Steph Mader
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Spring Glass Fusing Workshops at the Studio

3/8/2017

 
In between snow flurries I think to myself, "spring is almost here!" Oh, brother. Talk about optimism. But I see the first blossoms on the forsythia, so I am determined to plan for the future.

Now that my studio has a lovely new window, I have a nice cozy place for workshops. I've decided to teach a few techniques this spring - April and May dates to be firmed up soon. I'll be sending out a newsletter with all the details in the next couple weeks, so be sure to sign up!

Here's a little preview:

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Layered Glass Landscapes
Five days, over three weekends
(also 5-day summer intensive) 
Limited to 4 participants.
$925, includes all materials.  
Glass experience required. Learn how to create three-dimensional layered landscapes in glass.
Projects: two landscape panels, one 5 layer, one 4 layer.

Erosion & Lace Glass
Two days
Limited to 4 participants.
$360, includes all materials.
No glass experience necessary. Learn to make fused glass that looks like enameled metal; control glass volume and kiln heat to produce organic hole patterns.
Projects: One large-hole wall piece with enamel surface, one frit-sculpted piece, on sheet of glass lace, multiple samples.


Sgraffito Glass
Two days: Saturday & Sunday.
Limited to 4 participants.
$360, includes all materials
No glass experience necessary.  Learn to create glass designs that look like block prints by scratching designs onto the surface of the glass. It's all glass - shiny and durable!
Projects: one small bowl, one dessert plate/sculpture, one wall tile, one medium plate, plus samples.



Kiln-Carving & Bas-Relief
Two Days: Saturday & Sunday
Limited to 4 participants.
$360, includes all materials.
No glass experience necessary. Learn to make fused glass that looks like it's been carved. Create bas-relief effects, shadow and color patterns.
Projects: one large round sculpture or bowl, one tall wall panel, multiple 4" samples.

Vineyards and Lavender Fields - And a View.

11/15/2016

 
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We've been busy putting a big window and a double glass door in the front studio wall. It will be great to have more light for the winter.  We're almost there - the doors are under that glob of tarp in front.  A little ceiling insulation, and it will be  cozy for the winter - with a new view!

I have pieces in a few holiday exhibitions but I've been a little slow getting to studio work this fall. I'm looking forward to sliding into high gear for winter.

One of my new collectors suggested I try vineyards or lavender fields, so I ventured forth.  Here are some images I took during the process. Rows are challenging when you're working in layers. I think I'll try a few more, just to get the hang of it.
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Lovely Poem and Glass Inspiration from Schouten Gallery

9/15/2016

 
The Rob Schouten Gallery on Whidbey Island has a gift for pairing art and poetry. I was delighted to have my piece, "View from the Forest Floor" chosen to be paired with this impressive poem by David Wagoner in the gallery's latest postcard.  Perfect.
Lost
    by David Wagoner

Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.





 
from Collected Poems 1956-1976 © Indiana University Press.


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Ready for the Glass Exhibition at Rob Schouten Gallery 

9/1/2016

 
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The studio tour was so much fun. I was not expecting a huge turnout, but there was a steady stream of art lovers through the weekend. If you made it over to the island you probably saw this piece in process on the light table. It's all done, named "View from the Forest Floor".

This morning I took a few photos of it, then delivered it to the Rob Schouten Gallery. During the month of September I'll have pieces in their Feature Glass Exhibition; Rob Adamson, Katrina Hude and I will be showing our work. The gallery looks amazing!

There are quite a few photos of the show here. Take a peek, and try to make it over for the opening - Friday, September 2, 5-7PM.  We'd love to see you there!

Steph
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Whidbey Island Open Studio Tour = Major Cleanup.

8/16/2016

 
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Here comes the countdown to my open studio weekend - 10 days to go.

I know we are all busy. I'm sure many of you have more complicated lives than me, the lazy island diva. 

But, yikes.

I'm in the midst of making a few landscapes for the upcoming September show at the Rob Shouten Gallery and finishing up a couple commissions. Oh - and getting ready to host a big multi-person birthday party for my lovely August-September relatives.

I thought you might need a good laugh, so I am posting some images of what my studio looks like this afternoon.  Maybe later I'll post "after" photos and we can play "spot the difference".  Maybe we'll only have to spot 10 differences... depends on how well I apply myself.

Whining aside, I am really looking forward to the open studio. It's nice to get a chance to talk to everybody in a more relaxed atmosphere and it will be fun to show visitors how the work is made. I promise it won't be as scary as sausage.

Please come visit! My studio on Whidbey Island will be open August 27 & 28, 10AM-5PM each day.

