Glass

THE GREEN MAN

The mythology of the Green Man has continued to fascinate me and has been a recurring theme in my art in the form of prints, collages, cast cement, as well as two and three dimensional ceramic pieces. This version of THE GREEN MAN, however, is the first time I’ve depicted him in stained glass. Framed, my THE GREEN MAN, measures 19 1/2″ from top to bottom and side to side and contains 179 pieces of glass (each eye has three pieces of glass fused together). Because of the way the “attitude” of the piece changes as the light changes, this version may be my most interesting one yet. (2022)

SAINT JOHN THE MOSAICIST

Saint John the Mosaicist, one of the more obscure members of the pantheon of Saints, is known primarily for never having been observed or heard to have sworn or blasphemed despite spending his entire life gluing small pieces of glass, stone or ceramics to wooden boards. Although most historians believe that he worked in northern Italy during the period 1358 – 1387 AD, no one has been able to authenticate any mosaic pieces from that time and place as having been the work of Saint John the Mosaicist. There are no known images of him and the Church’s canonization records are surprisingly vague. While SAINT JOHN THE MOSAICIST is composed of a hand built, raku fired paper clay “mask”, a border of stained glass strips left over from a prior project and a background of glass tiles and stained glass pieces liberated from the mosaic shard pile at the Abington Art Center, the story of Saint John the Mosaicist has been woven from whole cloth. (2020) (24” x 24” x 1 ½”) ($275)

High Mountain Meadow

HIGH MOUNTAIN MEADOW is set in spring when the mountain’s snow cap is melting but still visible and the meadow grasses and flowers are starting to come into their own. HIGH MOUNTAIN MEADOW is part of my “Landscape” series of stained glass/paper clay wall hangings. (11” x 6” x 2”) ($255.00)

Hekla

For the Hawaii National Park Centennial competition in 2016 I created two stained glass/paper clay wall hangings NIGHT VIEW OF KILEAUA and ERUPTION, and since then have been intrigued by the potential for depicting a volcanic eruption using that medium. Hekla is the name of an active Icelandic volcano surrounded by ice which erupted in 2000. HEKLA is my effort to depict, however abstractly, that moment when the eruption has started but the ice has not yet been overwhelmed. HEKLA is intended to be part of my “Rim of Fire” Series. 9” x 9” x 2”.

Bayou

BAYOU, part of my “Landscape” series of stained glass/paper clay pieces, is an overview of a lush place where land and water mix and merge in timeless but ever changing patterns. (12” x 6” x 1 ½”) ($265.00)

SANDBAR

SANDBAR, depicting a river sandbar, is composed of stained glass and paper clay fired together to over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit in order to get a depth of color not possible with regular glazes. 5 ½” x 10 ½” x 1 ½”. SANDBAR, along with ERUPTION and LAGOON is currently on display at the Arts Benicia Show “Cutting Edge: Nontraditional Glass” in Benicia, California.

Stormbreak on the Maine Coast

Many years ago I was on an Outward Bound Expedition off the coast of Maine when a nor’easter with gale force winds struck – making a memorable event even more so. STORMBREAK ON THE MAINE COAST is my effort to capture that memory in stained glass and paper clay. 8 ½” 6” X 1 ½”.

ARTS BENICIA – CUTTING EDGE: NONTRADITIONAL GLASS SHOW

Eruption_Cumberland WM

I am very pleased to announce that jurors Carrie Lederer and Mary B. White have chosen my stained glass/paper clay pieces ERUPTION, LAGOON, and SANDBAR for inclusion in the Arts Benicia Show: Cutting Edge: Nontraditional Glass. The show will be held at the Arts Benicia Galleries at 991 Tyler Street, Suite 114, Benicia, California, 94510 and will run from Saturday, July 21^st until Tuesday, August 28^th. There will be a reception from 6 to 8 pm on July 21^st, and the pieces will be on sale, so, if you’re in the neighborhood, drop in.

SANDS OF TIME – PORTRAIT OF A MENTOR

SANDS OF TIME – PORTRAIT OF A MENTOR is a mixed media sculptural piece combining a hand-built, raku-fired ceramic head with a glass tile base. This piece, for me, evokes the image of an artifact emerging from the sands outside Luxor. The rest of the title comes from my mentor (and friend) Carol Stirton-Broad, who happened to wear an outfit on the day I was finalizing the design that reflected the pattern, the color and the tone of the tiles I was planning to use for the base. 18″x5.5″x7.5″,

John Fansmith

Artist