AdammsGallery

Filip Vogelpohl Glass Artist

“I have found my calling in the world of glass.”

Filip Vogelpohl was born in Prague, Czech Republic in 1976. He immigrated to the US in 1987 after living 11 years under communist rule. He grew up in Boise, Idaho where his love of art led him to take many classes throughout his high school years. After high school he traveled throughout the Northwest, eventually landing is Eugene, Oregon where his introduction to glass began. Once hooked on glass he continued his travels throughout the world. His teachers in the glass world included Robert Mickelson, Kevin O'Grady, Milon Townsend, and Casare Toffolo. Filip's work contains a broad array of products ranging from lighting and chandeliers to marbles, paperweights, and sculptural works. As an internationally recognized artist, Vogelpohl's work largely consists of commissions created over the years for art collectors, local businesses and interior designers out of his studio and gallery in Boise, Idaho. Boise Art Glass.

   

                     Wavy Bowls                                         Pen Holders                                   Wine Bottle Stoppers                                Fish Shot Glasses

                                                                           

                                          Cosmic Marbles                                                              Galaxy Marbles                                              Vortex Marbles

Joining Filip is his Boise Art Glass team, Austin Grill, Kevin Gray, Natasha Benedetti, Grayson Bailey, Caleb Feaster, and Hunter. Each of these skilled artisans brings a personal perspective to the art of creating with glass. In addition to their regular line of collectables, they are also available for custom work, and teach glass blowing classes as well as rent space out for the private glass blower.

We are very proud to represent Filip and his team at our Santa Monica Gallery.

Paul Willsea and Carol O'Brien Hand Blown Art Glass

                                          
                                                                 Primrose Round Bowl

Paul and Carol have been blowing magnificent art glass since 1983. It was shortly after that that I met them and began representing their work in my Santa Monica gallery. Their work has always been first class. I cannot remember once having to return a piece because of bad design or craftmanship. 

                               

                                                               Ocean Oblong Bowl 

                                                                             Round Wall Sculptures
   

     Their work has certainly evolved over the years, but they still produce some of the vintage style pieces that gave them a name so many years ago. Today they are using vibrant colors and endearing shapes that captures the feeling of the nature that surrounds them in their Upstate New York home and studio. They create large bowls that have an easy flow to them. They offer these in platters also and make wall designs which incorporate these vivid colors and diverse movement that the glass allows them to create.

                                

                                Ruby Candle Holders                         Jade Crackle Pyramid Bowl

   They also create candle sticks, and a crackle glass series that has endured their nearly 40 years of glass blowing. Their work has always been refreshing, uplifting, and engaging. When you see their work, it is difficult to take your eyes off of it. When customers buy their work, they tend to keep it forever.                                                                                      Canyon Square Cradle Bowl

Daniel Salazar Art Glass Vases and Paper Weights

                              

Pink Moth Orchid                    Fumed Wisteria w/Butterfly                         Pink Sweet Pea on Dark Green

In June of 1974, Daniel Salazar was hired as a glass grinder by Nouveau Glass, later to become Lundberg Studios. By 1975, he was working with hot glass, along side James and Steven Lundberg, as a helper or pontilman there. It soon became evident that he had a unique flair for design. By 1978, he had begun producing and designing his own paperweights. He was also influential in developing certain techniques in the California-style paperweight lampworking process.  Daniel has earned a fine reputation for his delicate and natural look in floral paperweights, as well as birds, underwater scenes and abstract glass works. These same designs have also been produced in beautiful assembly on perfume bottles, vases and jewelry jars. Much of Daniel's work has taken inspiration from his interest in botany and the collecting Asian art and antiques. Since childhood, a passion for sketching and watercolor has been the source for his unique artistic development. In addition, he has attended art classes at Cabrillo College in color and design and life drawing. His work has been exhibited at the following museums and has become part of their permanent collections. De Young Museum, San Francisco, CA Los Angeles County Museum, Los Angeles, CA Art Museum of Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA Villa Terrace Museum of Decorative Arts, Milwaukee, WI Bergstrom-Mahler Museum, Neenah, WI The Smithsonian Institute, Washington, DC Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL Muscatine Art Center, Muscatine, IA Jones Museum of Glass & Ceramics, Douglas Hill, ME Museum of American Glass, Wheaton Village, Millville, NJ Scone Palace, Perth, Scotland MSC Center Galleries, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.

