happy place necklace earrings murano lampwork glass bead jewelry venita simpson

Murano Glass — The Lampwork Jewelry of Venita Simpson

August 6, 2018/in Art, Artist, beads, Featured Artist, Gallery, Gifts, Glass, jewelry, Pacific Northwest, Uncategorized, Washington/by Carolyn Henderson

Happy Place, lampwork Murano lampwork glass beaded necklace and earrings by Richland jewelry artist, Venita Simpson

It started out as a palette full of wood and screws and instructions, delivered from Costco. By the time Venita Simpson had finished with it, however, the 80-square foot storage shed had turned into a fairy tale cottage, its inside painted cheery yellow, the path leading up to it bedecked with flowers, windows and glass door inviting in light and view.

desert sand necklace earrings jewelry murano lampwork glass beads venita simpson

Desert Sand, necklace and earrings set by Richland jewelry artist Venita Simpson, featuring handcrafted lampwork beads from Murano glass.

“It’s a sanctuary to leave the world behind and become the artist I dreamed of being for a long time,” the Richland jewelry artist says of her DIY studio. A computer programmer for more than 30 years, Simpson turned to glass jewelry making in 2006 as a mental antidote to the rigidity required by high tech. Now retired from programing, Simpson spends uncounted hours in her studio sanctuary, fashioning her own one of a kind beads using Murano glass from Italy and a flame torch.

Lampwork Murano Glass Beads

Employing a technique called lampwork, Simpson melts the glass at temperatures reaching 1200 degrees. She then forms the molten glass into shapes by using tools and hand movements. The beads are then placed in a kiln to anneal, or gradually cool.

“Working with molten glass requires a steady hand, attention to detail, and a healthy respect for a 1200 degree torch,” Simpson says. “Mixing colors and chemistry of glass results in wonderful reactions in the glass.”

You only burn yourself once, she adds.

sandstone turquoise desert earrings necklace jewelry lampwork murano glass bead jewelry Venita Simpson

Sandstone Turquoise Desert, necklace and earring set by jewelry artist Venita Simpson of Richland, WA, featuring handcrafted, lampwork Murano glass beads

After creating a series of beads using lampwork from the Murano glass, Simpson assembles the finished pieces, generally consisting of necklace and matching earrings, in a spare room in her home. Seasonal colors drive her design and color choices, and she showcases the finished work at Girls Night Out parties in her own home of that of others.

Murano Beads at Girls Night Out

“I’ve sold my work at craft fairs, but I really enjoy explaining my process in a more casual setting,” Simpson says. “I love bringing people into my studio so they can see first hand how the glass is melted. Girls Night Out is a way to bring women together in my home, to enjoy each other’s company, network, and have a great glass of wine.”

The glass that forms the basis for Simpson’s unique accessories is made only in Murano, Italy, a Venetian island that has specialized in the process for centuries. The beads adorn not only the necks and ears of varied clients — “I like to travel and have been known to sell my jewelry right off my neck to a flight attendant or two!” — but also those of children battling a serious illness, through a program called Beads of Courage at the Children’s Hospital in Orange County, CA.

dreamy blues necklace earrings murano lampwork glass beads jewelry venita simpson

Dreamy Blues, necklace and earring jewelry set by Richland artist Venita Simpson, featuring her handcrafted lampwork, Murano glass beads

“Each time the child goes in to receive a shot, an appointment, surgery, x-rays etc., they are able to choose a bead and add to their necklaces to show how each milestone gave them hope,” Simpson explains. “Some of these treatments were painful episodes, but each bead told a story of the brave children and their courageous achievement.”