Here's a link to my page in the studio tour brochure. And here's a link to the Whidbey Working Artists site. If you click on "catalogue" you can download a brochure showing all the participating studios. I'll also have brochures available at my studio. Plan to stay a while, take a little refreshment in the shade and talk art!

See you there-
Steph

Sunny Anacortes Arts Festival!

8/11/2016

 
The Anacortes Arts Festival was beautiful, sunny and warm. I was assigned this lovely end booth with plenty of sun to make the glass sparkle. Many thanks to all my new collectors - I appreciate your support.  Here are a few peeks...
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First Art Festival of the Year - The New Work is Launched

7/23/2016

 
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Okay! I made it through the first art festival with the new work. I took a quick shot of the booth and here they are, all the new guys. It was really helpful to talk with people about the work. Thanks, all you engineer-types, for actually being interested  in all the nerdy surface tension/heat-work talk (instead of politely faking it).

Next stop Anacortes Arts Festival August 5-7. I'll be in booth #406. The show is a short drive for me, so at night I'll be sleeping in my own bed! Trust me, that's worth a lot.

I'll also be opening up my studio August 27-28 as part of the Whidbey Working Artists Open Studio Tour. I'll post more about that in an upcoming blog.  You're invited; it would be a lot of fun to see you!

Hope you're enjoying this beautiful summer.

Steph

Wedgwood Art Festival Coming Up

7/7/2016

 

I'm getting the car packed up today, preparing for the Wedgwood Art Festival this weekend. It will be the first time I'll show the new abstract work, how fun! To tell the absolute truth, I'm a little nervous. I made new sea form and fishnet bowls for the show, influenced by my new island home.

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This is an unusually light year for me, show-wise. I decided to take it easy, plant a garden and double up on studio work. It's refreshing to experiment and explore new techniques (more color, looser shapes). I'm curious to see where it will lead. I'll be shifting over to landscapes in a bit, getting ready for my show at the Rob Shouten Gallery in September.

In the meantime here I go, off to Seattle to see old art friends and meet a few new ones - always a pleasure.

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Art A Day Exhibition May 4-29, 2016

4/30/2016

 
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Just a quick post today - I'm packing up to drive to Hood River, Oregon tomorrow to help hang the exhibition. I'm so curious to see what the other artists' pieces are like after the intensive 30-day work schedule.

There are six of us exhibiting, shown on the header from left to right: Barbara Clark, Bill Hook, Steph Mader (me!), Rachel Harvey, Kelly Phipps, Lisa Foster.  I'm in very good company.

Here are the details:
Art A Day Exhibition
Columbia Center for the Arts
Hood River, Oregon
May 4-29, 2016
Opening reception May 6, 6-8pm

The Columbia Gorge is a magical area to visit, one of my favorites.  Ah, the pleasures of the road trip.
Hope you can catch the show!

Steph

Oh - Here's the description of the exhibition:

"This exhibition challenges artists to create one piece of art a day for an entire month. The exhibition is both a chronicle of an individual's life experiences and a study of what happens to an artist's creative and personal evolution when they agree to work on a series for 30 days in a row. The results are a daily visual journal that captures that particular moment in time."                                        Rachel Harvey, Curator

Art-A-Day Challenge DONE...                          Whew.

3/28/2016

 
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Well, believe it or not, I'm done. I hardly know what to do with myself, I've been immersed in this project for so long.

The exhibition, "Art-A-Day", will run May 4-29, 2016. Opening night is Friday, May 6th, 6-8 pm at the Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River, Oregon.

All three groups, ten of each, have been built, coated with color, slumped and attached to wall hangers. Next I'll photograph each group to use as a rough guide for the gallery folks to use to hang the show.

In retrospect, it was wonderful to be able to dive into a new way of working and draw the experiments out over such a long period of time. What a luxury. I think it was a good idea to build three groups, each group having a similar shape and color palette to help it hang together. That gave me a chance to really think about the inspiration for each group and explore a more abstract color application than I've done in the past. I feel like I can stand on this experience as I push into making bigger, more sculptural work.

It's a little unnerving to think about showing work that's so completely new for me. But how many chances do you get to be brave and stick your neck out like this? It's probably good for my character (which can always use some improvement).

I am finished; I did my best. I will imagine them hanging on a nice, white wall, and sleep the sleep of the just.

Steph



p.s.
I set up my art festival booth in the driveway on a dim day in February (the best I could in the middle of winter - photo above) and grabbed a shot to be used for applying to shows. At that point some of the pieces had not even been slumped yet but I tossed in what I had, to give jury members an idea of the type and scale of the new work. The Art-A-Day project pieces are the rounds and ovals on the back wall and the sail shapes on the right.
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    Steph Mader is a full-time glass artist living on Whidbey Island in Washington State.

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