Tuesday, December 2, 2014

"Take pART" Donated Art Supplies and Tools Sale!

"Take pART"  

   "Creativity is Contagious, pass it on" Albert Einstein

Fusionglass Co's Mobile Glass Class.

Donate ART & CRAFTS supplies and tools you are not using or have outgrown & you'll be helping us get our "Take pART" program into local schools.

The program was developed in direct response to the many conversations we've had with teachers when they visit the Fusionglass Co. gallery. They often mention how much the kids love our classes, and lament the fact that there is little or no money for field trips to allow more kids to experience the joy of creating with this wonderful medium.

We decided to look for a way that would allow us to bring the experience of glassworking right into the classrooms. After some research and playing around with different ways of transporting the projects, we have found something that works beautifully.

Patz Crisler
 We offer reduced price classes to local schools, Girl and Boy Scouts and Church groups,
and bring everything they need to create gorgeous glass art right into the classroom.

New instructor Patz Crisler is excited to be involved with the program. Her delightful personality and creativity are a huge addition to the kids experience! Patz is looking for bookings so if you're interested in having us visit YOUR kids school, please email info@fusionglassco.com for more information.



Our event on December 13th 2014 is from noon to 3pm.
This is a great reason to clean out your closet, garage or studio and get those unwanted supplies into the hands of someone who will use them! 

Attend the event and you might even bring home treasures instead! 
We'll be keeping most items to just $1.00!
With a $2.00 charge at the door. Unless you've donated something.
Last year many teachers we know took great delight in adding supplies to their classrooms! Using their own money! This is another reason we love to keep things priced at only $1.

If you'd like to donate something:

Please Drop off donations before Dec 12th 
at the Fusionglass Co. Gallery & Studio
in La Mesa, any Monday to Saturday

between the hours of 11am and 4pm

Or call the gallery at 619-461-4440 to make special arrangements.
We can even arrange to have something picked up.

Drawing, Painting, Clay, Pottery, Knitting, weaving, collage items, sewing, photography, mosaics, jewelry making, beading, fabric arts, stain glass, and any other hobby you can think of

SATURDAY December 13th

we will open our doors from noon to 3pm for the special sale.

So come early & bring friends! 

We love seeing the result of working directly with kids, their huge smiles when they see a completed project is enough to make your heart sing! They are developing a love and appreciation of art and the art of creating and experience the artistic process. We are constantly amazed by their resourcefulness and ability to understand concepts.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Artist Jackie Murphy joins the Fusionglass Co team of instructors.







 We're really delighted to welcome fusionglass co friend and talented local artist Jackie Murphy as a new instructor to the FGC team. Jackie has been taking classes with us for about 4 years now. She is a talented clay artist and has developed a deep love for glass working.
















 

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. When she was young girl, Jackie and her family moved to
Moab, Utah where they spent their weekends exploring the beautiful mountains and deserts.
Eventually, her family settled in the Missoula, Montana area, 30 miles out of town and surrounded
by beauty and wildlife. In her mid-20's she decided she had grown tired of the long, cold, snowy
winters and moved to Hawaii. 




 



She met her husband, Doug, in Hawaii and they moved to El
Cajon, CA in 1992. After spending 20 years developing software and doing computer consulting,
she decided to retire and devote her time to her art.







Jackie learned stained glass in 1989, and learned ceramics in 2011, and took her first fused
glass class in March of 2012 (at Fusionglass Co.). Once bitten by the fusing bug, and wanting
more control over her ceramics, she and her husband built a studio on their property, and she
started buying kilns.





 




Jackie’s art reflects who she is, and where she has been in life. Some things show her Montana
roots, love of mountains, and passion for professional bull riding. Other things reflect her years in
Hawaii with its lush vegetation and colorful sea life.









 
 In addition to working in her art studio, Jackie was recently invited to instruct at Fusionglass Co's Ladies Night Out fused glass classes. Where she has had perfect attendance since coming to her first class. Jackie has been assisting with the classes for the past year and we're delighted to have her on board officially as an instructor!  







 

View more of Jackie's art at Glazed and Kilnfused










 

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Mustafah Dhada exhibit at Fusionglass Co.


 "Black, White & Cadmium Red"


Please join us for an Artists Reception on Oct. 18th from 5:30-8:30pm

light refreshments will be served.

We are thoroughly honored and excited to host internationally recognized sculptor  

Mustafah Dhada FRAS, FRSA, D.Phil (Oxon) at the Fusionglass Co gallery this month and next. Dhada is featured amongst a small group of  artists with work in the show.








Our show opened on 20thSeptember with a lecture by the artist. Dhada spoke of his upbringing in Mozambique, his travels to Asia and his opportunity to study History. He shared his creative process, Astounding listeners with the revelation that literally hundreds of drawings go into the creation of a sculptural piece.









We've had the pleasure of getting to know a little bit more about this exuberent artist over a number of delicious champagne lunches at the gallery.  Dhada's Joie de Vivre is  tangible, and communicated in the sensual curves and playful movement of his works.