Since moving from California to the Tri-Cities, Simpson has also donated her Murano lampwork glass beads to Beads Behind Bars at the Benton Franklin Juvenile Detention Center, which, in coordination with Allied Arts of Richland, provides incarcerated juveniles a creative outlet in learning to make jewelry.

murano glass lampwork bead jewelry necklace earrings Venita Simpson

Natural Wonder, necklace and earring set by Richland jewelry artist Venita Simpson, featuring lampwork Murano glass beads

Right Brain Left Brain

In between her career in computer programming and retirement, Simpson took time off to earn her certificate in commercial and residential interior design, and for several years freelanced and did side jobs in a field that used what she calls the right side of her brain. But finances called her back to full-time programming, and her left brain demanded total attention. With retirement, her full brain joins with hands and heart as she enjoys the slower pace of the Pacific Northwest, four definite seasons, and freedom from corporate life.

“Programming makes you very rigid in that you have to test for every scenario, test for every system hiccup, and document each step,” Simpson says of her former life. “I was process oriented, following strict specifications to complete tasks, so it’s been challenging to come out of the box sometimes.

“But since retirement, I’m making great progress with my imaginative side of my brain. Using both sides of my brain has become an asset, firing up both burners, so to speak.”

It’s a jewel of an opportunity.

Venita Simpson is the featured Art Event artists at Wenaha Gallery from Monday, August 13, 2018, through Saturday, September 8, 2018.

Contact the gallery, located at 219 East Main Street, Dayton, WA, by phone at 509.382.2124 or e-mail art@wenaha.com. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday through Saturday, and by appointment. Visit the Wenaha Gallery website online at www.wenaha.com.

bottom blue fusion coral glass bowl art gregory jones pasco

Glass Fusion — Vintage Wave and Coral Bowls by Gregory Jones

February 19, 2018/in Art, Artist, Gallery, Gifts, Glass, Home, Home Decor, Lifestyle, Pacific Northwest, Uncategorized, Washington/by Carolyn Henderson

Bottom Blue, a coral glass fusion bowl by Gregory Jones, guest artist at Wenaha Gallery from Pasco, WA

While the question, “What is art?” isn’t about to be satisfactorily resolved anytime soon, what it takes to make and be an artist is less ambiguous:

Determination.

Curiosity.

And the willingness to make a lot of mistakes.

“I am self-taught, and stubborn,” says glassmaker Gregory Jones of Pasco, who works with new and recycled glass to create bowls, plates, and platters using a technique called glass fusion.

orange glass wavy bowls gregory jones costalota glass

An orange glass wavy bowl, with vintage form fused to modern color choices, by Gregory Jones of Pasco, WA

“The technical aspects of working with glass have been a long and interesting process,” Jones adds, explaining that he began working with glass in the 1970s as physical therapy for his fingers after a hand injury. He started with stained glass, but eventually settled on fusion, which involves joining two or more glass pieces together under high (think 1100 to 1700 degrees Fahrenheit) heat, and often shaping it over a mold.

Calling the three kilns in his studio the heart of his creations, Jones spends a lot of time in the shop attached to his house, with the result that, “I don’t have to far to go to lose myself in my craft.

“I have no day job — I’m retired, and am loving the freedom to create my art.

“Art is so much better than a real job.”

Vintage Wavy and Coral Glass Bowls

Using both new and recycled glass, Jones creates artistic, yet functional wavy glass bowls with a vintage yet modern feel, as well as coral bowls, which look like what they sound like: coral reefs from the sea.

“Nothing inspires me more than the beautiful ocean — with all of that life under the seas, on the beaches.

periwinkle coral blue glass fusion bowls gregory jones pasco

Three Periwinkle blue glass fusion coral bowls by Gregory Jones, glass artist from Pasco, WA

“Coral bowls are proving to be a great challenge and very labor intensive, taking a number of days to make a single piece. I have been inspired to make these by my diving and exploring the Pacific Ocean from Southern California to beautiful Hawaii.”

It’s a process indeed, requiring the laying of glass strips one over another, firing the shape at a temperature far higher than what’s needed to bake a cake, and then annealing — or allowing the hot glass to cool slowly to strengthen the final piece. Then the artist can add more strips and fire again, followed by another annealing. In the final firing, the artist sets the shape over the bowl-shaped mold, often made of stainless steel to withstand the heat, and fires it all up again.