Daniel left Lundberg studios around 2008 to explore other opportunities. Rebecca Lundberg still has a number of Daniels pieces stashed away and has made them available to our gallery. Continue to check from time to time for additional work from this master artist.

 

Adamm's Stained Glass & Gallery Santa Monica, CA 90401  310 451 9390

Sher Berman Glass Jewelry Artist

       

Crochet lariat with glass beads  Apatite and silver bead necklace Glass and silver crochet necklace

In a world where so many artists and designers use production pieces fabricated in China it is refreshing to see an American artist who creates 100% on her own. When you hold and look at a Sher Berman crochet bracelet, necklace, or earrings you immediately feel and see quality. Sher's use of color is miraculous!

                      
Lampwork Rasberry Beads           Long Orange Bead    Lampwork Black Glass Bead  Slver and Apatite bead Earrings

She combines colored glass, semi-precious stones, and silver beads in dramatic, tasteful, and pleasing color combinations. Her work is exceptionally comfortable to wear. It is light, smooth on the body, and very easy to put on and take off. Simply put her work is a joy to wear and blast to look at. There is no doubt, you will be the LIFE OF THE PARTY!

In Sher's words:

    I have a passion for beads in all its many forms. I create my own lampwork glass beads in my home studio in Illinois. I also do all the bead crochet from start to finish.
I grew up in Highland Park, Illinois attending Highland Park High School. Every year they would have something called "Focus on the Arts" and I just loved that special time. The school would bring in professionals in all different fields of the arts. You could learn to use a camera, solder a ring or write a short story. I took all jewelry classes and was completely fascinated. That is when I knew I would use my creativity to create something unique.
I went on to achieve a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Iowa and worked many years in Chicago as a graphic designer.
I got married, had two wonderful children and then it was, well, now what? I took a lampworking class in Highland Park and absolutely fell in love with it. The minute the torch was lit, I knew it would be my calling.
I now make glass beads and create bead crochet pieces in my home studio.

When  outdoor art shows are again allowed Sher will be displaying in them. Her work is also available at the gallery. www.adammsgallery.com

 

 

Michael Hopko- Master Marine Art Glass Artist

            

                             Multi Octopus                                                    Blue Turquoise Octopus

I was first introduced to Michael Hopko's work by a gallery customer.  She had purchased on of his octopus and  was fascinated by it. After checking out his work online I decided to get in touch with him and see about representing him in my gallery. I liked his work, especially his use of color, and the whimsy feeling his octopus invoked. At the time I had no idea how many of my customers would discover his work and fall in love with his little creatures. Representing Michael was one of the best decisions I have made. Soon after I observed is popularity I decided to expand my sele3ction. In addition to octopus, which he makes in three different sizes, he creates many salt water and fresh water fish. He also sculpts sea turtles, and tortoises.  We have had trout, salmon, sailfish, sharks, mahi mahi, tuna, and more.

 
                                                                                                                         Great White Shark

Michael is energized by all around him, especially family. He is inspired by nature and strives to perfection in his craft. He lives in the Trinity Alps, a subrange of the Klamath Mountains in Northern California. and is constantly reminded of nature, and her beauty. The same beauty he recreates nearly every day..

Michael Hopko began his journey as a glass artist in 1990 as an art student at Shasta College. After college, he worked as an apprentice glass blower with several different artists in California. Michael strives for quality in his work, and will not allow a piece of his art to leave his studio unless it meets his high standards of craftsmanship. He is constantly honing his craft. He plans on expanding his assortment of fish which will delight the collector as well as any outdoor enthusiast.

Michael's work is suitable for the home, or office, and makes a perfect gift.

You can always check them out in person at our gallery in Santa Monica.

Dowdy Opal Jewelry

    

 

  Joanne and Kevin Dowdy have been making opal jewelry since 1983. They became infatuated with opals when they were introduced to them in Australia. They were so enthusiastic that they bought an interest in a boulder opal mine in Queensland. The mine in the tiny outback town of Quilpie is so uninhabitable that the miners live underground because of the severe heat. Kevin spends about three months a year mining opals and brings them back to Tucson where he an Joanne create their magnificent jewelry. The opals were formed millions of years ago when liquid silica filled the voids in ironstone boulders. The opals are cut with the stone from the boulder. The stone gives the opal strength, and also adds to the deep color from the minerals that are present.

  

       In more recent years the Dowdys have begun using Ethiopian opals. The Ethiopian opals are amazingly vibrant and colorful. Truthfully there is no comparison between the boulder opals and the Ethiopian.