Born and raised in Mozambique. Dhada is a history professor at Bakersfield CA university. 
He is a brilliant artist & sculptor, and the show in addition to featuring his sculptures will present for sale many of his study drawings and sketches.
He spent nearly 11 years in Central Asia as a monk, before heading for Oxford University, England. He studied sculpture in Paris under abstract and neo representationalist masters.

After which followed years of artistic uncertainty, turmoil and despair in search of a creative identity unique to his work.

Dhada’s sculptures have emerged as neither figurative nor completely abstract. They invite & compel you to reach out and touch or caress them. They are impregnated with inner organic compactness, expressed externally with a tensile eruptive vitality. They seek the chalice of life, the liberation of the self from within.

Dhada describes his work as “Sensuously Abstract”, his work is an attempt to fuse the temporal trilogy of his life: the raw African carvings of his childhood, the sensuous rotundity of Vedic expressions in stone and the grace of European representational art.

 
Please join us

Lecture: September 20th 2014 from 6-7pm.

at Fusionglass Co. Gallery, 8872 La Mesa Boulevard,  La Mesa, CA. 91942. Tel: 619-461-4440.

Where Dhada will give a  short lecture on the development of his work.  Some of  the work will be offered in a silent auction which will close on October 18th at the Artists Reception.
A proportion of sales from the auction will be donated to developing art education projects in our local schools.

This is a free event & light refreshments will be served. The public is invited to attend.

 Artists Reception: Saturday 18th October 5.30 -8.30pm.

The formal Artist's Reception for the show will take place on October 18th
Dhada will be there in person to meet the public, as will the other artists who are featured in this exciting show. Light refreshments will be served and the public is invited to attend this very special event.
















Tuesday, September 2, 2014

"Take pART" a mobile glass class and fundraising opportunity. Wants to come to YOUR school.

"Take pART"  

 

“Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible.” Richard Feynman

Fusionglass Co's traveling glass class wants to come to YOUR school!

"Take pART" students work
Our "Take pART" program was developed in direct response to many conversations with teachers when they visit the Fusionglass Co. gallery. They often mention how much the kids love to create and how much they would enjoy our classes, and lament the fact that there is little or no money for field trips and not enough parents free during the day to carpool the kids. At Fusionglass Co.we really feel a need to share the joy of creativity with anyone who expresses an interest.  We know through experience that to allow yourself to become immersed in a creative endeavor can free your mind from the day to day worries and obstacles that life invariably throws up. To rejuvenate your soul through creativity brings joy to the creator and the viewer alike.






It's a communication with imagery, It's like saying the words you cannot say.



We wanted to share our art with the kids and decided to look for a way that would allow us to bring the experience of glass working right into the classrooms. After some research and playing around with different ways of transporting the projects, we have found something that works beautifully.



While we do charge a reduced price, we also wanted to help perpetuate such programs by helping the kids recoup the money spent.

We think we came up with a rather brilliant idea: 
We have the kids make two pieces of glass, one for themselves and one for a group project.


We can make the group project into many different items including platters,  bowls, wall pieces, or a hanging mobile.

The group project is then returned to the school as an auction item for their school fundraiser.




 


 


In the photos at right we show the projects before and after firing. Each square is approximately 2"x2 "















The kids can choose to have their square made into a pendant or a key ring.

The pendant/keyring class is the most popular project we do with the schools, tho' they do have the opportunity to choose from about 9 different projects which can be viewed here :
 "Take pART" projects





 


 We are so very grateful for the grant received from the wonderful people at
 Friends of East County Arts, Inc.  With which we were able to purchase supplies and tools for the mobile classes.
 
The purpose of this organization is to provide funds for the growth and development of audiences for the live performing arts; to present world class artists, and to support the fine arts and artists in the Greater East San Diego County area.
  
We are eternally grateful also for the encouragement,enthusiasm & friendship from individual members of this dedicated group.





We had 25 squares from this group and decided they were perfect for a platter.

I set them on a background of clear class and used some glass stringers in shades of blue to tie it all together.


















The glass is fired twice, The first time fuses all of the pieces together, and the second lower temperature firing shapes the piece.

It's important to check the size of the piece against the mold, Here I've laid the platter on  the mold into which it will be fired, if it overlaps in any way there is a risk of fusing the mold into the glass.












Here's a look at how the piece finished. We think it's a beautiful way to capture a moment in time.



 "Take pART" Fundraiser

 Donate ART & CRAFTS supplies and tools you are not using or have outgrown & you'll be helping us get our "Take pART" program into local schools.

Bring your items to fusionglass Co. any time before October 30th 2014.

Looking for a reason to go through the closets?
Need to move those old  art supplies or tools?

We'll have a big sale of all the items received in November 2014 
We'll be keeping most items to just $1.00!
With a $2.00 charge at the door. Unless you've donated something.
 The funds raised will go towards supplies for the "Take pART" program.


Looking for a way to make YOUR Fundraiser fun?  Email us for ideas on how to make your fundraiser a huge success! info@fusionglassco.com