Of course, writing it out in one paragraph grossly simplifies the matter, and a series of sentences does not begin to describe the potential for the unexpected, which happens so much with creative glass making, experimentation, and the continual learning curve that it’s . . . almost expected.

Experimenting with Glass

“It has taken a lot of trial and error to get the pieces I like, and a lot of errors have ended up in the landfills,” Jones says.

yellow fusion glass coral lace bowl gregory jones costalota Pasco

A yellow glass fusion coral bowl, filled with the treasures of the sea, by Gregory Jones from Pasco, WA

“I’ve never been to a workshop — I’ve always been self taught. Maybe that’s why there have been so many errors, but there are also many beautiful and unique pieces which make a lot of people smile.”

For Jones, making people smile is as important as creating the artwork itself, and whether he sells his work or gives it away, success lies in the reaction of the person seeing, and holding, his art. For years, Jones has been creating and gifting the Jewish Star of David to synagogues throughout the Pacific Northwest, out of deep respect for what the symbol means in his family heritage.

“A lot of times I make things just for the love of making a piece and seeing the smile and joy on a person’s face.”

The Challenges of Recycled Glass

When it comes to using recycled, vintage glass — which is increasingly difficult to find — Jones looks for old windows in old buildings, explaining that the bubbles, waves, and imperfections inherent to vintage windows translates into fun and exciting patterns in the final piece. Several contractors in the region keep him in mind when they are dismantling structures, and Jones is constantly up to the challenge of working with a material that is eminently unpredictable.

blue wavy fusion glass bowl gregory jones costalota pasco wa

Blue fusion wavy glass bowl, a touch of vintage, a touch of modern, by Pasco glass artist Gregory Jones

“After several years and lots of effort, I have developed a workable process that has been very rewarding.”

It goes back to that determination, curiosity, and willingness to make a lot of mistakes. The result — beautiful artwork and the beautiful people who are drawn to it, is a winning combination indeed.

Meeting People

“My art is a unique way to meet so many people,” Jones says. “There is no boundary as to the type of people you can visit with, and hear the great stories of their lives.

“I think that might be the best part: the people you meet and interact with, and who knows? You may have a new friend.”

Whatever the definition of art, that sounds like an important component.

Gregory Jones is the featured Art Event artist at Wenaha Gallery from Monday, February 26, 2018, through Saturday, Saturday, March 24, 2018. He will be at the the gallery Saturday, March 3, showing his glasswork and chatting with visitors from 1 to 4 p.m. Joining him that day will be artist, writer, and historian Nona Hengen of Spangle, WA, who will be speaking on the Native American/U.S. Government wars at 1:30 and 3, and watercolor artist and musician Roy Anderson of Walla Walla, who will play live music in between Hengen’s talks.

Beauty from Broken Pieces — The Glass Art of Alice Beckstrom

August 9, 2016/in abstract, Art, Artist, design, Events, Gallery, Gifts, Glass, Home, Home Decor, Idaho, Lifestyle, Oregon, Pacific Northwest, Stained glass, Tempered glass, Washington/by Carolyn Henderson

Glass Window Art by Wenaha Gallery guest artist, Alice Beckstrom of Richland, WA

Recycling is not a new, chic concept.

Eighteen centuries ago, Christian theologian Clement of Alexandria urged others to not throw away items that could benefit one’s neighbor.

Prisms of Hope, glass art by Alice Beckstrom

“Goods are called goods because they can be used for good, in the hands of those who use them properly,” Clement said.

Back in the present, one person who uses goods properly and with a sense of their value is glass artist Alice Beckstrom. The Richland artist, whose business motto is, “Recycled, Repurposed, Recaptured into Functional Art,” collaborates with local glass replacement businesses by picking up their unwanted materials — miscuts and wrong orders that are too expensive to ship back.

