AdammsGallery

Louis Comfort Tiffany- A legacy In Glass

 Louis Comnfort Tiffany, the son of Charles Lewis Tiffany the founder and owner of Tiffany Jewelry Company, was born on February 18, 1848.  As a young man he attended school at the Pennsylvania Military Academy, and the Eagleswood Military Aademy in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. His training in the arts was in New York with George Inness, and Samuel Coleman, and Le'on Bailly in Paris.

     His first inroduction to glass was in Brooklyn, New York where he worked in a number of glass houses from 1875-1878..  Although his formal training was in painting , and he was quite good, he followed his passion for glass.

    Initially opening a glass and decorating company in 1879 with two partners. With help from his father's conections the young business was soon quite sucessful. He bought them out in in 1885, and changed the name to Tiffany Studios in 1902.  His trademark Favrille glass, known for it's iridescent luster,won him great praise. Of course he has become best known for the Tiffany Lamps the studio produced from 1905 until 1933 when the Studios declared bankruptcy and closed.

     Today Tiffany lamps and windows are highly valued and can be seen in the great museums and private collections of the world.

    An interesting note, about 25 years ago, as I was sweeping the street in front of my store an elderly lady came by.  She noticed the stained glass windows and lamps and we struck up a conversation.  As it turned out her mother was a very good personal friend of Mr. Tiffany's.  Her father was a furniture manufacturer, and a supplier to Tiffany Glass & Decorating Company. When her mother married, Tiffany gave them a complete set of blown glass dishes and glassware. She still had many of them, but not in very good condition. What I thought was charming was that her mother referred to Mr. Tiffany by a nicname "Comfy".

     Louis Comfort Tiffany passed away on January 17, 1933. The largest collection of his work can be seen at The Charles Hosmer Museum in Winter Park, Florida. Well worth a trip if you are in the Orlando area.  

Matt Bezak Cast Glass and Precious Metal Jewelry

     

     Matt Bezak began his career in a dental lab.  Here he developed the skills he would later use to help fabricate his flawlessly cast and dilicately carved jewelry. His thirst for knowledge about jewelry and gemstones led him to take courses and later teach for five years at the prestigious Gemological Institute of America here in Santa Monica. After operating several shops in southern California he moved to his present home in North Ridgeville, Ohio.

     Matt uses the lost wax method of casting jewelry. This is the same method used by legendary art nouveau artist Rene' Lalique. After making the mold for the casting, the glass is placed into the mold and heated with a torch. With this heat the glass melts to form the design. Now it is cooled, removed from the mold and worked on with a number of lapidary tools. Then it undergoes a sand cleaning and finally an acid etching to achieve its matt finish on the exterior.

     Finally it is placed in the sterling silver or 14kt gold setting. Each piece is a true work of art. Matt enjoys creating many forms of wildlife and flora including whales, dolphins, birds, horses, and many more..  His trademark wave series set in sterling or gold, with or without a diamond,is a constant favorite.

     You can view Matt's work on his site Matt Bezak . We maintain an inventory which is forever changing.Matt Bezak Jewelry at Adamm's

     If you have never viewed Matt's work you owe it to yourself to stop in and take a look.

Remembering Mothers

     Mother's Day is this Sunday. Most of us have or have had at least one mother that has been close to us. Sometimes it may be a woman other than our natural mother. Mother's Day is a good holiday,  it reminds us of all the love and unselfishness that our mothers have given us.  It moves us to make sure they know that we know this and care. Of course we should remind them of this often, not solely on Mother's Day.

     There are also many mothers who no longer have their sons or daughters. They may have lost them in the defense of our country. They might have contracted a disease, or had a terrible accident. Let's not let them go unforgotten either. It is a nice day to say hi to all mothers. Give friends a call, or drop them an email. It is always nice to know that friends are thinking of you.

     We all have friends whose mothers were intsrumental in our growing up. Many of them have also become friends. Isn't it a nice thought to take this opportunity to spread some happiness. Keep in touch, it will make you feel good as well.

"Let's Chat About Glass"

Georgio's   

Beverly Hills Reestablished-Symbolically

    I couldn't help but notice this article on line this morning. I'm sure many of you remember the yellow building with the yellow and white stripped awning on Rodeo Drive.  For fifty years, until 1998, Fred Hayman's  Georgio's flourished. It made Rodeo Drive the 5th Avenue of Los Angeles. Georgio's had a reading room, pool table and an oak bar for people to gather and  mingle.  Name designers such as Halston granted Fred Hayman exclusive rights. Stars such as Natalie Wood, Diana Ross, Ronald and Nancy Reagan, Elizabeth Taylor, and the Rat Pack, were regularly seen there. Every man had to buy his wife or girlfriend a bottle of Georgio perfume.

     I have always wanted to have a store where people liked to gather and talk about what they loved. I do not have room for a bar , or pool table. Perhaps I should make the room, but I do have a blog.  Here we can talk about  our love of glass and all the interesting facets of this wonderful art .

     Yes, I do get my share of celebrities in my gallery. Here however, everyone is a celebrity. If you have time please stop in.  I'd love to talk to you about the artists, and the art of creating such beautiful glass. If you can't make it by, or just have some thoughts, let's discuss them here. Oh,  I'm also open to any ideas you might have on how I might make room for a pool table

     Don't forget Mother's Day.  I just received a new shipment of Robert Held Heart Paperweights, Zero Gravity (Moulton Avery) jewelry, and new work by Josh Simpson..