Sunday 21 July 2013

New bathroom doors and Open House/Studio Tour at Nimbus Glass Studio!

I finally etched the bathroom doors at our home this past spring. Fortunately, my wife tolerated having clear glass in the bathroom doors the last few years!



To allow as much light as possible (other than being completely clear) I lightly frosted the main part of the glass, leaving a grid of clear lines (which echo the floor tile grout lines). The kiln-fired stained glass transmits a lot of light as well, while the wavy texture of the of the colours distorts the view to provide an acceptable degree of privacy.



This detail image shows the fine clear lines (the 'grid'), the kiln-fired stained glass and some of the 1" X 1" beveled glass bits that add 'sparkle' and a kinetic effect of changing light and shadow when approaching or passing the doors.

Made with tempered safety glass panels, these doors are as durable as they are beautiful. While my wife is happy to have more privacy, she really likes the over-all effect of the brightly coloured glasses (we call it her 'inner four-year-old').     ;-)

To show off these doors, along with some newer sculptural pieces and my new (four years) studio, I am having an open house and garden sculpture/studio tour on Sunday, July 28th (2013) from 10 am to 8 pm. If you are in the area of Shuswap Lake, we are on the north side, at 3019 Hopwood Road in Lee Creek (50 minutes from Kamloops, 40 minutes from Salmon Arm).

Wednesday 12 June 2013

Sun, Moon and Stars

This hanging sculptural piece started with some sketches by the client, with ideas of a sun/moon theme. As the installation included some natural light and also hangs in front of a section of wall, the glass needed to function with exterior transmitted light as well as reflected interior lighting.


I slumped the orange streaky sun/moon centre piece glass for a more dramatic '3-D' effect and delicately etched the crescent moon image on one side.

The blue glass extending from both sides of the centre includes some surface etched 'wave forms', ending in a row of metal stars with a faceted lead crystal ball. Extra arcs of copper hold more lead crystals, adding to the star motif.


Hanging from the ceiling on small chains, I added a small stainless steel wire at the bottom centre to angle the piece slightly from the vertical and to present a better viewing angle to the living room below.

The combination of surface etching on the deeply coloured glasses and the copper edges with the lead crystals allow this piece to make good use of both reflected and transmitted light. With an added accent light that 'bounces' light of the wall behind, the glass colours come out strongly for enhanced evening enjoyment.

-Private residence, Shuswap Lake, B.C., Canada.



Tuesday 12 March 2013

Art deco glass windows

These two small 35cm X 91cm (14" X 36") glass panels are installed in a private library in Kamloops, B.C., Canada.



The initial design idea was an 'art deco' reference, with an asymmetrical design being preferred by the clients. Several clear textured glasses and some 'mottled' etching were used to admit light into a second interior room. Delicately textured and kiln-fired stained glass pieces make up the remainder of the glasses in this traditionally leaded work.

The many textured surfaces refract, reflect and highlight the variety of lighting from diffused daylight to illumination by interior light at night. 

Installed in a wall between the library and a home office space, these panels can be enjoyed from either side, both day and night.