“It’s a win/win for all,” Beckstrom says. “Most recently, with more people becoming aware of my art and the desire to keep as much as possible out of the landfills, I often get emails and notes letting me know when and where old doors or windows are available.”

And what does she do with buckets of broken glass, at her disposal within a 500-square-foot home studio?

Krustallos Candle Holder, repurposing unwanted, cast-out tempered windows and doors into beautiful, usable art, by Alice Beckstrom.

“I have always tried to look for new and interesting ways to work and create with glass,” Beckstrom says of her 40-year career as an artist using this varied, variegated, versatile, yet challenging medium. A chance encounter with the creations of California artist Ellen Blakely, whose tempered glass murals span city blocks, inspired Beckstrom to add experimenting with recycled materials to the traditional outlet of stained glass work.

“(Blakely’s art) was unbelievably beautiful, and I recognized then the unending possibilities of tempered glass as a base for a myriad of art forms,” Beckstrom says.

Hours of “practice, practice, practice” in conjunction with “experimenting with no particular expectations” have led to a collection of pieces unique in their style, form, and function, ranging from Krustallos (Greek for crystal) candle bases to full-sized skis. These latter, embellished with broken tempered glass pieces glued across the surface to create a design or message, are especially popular with visitors at the Art Works Gallery in Sandpoint, ID, where tourists fly in from all over the world to the nearby Schweitzer Ski Resort.

Tempered glass embellished skis by Alice Beckstrom

This last winter, a couple from Scotland fell in love with one of Beckstrom’s skis, but shipping it back was the problem: how does one package a long, glass-encrusted ski so that it safely arrives at its destination, but doesn’t cost as much as a plane ticket to do so?

“The worker at the UPS store was a skier himself, and he suggested that, since they had all had their skis brought with them, why not just bubble wrap this ski and slide it into their ski bag that they were already going to check at the airlines.

“So, off my ski went to Scotland!”

With gallery and gift shop locations throughout the Pacific Northwest, Beckstrom finds herself scheduling a regular loop around Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, restocking unique work that is easier to drive in than ship. As an added bonus, she enjoys mini-vacations in some of the region’s most beautiful places.

“This is one of the biggest benefits of my art,” Beckstrom says. “I love the travel opportunities.”

Sometimes those travel opportunities take Beckstrom to exceptionally unusual venues, like the local home of a U.S. Congressman, the wife of whom fell in love with a piece displayed at the Prosser Art Walk and Wine Gala.

Santa in Glass by Alice Beckstrom

“To guarantee its safe arrival at their home, I offered to deliver it myself the following morning. Carol (the Congressman’s wife) was very gracious and gave me a tour of their home.”

Other pieces in prominent places include an Oakland Raider’s stained glass window installed in the owner’s box at the Oakland Raiders Coliseum, as well as numerous stained glass “trophy windows” custom designed for golf tournaments and country clubs, a welcome variation to “the same old engraved crystal bowls for tournament awards.

“Everyone was thrilled to have something new and original.”

Given Beckstrom’s commitment to, and creativity with, working with recycled materials, one can’t help but think that Clement of Alexandria would heartily approve. With each piece made from more than 80 percent recycled materials, Beckstrom’s art is earth conscious and eco-friendly, which in itself is its own inspiration:

There is a quote Beckstrom uses on her website, and while the most frustrating aspect about it is that she has not been able, in ten years of searching, to find its author, the words fit perfectly with her process of thinking and creating:

“When you are left with nothing but broken pieces . . . take them . . . rearrange them . . . and make a masterpiece!”

Alice Beckstrom is the featured Pacific Northwest Art Event artists from Monday, August 15 through Saturday, September 10.

Wenaha Gallery is your destination location for Greenwich Workshop Fine Art Prints, professional customized framing, and original fine art paintings and sculpture by notable Pacific Northwest artists. Books, gifts, note cards, jigsaw puzzles, and more are also available. Visit at 219 East Main, Dayton, WA.

This article was written by Carolyn Henderson.