Monday Night Stained Glass Class

The Tiffany stained glass class began Monday night and the students learned some basic stained glass skills by making a small suncatcher. The first night of the class everyone learns to cut glass, use copperfoil and solder the pieces of glass together. The result this night is a small hummingbird suncatcher that can hang in the window or be used as an ornament this holiday season. Next week the students start their larger project which will take about 5 weeks to complete. I love stained glass.....Robin

Simone Nicole at First Friday Denton

Simone Nicole played at the studio on the First Friday in August. I would have to say that it was was an absolutely wonderful show. Simone has been singing since she was 14 and after performing with a band for a couple of years she decided to go solo and do some of her own music. We look forward to her coming back this fall and performing again in the studio. Be sure and check out her myspace and her website. www.simonenicole.com. Check out the photos of the evening........Robin

First Friday Denton, August, 2010

I am really looking forward to First Friday Denton at the Studio on August 6th. Gregory Conlin will be back to do sketch portraits and the music will begin at 7:00. Simone Nicole will be performing at the studio and it promises to be fun. Beautiful art, great music and good people. What a great combination.

Sizzling Summer Art Show

A Great time was had by all at the Sizzling Summer Art Show. We had a wonderful turnout and if you got to come, no doubt you got to enjoy the wonderful artwork from both our veteran and new artists. I think this is the best show yet. It was quite a spread with food provided by Sweet Basil, the artists and friends. Vanessa Helvey and David White kicked off the celebration with both cover songs and original songs written by Vanessa. The Boxcar Bandits then took the stage and performed an amazing set. Gotta love those Boxcar Bandits. A new addition to this opening was the opportunity to have your portrait done by Gregory Conlin and not only could you have your portrait done, but watch him in action. He will be back at our next First Friday in case you didn't get the opportunity to have your portrait sketched. Didn't get to come? Here are a few photos........Robin

Sizzling Summer Art Show

Wow, is all I have to say today about our Sizzling Summer Art Show. Yes, it is Sizzling somewhat outside. After all, it is Texas, but I have to admit our Summer Art Show is also a Sizzler. We are busy hanging our beautiful show and preparing for Saturday. Our artists have brought in beautiful works and we have added several new artists to our gallery since the last show and I think you will enjoy getting to see their work. Click HERE for a short article about our opening on Saturday. Since the information was given to the paper we have added several other new Artists. Crystal Nelson's beautiful collage works, the paintings of Mariko Frost who was featured in the Texas National, 2009, Jennifer Leigh Jones, who in 2009 was Awarded as being one of The New Dallas Nine Artist’s in D Magazine, and new artist Joshua Rackley. I am so looking forward to hearing Vanessa Helvey play and sing and tap my feet to the "have to love em " Boxcar Bandits.

Return from the Windy City

Recently I got to take a quick trip to the Windy City. I spent a lot of time visiting other art galleries, charming towns in Michigan as well as a quick trip to Wisconsin. On my final day in Chicago I got to ride the train into the city. Getting out at Union Station was quite the treat for me. Like an ant, I followed the stream of people to a street level. I had traveled with my parents to Union Station when I was very young on the Santa Fe Railroad and I remembered that as a child the station alone seemed like a small city. Walking very quickly, I made my way to The Art Institute of Chicago where I saw the incredible collection of masterpieces. Rooms filled with Monets, a huge hallway filled with Rembrants as well as getting to see Picassos and Van Goghs. Beautiful enamel works, sculptures and metalworks as well. What a treat to get to visit the Institute. Of course, one day was by no means enough to see everything there but I did see as much as I could until my brain was on total art overload. Just a few pictures to share some of the sights....Robin

Glass Garden Studio Fun!

Check out the beautiful projects that my students have created.

These projects were made in the evening Tiffany stained glass class. When taking the six week course, you first make a small suncatcher which gives you practice cutting glass, foiling and soldering. The second week you begin your larger project which takes the remaining 5 weeks in class to complete. The larger project is framed in zinc that you cut and solder together to make a finished stained glass panel ready to hang. I would say each of these students get an A+! .....Robin

Studio Fun!

The studio was filled with the sounds of creativity Tuesday night. You might ask the question “what does creativity sound like?” On this particular night it sounded like conversations about art, artists meeting other artists and the sounds created by the various tasks being done. During the Watercolor batik class, stained glass students stopped by to get ahead on their Glass Mosaic projects or finish up their Tiffany stained glass project. The studio was filled with activity and color and it was so enjoyable to have a large group of people working together in different mediums, sharing ideas and encouragement. Dreams do come true.......Robin

First Friday Denton, June 2010

My favorite day of the month is quickly becoming the First Friday of the month. At the studio, the work tables are pushed back to make room for the music and fun. Last first Friday Adam Cline and Joel Dreistadt performed for the biggest first Friday crowd that we have had. Also known as the group White Gorilla, these experienced musicians filled the studio with some rock, some folk and shared many of their original songs with the crowd. Adam and Joel had been playing together for four years and prior to forming their duo, were busy traveling around the midwest with another group. With Adam, singer-songwriter, on his guitar and Joel playing percussion, the crowd checked out the beautiful art, visited with friends and listened to some of Denton's local talent. What a great evening. If you missed it, you can check out the pictures and put First Friday Denton July on your calendar.

Mosaic Class

Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. Did you know that the earliest known examples of mosaics made of different materials were found at a temple building in Ubaid, Mesopotamia, and are dated to the second half of 3nd millennium BC. Amazing. Actually, Mosaic work is still very popular and there are some really beautiful and extensive mosaic glassworks in Vegas at some of the hotels. I have always enjoyed working with mosaic and actually made my first mosaic before I was 11. I wasn't using glass then but working with small tiles. In the mosaic class at the studio we are working with glass and started out making mosaic coasters which are not only functional but also pretty. Each person in the class did their own design. The coaster takes three weeks to totally complete because of drying time for the glue, drying time for the group and then application of the grout sealant but don't think we are just standing around waiting for things to dry. The second week the class began their large project. Once again you could make the project of your choice and the projects varied from table top, mirror, to art tile. Check out the pictures of the Mosaic Class.

