Blown glass is a wonderful addition to any collection of art and accessories for the home. Glass designs range from functional pieces such as vases, bowls, lighting and chandeliers, to fanciful items such as jewelry, sculptures and wall decorations. No matter what the size or shape of the piece, the play of color and light can make blown glass pieces exquisite. Plus, the range of styling is so extensive as to fit into almost any type of decor.

Fine blown glass is made all over the world . American artist Dale Chihuly is a well-known name in the field these days, receiving acclaim for his massive, playful and eccentric sculptural pieces. With artists such as Chihuly sparking a new interest in the craft, there has been a resurgence in the popularity of handmade blown art glass.

While perusing a design magazine I noticed a colorful eye-catching wall installation created by Jordan Valley Glassworks in East Jordan. The installation, which won an award, was composed of 15 multi-colored individual “rondels,” which are amorphous shaped bowls. Set inside of the bowls are “points of interest,” which vary in shape from smaller rondels to tiny bowls. Connected to the larger rondels were “wall arms.” These are spiral-like shapes curled and bent over, creating a flower-like installation.

I stopped by Jordan Valley Glassworks on my way up north to our vacation home in Charlevoix. Besides the custom work they do, their store is full of reasonably priced hand-blown glass pieces in every possible category. The studio has four award-winning glassblowers — Glenna Haney, Jay Bavers, his son Bill and daughter Beth. Each has their own specialty and area of expertise. However, Jay says “the most fun we have is when we all work together on the bigger projects.”

Jay’s grandfather was a glassblower who came to the U.S. as an immigrant around 1925.”

Jay’s 23-year-old son Bill, a fourth generation glass blower, has worked with his dad for 10 years. He also is earning a bachelor’s of fine arts degree with a studio specialty in glass blowing from Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

I liked the fact that everything in the store could be custom-made. I brought in samples of my color scheme and I ordered three large “rondels,” two “points of interest” and two “wall arms.” They will cascade down the high wall over my fireplace mantel. The price, including installation, was $945.

Their work will be part of a show at the Saginaw Art Museum that runs from June 21 through Sept. 2 titled “Taming of the Flame, Decorative Artworks in Iron and Glass.”

Have a decor question? Barbara Kopitz is a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers. Write to P.O. Box 250342, West Bloomfield Township, MI 48235-0342, or e-mail Barbarakop@yahoo.com. Questions of general interest will be answered only in the column.

source : detnews.com