In Ian’s own words: “I work with glass because of its versatility as a medium. Its many inherent qualities allow me a means to express my ideas. The advantages of producing three dimensional glass forms include its transparency and opacity, which allow light to be manipulated through use of color, texture, and layering. Glass contains light. Whether it’s a solid or hollow form, it can reflect, refract, or even glow.

“Glass has an uncanny ability to imitate. I portray familiar objects in glass to impersonate consumer products. Glass lends its plasticity to give the forms a hand-crafted feel. My current body of work deals with a variety of large scale glass fishing lures that remind me of fishing trips I went on with my dad when I was growing up. I have enlarged the scale of these baits to attract the viewer with luscious color and form. I’ve emphasized the attraction and allure that glass has on people, by hanging them in the viewer’s personal space. Posing the question of what lure an individual finds most attractive. It’s almost like I’m fishing for people with glass. The installations invite the viewers to interact and become part of the work as they mingle around each lure, inspect them, and ultimately find a favorite. When they do, smiles come to their faces as these forms are very whimsical and inspire a sense of fun through their vibrant colors and artificial nature.”

Stop in and discover Ian’s work.

Stop in and discover this new work by Creations Li!

Luis creates amazing candlesticks from iron.  Luis’s candlesticks take their cues from nature and family. You can feel the wind blowing the reeds. You can see the importance of the family unit. You can appreciate the creativity that drives Luis’s work.

Stop in and discover the work of Luis Marquez and Sekoya Originals.

I’m very excited about what’s going to be coming to New Discoveries over the next several months, starting in late March.  We will be welcoming new artists into our space, including Creations Li with her whimsical pottery, Jenn Bell with her spring-like enameled copper plates, Daphne Olive’s light weight stainless steel necklaces, and Sofia Masri’s colorful porcelain jewelry inspired by antique buttons, among others.  We will also be getting new work from Hilborn Pottery, Erica Stankwytch Bailey, Cynthia Jones Jewelry, eluCook designs, and other of our favorite artists.

From late March through early June, we are expecting lots of things for you to discover!  Stop in and discover some of your old favorites and some new ones!

When I first saw Jeff Davis’s Vinylux bowls, I thought “man, why didn’t I think of that?!?” And then I thought, I bet lots of baby boomers and gen x’ers will love these!  Needless to say, this discovery had to find a place in the gallery!

Vinylux products are created from recycled vintage record albums that are transformed into a variety of new designs.  The original record labels are intact and represent some of the most popular music ever put on vinyl. They work with LPs, 45s, and vintage album covers to create personal, unique gifts that bring vinyl records back into your home.  All of their items are made in the spirit of re-purposing.  They try to re-use, re-present, re-cycle, and re-imagine the materials that go into their products.

Stop in and discover Vinylux!

Record Bowl by Vinylux

Record Album Sketchbook by Vinylux

Picture Frame by Vinylux

Hilborn Pottery is a family business, specializing in original wheel thrown and hand built clay products of exceptional function and form. They hand paint patterned designs using colorful, metallic oxide glazes.  Much of their ware is produced with layered slabs folded, sculptured, and twisted to achieve a fluid vitrified form.  All of their pieces are safe for food and drink, as well as microwave, oven, and dishwasher proof.

Stop in and discover versatile, creative, and beautiful Hilborn Pottery.

Hilborn Pottery

Stop in and discover Jim Loewer Glass.

That’s how it was when I first saw Bradley Birkhimer’s pottery.  What caught my eye at first was the unusual shape of his pagoda vase… what made me come back was the enticing mixture of old and new that he combines in his pieces… what made me bring the pieces to the gallery was the energy that radiates from the vase and from his square jars.

Bradley B pottery is wood fired and fumed with baking soda and table sale to enhance the colors and textures.  The flames from the wood gently color the pottery, yielding hues of orange, red, and brown. Characteristics of wood fired pots are also the whitish circles left from the was clay, which separates the pieces from the shelves while firing.  Bradley uses his own personal stoneware blend and ash-like glazes to create these pots.

Bradley B pottery is influenced by Bradley’s experiences in China, giving him a framework to combine Chinese architecture, Western utilitarian pottery, his faith, and his culture into his ceramics.

Stop in and discover Bradley B Pottery!

pagoda vases and square jars by bradley b pottery

Fire & Light started as a partnership between a recycling center and some investors.  They turned recycled glass back into a raw material, using it to create bright, colorful functional pieces.  Today, each piece is made from recycled glass and the company strives to incorporate recycling into each phase of the production process, like using recycled beer kegs to cool their ladles.

Fire & Light colored glassware is a product whose history is a kind of future, where age-old craftsmanship meets innovative manufacturing, utilizing post consumer glass as a resource. But it’s the beauty that will get you, the twinkle of light on the surface of a watery blue bowl, and the knowledge that we get as much happiness out of making the colored glass bowl as you will from having it on your table.

Stop in and discover this distinctive glassware!

Bibelot Design makes picture frames and coasters from glass, fabric, and copper – and does it with a fresh, modern, and sophisticated flair.  Christine McGrath and Reid Maltby create home accessories that make you stop and look.  So stop in and discover their work!