          

      The Dowdys use 22kt gold for the settings and 14k for the posts, fittings, and shanks. There workmanship is impecable. All the gold work is smooth and flawless, and their choice and cutting of the opals is top notch. If you, or someone you know is an opal lover Dowdy opals is a no brainer.

 

Dowdy Opal Jewelry is available at Adamm's Stained Glass & Gallery Santa Monica, CA 90401     adammsgqallery.com

Olive Parker- Montana Leather Designs

    

We represent a number of jewelers in the gallery, but none of them create anything  even close to Olive's work. I had heard of Olive from advertisements she had placed  in literature from wholesale craft shows. I was very interested in seeing her work in person. I attended the American Hand Crafted Show in Philadelphia this past February, and immediately found her. Her display was a real eye catcher. She brought a large assortment of her bracelets, and I was tempted to order all of them. Logic soon returned, and I made a more rational first order.

                                                                     

 

  Olive creates exquisite leather goods, in addition to her bracelets, but I stayed with the bracelets to start. Olive lives in Western Montana. Her bracelets have leather bands, ceramic, or enameled beads, and silver, brass, copper, or zinc clasps and accents. Each one is more beautiful than the next, and all are suitable for men or women. Her clasps are magnetic, which makes them very easy to put on, and are a very intelligent design. I loved all of them, and couldn't be happier with the selection.

David Lotton Art Glass Back At Adamm's Stained Glass & Gallery

     It had been three years since I attended the American Handcrafted Show in Philadelphia. Actually there has been a wholesale craft show there for about 30 years under various names. Originally, and running for about 25 years, was the "Buyers Market of American Craft". That show eventually moved on to Washington, D.C., and ACRE(American Craft Retailers Expo) took advantage of the opportunity and moved into the available dates. Just a few years laterr, the show was sold and became the American Handcrafted Show.

     The show takes place every year for 3-4 days around Valentines day. Not the most favorable time of year to be in Philadelphia. However, Philadelphia is a wonderful city with great museums, entertainment, sports, and especially food. In the past when the economy was booming, and the arts were very popular there were about 1600 artists of all crafts in attendance. The show has dwindled since those days, but has a had a slight resurgence in the past couple of years. This year 2019 there were nearly 500 artists, with many of the older established arts returning, and 30 new emerging arts joining them.

     I am always on the lookout for new artists for the gallery, and artists that are already in the gallery with new work. I had heard from a number of my regular artists that they would be returning. Most of the artists I represent have been in the gallery 20-nearly 40 years, and we are good friends. I love seeing them, going out to dinner, and catching up on their lives. We all have gone through many changes over the past 40 years. Of course my main objective is to bring in work for the gallery, and I was not disappointed in that regard.

     There were many artists to catch up with but I will start with David Lotton.             
                

Large Clematis mixed flower paperweight vase      Free form pulled vase      freeform heart and Vine Vase

                    
Leaf and Vine Sunset Bowl                  Clematis and Hollyhock Paperweight Vase         Organic Sculpture

David wasn't at the show, but his wife Kimberly was, and it was wonderful catching up with the family goings on. David is the son of Charles Lotton a very famous self taught glass blower, and one the the gallery favorites. His brother John was an exceptional glass blower, but decided to retire from glass and now is a home developer. David in addition to being a glass blower is also a farmer and rancher raising Black Angus cows, and growing all kinds of grain. Much of David's work is the same or similar to what he has been producing for many years, and it i still beautiful. I did pick up many of that style, and some new interesting, and more playful art.

    I'll be covering more of the artists and work arriving in the gallery in future blogs.

I hope you enjoy this one.

Michael Trimpol, and Monique LaJeunesse Glass Artists

        

Michael Trimpol was first introduced to glass while taking a high school stained glass class in Stowe, Vt. While attending Concordia University in Montreal he started a stained glass business designing, manufacturing, and installing many residential commissions, as well as public art. He enjoyed the creative process of design, and creation in stained glass, but felt limitations in its two dimensionality. This let him to explore hand blown art glass. It was at Sheridan College School of Craft & Design in Mississauga, Ontario  that he finally enrolled in a glass blowing class.

     When he graduated in 1985 he accepted a glass blowing job at Harbourfront studios, a popular tourist destinations in Toronto. Shortly after he left Harborfront in 1989 he established his own company Hotglass Inc. in Mississauga, Ontario.