It's time to Bead!

Beading has always been one of my favorite things to do. I enjoy making jewelry using a variety of beads but of course, being a stained glass artist, I tend to gravitate to glass beads. Although metal, stone and ceramic all make beautiful beads, there is something about the sparkling surface of glass that I love. Attraction to how glass beads look is not the only magnet that pulls to toward them, but there is also something special about the way they feel in your hand and against your body. I am posting a picture of a small beaded bag necklace that I have made. It is made of glass delica beads, a very consistently sized seed bead from Japan, glass crystals and small silver beads. It is really one of my favorite things I have made and having recently sold it, I thought I would share it with the world one last time. I will be teaching some beading classes at the studio and soon will add beads and findings so beaders may purchase supplies. The second photo captures some of my new favorite beads that will be offered at the studio. I can't wait to make something out of those fish beads.........Robin

Community

Earlier this month I participated in the Denton Community Market, an outdoor market that sets up on the second Saturday of each month on Carroll Boulevard in Denton, Texas. I arrived, set up my tent and then set our my wares to join the sale. I really had no idea what to expect or who might be there but as the morning progressed, I realized that this was a very special event in which I was participating. The market was full of arts, crafts, plants, food, and music but most importantly, the market was full of the sense of community. Webster says that a community is a unified body of individuals : a group of people with a common history or common social, economic, and political interests. The participants of the market were a community, a community working to make an event that would enrich our city. At this market I saw old friends that had spent most of their lives building the sense of community in others and a new generation who were following their vision and working for the good of all. Sometimes we need reminders that life is always full of potential for great things to happen. The Denton Community Market is one of them.…..Robin

I hope you got to stop by the studio to listen to Vanessa Helvey and David White last Friday. Performing many of her own songs, Vanessa "wowed" the group with her voice and guitar. David White plays an incredible guitar and mandolin and together the duo was definitely a crowd pleaser. If you didn't get to see them, they will be performing at Twilight tunes on the square tonight. We hope to have them back in the studio not too far in the future......Robin

Music and Art, Now that's the way to spend an evening!

Join us Friday night at the studio for music from Vanessa Helvey and David White. Vanessa is a singer songwriter who is originally from the Texoma area. Her father taught her how to play the guitar when she was 14 and she has been playing and writing music ever since. She moved to Denton to attend the University of North Texas where she graduated with a degree in Political Science. She has two dozen original songs and looks forward to recording in the near future. Until then, she follows her passion of playing as much as she can locally and in the DFW area. David White studied music at the University of North Texas and will be playing madolin and guitar. Vanessa describes her style as Americana/Alternative Country/Folk and the trio hopes to eventually add a drummer and move toward a more electric sound. While performing in Austin, Vanessa was discovered by a group that will be producing a reality program about the life of musicians. She could be a candidate for the new innovated program but the selection process is still in the works. If interested in a preview, you can check out Vanessa's myspace at www.myspace.com/vanessahelvey.

Evening Stained Glass Class

I have shared the pictures of my morning stained glass class at the studio but I didn't want to slight the first evening Tiffany stained glass class. The students worked very hard starting with making a small suncatcher the first night, then moved quickly to a larger window for their second project. Listening to a variety of music while working, they cut, soldered and coppeerfoiled their way to a beautiful piece of art. Check out their photos.

Senior Metals show at the Studio

Last weekend we hosted a Senior Metals show at the studio. Time and Nature was the theme of the show and the student's work was beautiful and inspiring. The artists, Shannon Saxman and Greta Perea study at the University of North Texas and created a beautiful event. Music, food and beautiful art, you can't go wrong with that combination.

First Class in New Studio

I really love doing stained glass and love teaching so that statement gives you insight as to how much I enjoy teaching stained glass classes. I have taught stained glass classes for a long time for the University of North Texas mini-courses. These classes were taught on the UNT campus in the beginning but then later moved to my home studio. Although my home studio was cozy, my new studio offers so much more space for teaching. My first class has completed their projects and I wanted to share some pictures of the stained glass projects completed at the studio. In the first Tiffany Stained glass class taught at the studio, the students did a wonderful job. By the end of the first lesson they had learned to cut glass, solder and completed a small suncatcher. The second week of the six week course, the students began their first project. For this larger project they could do a design of their choice and I think their small windows are simply beautiful. I have to say that I had a wonderful group of fun people in my voyage class at my new studio space. Check out the pictures of their projects......Robin

First Friday Denton, April, 2010

Each First Friday of the Month, our studio stays open late for those who would like to stop by for evening art viewing. This past Friday we had a wonderful evening of art with the sounds of Glen Farris in the studio. We had quite the crowd beginning around 6:00 pm and Glen began playing around 7:00. Glen plays the guitar, sings and plays the harmonica, and as his sounds filled the studio, smiles filled the faces of those listening. His music transcended the various ages of art and music lovers that were gathered and he even took requests.
Join us May 7th for First Friday Denton. We have a wonderful duo lined up to perform at the studio.

It's a Sign!

Do you believe in signs? We finally have our sign outside the Studio. With some tape and paint we created this basic sign that really says what we are all about. ART. The sign does say so much more than art if you look deeper. It screams I love color, I love graphics, abstracts are cool, spirals are my friend.....I guess you get the picture. The sign was fun to paint and alot of fun to watch go up. Looking for the studio? Just look for a sign.