 

Favorite Stained Glass Moments

One of my favorite stained glass moments is watching a client show us the installed piece in his or her home. We don't always get to experience this pleasure when we have someone else take care of the install. I feel elated to be able to bring joy to a family as they live with our art.
The Clarke's have a lovely home built in the 1800's. The original house was a tiny log house which they have brought up to date in a beautiful way. The original owner was a blacksmith. They have found many fascinating artifacts while digging around the property. They left an exposed wall of the cabin in the interior of the house where they have displayed these treasures.

I so appreciated the tour of their home and property and loved the joy they expressed while showing us where the stained glass tree of life now resides.

This gem of a house is so inviting.
It is a pleasure to be able to have a piece in such a welcoming home. 

Even the shed in the back is homey and inviting. It is original to the property.

This little shed window was made in our studio and looks perfect hanging here.

I loved the barn door effect that is below the window in the bedroom. The home owner made this window in class at our studio.  The colors look beautiful with the decor of the room. 

And here is the tree of life window. It is meaningful to the family in many ways. 

The colors in the tree represent a real tree in their back yard. The little bird had a red breast which is their daughter's favorite color. 

Eventually each child will be represented with a window and her's is the first. 

Just for fun I have added a close-up of their bathroom tile. I fell in love with it. There is an organic feel in the geometric shapes that is so pleasing. 

This is just an extra little something I thought you might like. I sure did. 

I did a "Wisdom Wednesday" Video That Goes With This.
"Decorating With Stained Glass"

Home Sweet Glassy Home

There are many ways to make where you live your own Home Sweet Glassy Home. It's fun to visit a friend and notice the style they have in their house or apartment. I have a friend who is an exceptional painter . Her home is full of murals, paintings and inspirational artwork. We laugh because as I enter her home I greet her politely then my eyes wander during our conversation at the wonderful things to look at. It's her own fault for being so talented. Another friend has an Air B and B in her home and wants her guests to feel at home while keeping a separate space for her family things. A client's home was craftsman style through and through. It could have been lived in during the early 1920's. Our home is definitely occupied by stained glass artists. You can't turn your head without staring into a design of colored glass. It's what makes our house our home. I would like to share with you some of the ways we have displayed glass around the place.

I gathered some veggies from our garden and plated them on a fused platter. You can't see the plate very well but the lettuce and tomatoes were so pretty I let them have center stage.

Some glass butterflies are settled on the bean plants. There is even a fairy sighting.

Blue butterfly among the cherry tomatoes. 

This mirrored star in the garden sparkles clear into the house when the sun hits it just right.

I know this is a Christmas scene but I like it so well it gets to stay up all year.

These mosaic cups are for a class coming up. They can be used for small planters, a toothbrush holder or for  pencils at your desk. I have gone with a beachy theme including starfish and turtles.

This sweet little lamp lives in the boudoir,

I can get my morning inspiration as I prepare for the day in my dressing area.
There are always new projects showing up around the house. Glass is such a versatile medium. Thanks for coming along for the tour. I'm sure there will be more in the future. 

Women of Faith greeting cards

We are excited to have just printed greeting cards with images of our Women of Faith windows. They look so pretty. If you can't quite swing the purchase of all these amazing windows then the next best thing would be to get yourself a set of these cards. The visions that these windows conjure are of strong women who set an example of strength and courage. 

The woman at the well 

Aurora - Morning

Woman of  Abundance

Queen Esther - For such a time as this

Eve - Shelter from the Storm

Miriam - The Guardian
If you would like a set of these cards please email us at david.gsglass@gmail.com.
They are $12.00 plus postage for 6 cards with envelopes in a plastic box. 

A time to play

This week was a holiday and we took some time to play. The sun was shining and the day was perfect for a jaunt to the mountains. We drove up the canyon to Sundance Resort for a break from glass breaking. The funny thing was that glass art was still on my mind. I could picture stained glass in places here and there and got ideas for what would be the perfect window. I wondered what it would be like to teach classes in the Art Shack and pictured my work in the little store. That's not to say that I can't relax, it just means I love what I do and it follows me into all aspects of life, holiday or not.  With a few days of diversion we are ready to get back to cutting and grinding. Next time there will be lots of windows to show you.

I love that we can drive just a little while and enjoy this awesome place. 

This is the counter in the Art Shack. I was impressed with the beautiful glass. 

Sorry, the video doesn't play, but it's still awesome.
Then on Independence Day we traveled to Star Valley, Wyoming for some family visiting and enjoying the gorgeous landscape. 

It was so nice to see David's dad and brother. 

David was able to visit his Mom's grave with his Dad.

The country is breathtaking. 

Cut them up and put them back together

How would you like to have a mosaic in your home like the byzantine mosaics of old: So maybe you don't have 10,000.00 to spend on one of these masterpieces. No fear, we are offering a beginner class on mosaic building here at the studio. Starting Saturday, July 7, we are offering two sessions of cutting bits and pieces of glass and putting them back together in a fun design. I have some designs for you but we encourage unique designs also. You will receive a 7 x 7 inch frame, enough glass for your project, glue and grout to finish your (almost) byzantine masterpiece. Sign up by messaging me or go to our web site for more contact information. Other similar workshops have been lots of fun for the students and they finish some awesome projects. The price is only $75.00 for  two consecutive Saturdays.
I am excited about sharing what I have learned about stained glass. It's a beautiful, meaningful and functional art that has been around for a very long time.

This is a byzantine mosaic probably from the 12th century. I love the detail. 

This cute cherry was made by cutting glass from a pattern I drew. You can use small squares or cut out shapes ,

I made a series of flowers, fruits and vegetables in mosaic bits. I have so much fun putting them together.

This is the tray you will be building your mosaic in. It is 7 inches square and will be perfect for your first project. 

I got ambitious and built a 12 ft. by 6 ft mosaic art project. It took three months but was lots of fun. It is hung at the Smith's Market Place in Springville, UT, in the food court. 

At the Country Club

The Riverside Country Club in Provo, Utah is hosting a show for the Utah Valley Art Guild. I am pleased to have two stained glass pieces in their show. It's a beautiful building and the owners are very nice. They had a difficult time at first trying to know how to hang stained glass in the show. That seems to be a challenge for our artwork. I am trying to display in lots of venues to teach them the different ways to hang and enjoy the windows. I was happy that a spot was prepared to hang the windows where light could be shown behind it. That is always the best way.

This window is called "Sakura".
I like the simplicity of it and the movement of the background glass.

The artwork was lots of fun. There is a group of very talented artists in our area.

It is a pretty colorful show

The piece we call "Someone to watch over me" hangs in front of the work-out room.

Jenna Von Benedikt had a presentation upstairs. 

We are lucky to have one of her paintings in our home.

The windows shown in this blog post are for sale and I would be happy to have them adorn your home or office. 

Contact us at www.gsg-art.com or email at david.gsglass@gmail.com. 

I also love to teach stained glass classes and invite you to join me.