     In 1995 he moved back to Stowe, Vt. where he established Little River Hot Glass. Michael still designs, and manufactures his work which has continued to grow. His art includes paper weights, marbles, vases, bowls, and ornaments. He is represented in numerous galleries throughout the country, and is a constant favorite among collectors who love his innovative designs, and vibrant use of colors.

In his own words :

"Of the many media and processes which can be used to create, I have always been attracted to glass and its potential. Initially working with stained glass, I became drawn to the dynamic nature of the blowing process which seemed to better suit both my nature and my vision.

I have a strong preference for objects of a personal scale and with potential utility. A vessel with a lid or stopper has always been of most interest. Color and pattern are also important, either a single pure color highlighting form or a more complex mixture to create patterns.

I am proud of the final product but the actual process of creation is what I find most satisfying."

  

Monique LaJeunessa

Monique  received an Honors BFA from the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario and a diploma in the Fine and Decorative Arts from Christie's, London.

Subsequently, she worked for Fine Art dealers in Cork Street, London and in Yorkville, Toronto. In 1992, she became a designer, business manager and partner of Hotglass Inc.

In 1995, she relocated along with Michael to Stowe, VT to design for and operate the daily business management of Little River Hotglass Studio.

Together Michael and Monique have made Little River one of the most productive glass studios in the country.

Her passion however is animal welfare and she is active with many groups worldwide. She is especially devoted to her own dogs (English Bull Terriers and a Jack Russell).

Scott Bisson Creatures in Glass

                                                                                                                         
  
                                                                  dichroic snake
    

Scott Bisson is a man of many talents. Scott is an excellent finish carpenter, and accomplished licensed contractor building custom homes in the Pacific North West. He is an avid outdoors man, and is as comfortable chopping, and splitting wood with an axe as he is with a torch in his hand creating his popular glass art. However, art glass is his true love. I first met him and his wife Abigail nearly 15 years ago at a craft show in Philadelphia. I was fascinated with his use of color, attention to detail, creativeness, and quality of work.

   Scott began his journey in glass in Philomath, Oregon when he was seventeen. Bending glass tubing over a flame in a high school chemistry class piqued his interest and unknowingly a lifetime obsession and career began. After several years as a hobbyist, Scott made the acquaintance of Skip Horton and later Buzz Williams. With their guidance and tutoring, glass became Scott’s livelihood and ruling passion. For the next four years, Scott led a dual existence as a flame worker and furnace worker. In 1994, Scott took a class at the Pilchuck School of Glass with the world famous Robert Mickleson. This was truly a turning point. According to Scott, “Pilchuck opened my eyes and imagination to what was truly possible and I have never recovered.” In 2004 he studied and lived in Murano, Italy under the direction of Cesare Toffolo.

    `                                      
                                                       frog                            skink

Scott has now been blowing glass for nineteen years and is currently represented in close to 80 galleries spanning the United States. He specializes in borosilicate flame-work and translates his love of nature into whimsical representations of the world he sees.

                                                                                     

                                                                                                angler fish

Scott has a very high intensity method of producing art. If he isn’t sweating and racing around like a madman he just isn’t doing his best. He believes energy and excitement always create the best work. Skill just isn’t enough. “I put a little bit of myself into every work of art I create. That is how I breath life into each piece”. Scott hates limitations and takes chances most artists wouldn’t dare. “If I don’t lose a piece a day from getting in over my head, then I am not pushing myself hard enough. Skill is the raw material of a great piece, and drive and energy make it take shape”.

 

Shawn Tsai Glass Artist

                 

 

Shawn Tsai was born in Taiwan in 1952. In 1975 he immigrated to the United States. Shawn was first introduced to glass sculpturing in 1978. Eventually, as his enthusiasm for glass art blossomed, his hobby turned into a full time profession. As he watched each if his creations transform from plain glass rods into marine and wildlife animals his desire to capture glimpses of nature in his work escalated. All of Shawn's creations are done freehand in borosilicate (Pyrex) glass without using a mold. A blowtorch is used to soften glass rods with its intense heat, and then the melted glass is reshaped and transformed into its finished form and left to anneal in a kiln. Shawn's goal is the capture the essence of nature in his work. His one of a kind sculptures reveal Shawn's deep love of nature, and talent to reveal it.

                     

     Today Shawn and his wife Toshi lover and work in Southern California. Their work is displayed in galleries across the United States, and in many fine collections.