2023 Glass
Art Ciccotti | Ames
|
I have been working with blown glass about 36 years. I am originally from Southern California. My wife and I have lived in the Ames area about 43 years. I started blowing glass at the Gaffers Guild, a club on the Iowa State University Campus. I was an art major at the time. I watched a demonstration of someone blowing glass and was immediately hooked on this medium. It has taken a number of years to become proficient in this ancient craft. I traveled around the country over the years to workshops called “intensives”. There I learned techniques and also how to construct equipment. It was handy that I had the skills to weld and to do basic wiring, because I was able to make most of my equipment. The world of a glassblower is as much technical as it is artistic.
Because I grew up in Southern California, the memories of the ocean and the creatures in it have left a permanent impression on my art work. Some of my pieces reflect my life in California. For instance, I make shells, sea horses, star fish, and floats. I also do a group of pieces called the Reef Series, more reminders of my earlier years living along the coast. I do make a lot of other things such as paperweights, marbles, flowers, vases, and bulbs. I also do custom work orders for awards, weddings, and memorial work. |
Libby Loescher | Mount Pleasant
The Looking Glass
FB: The Looking Glass
|
|
I started working with glass in 1999. I honed my skills in cutting & fabricating in a studio that provides stained glass windows for churches. The more time I spent with glass, its characteristics, & versatility, the more I wanted to learn. My obsession with glass now leads me to create fused and stained glass art. I love the magical way that glass transmits and reflects light- it is unique and changeable! My creations can bring this light to you with pretty jewelry, art pieces for your windows or walls, a dash of color for your garden, sparkly ornaments for your Christmas tree, or a glimmering bit of glass whimsy hung catch the sun and make you smile. Combining fused glass, traditional stained glass techniques, and adding a dash of other materials, give life to my daydreams in glass.
|
Rhonda Scott | Ames
Rhonda Scott Studio
FB: RhondaScottStudio
IG: rhondascottstudio
|
|
Rhonda Scott is a teaching artist from Ames, Iowa who works in multiple mediums. She is passionate about the value of creativity and lifelong learning. She is especially fascinated by age-old processes with a modern twist, such as lampwork and paper marbling. These two art forms have many things in common, aside from their long history; both allow her to play with colors, pattern, visual texture, and negative space, as well as surface tension and chemical reactions.
Rhonda creates jewelry which features her own glass beads, handcrafted metal focal pieces, natural gemstones, enamels, and precious metals. She uses a small torch and MAP gas to create the glass beads and the components used in the beads (including custom twisted cane and frit). She anneals the beads in a kiln for durability. |