I love Ian Duncan’s work. He uses colors that “pop” and shapes that have a little of the unexpected, even when they are “ordinary” forms, such as a bowl or vase.

In Ian’s own words: “I work with glass because of its versatility as a medium. Its many inherent qualities allow me a means to express my ideas. The advantages of producing three dimensional glass forms include its transparency and opacity, which allow light to be manipulated through use of color, texture, and layering. Glass contains light. Whether it’s a solid or hollow form, it can reflect, refract, or even glow.

“Glass has an uncanny ability to imitate. I portray familiar objects in glass to impersonate consumer products. Glass lends its plasticity to give the forms a hand-crafted feel. My current body of work deals with a variety of large scale glass fishing lures that remind me of fishing trips I went on with my dad when I was growing up. I have enlarged the scale of these baits to attract the viewer with luscious color and form. I’ve emphasized the attraction and allure that glass has on people, by hanging them in the viewer’s personal space. Posing the question of what lure an individual finds most attractive. It’s almost like I’m fishing for people with glass. The installations invite the viewers to interact and become part of the work as they mingle around each lure, inspect them, and ultimately find a favorite. When they do, smiles come to their faces as these forms are very whimsical and inspire a sense of fun through their vibrant colors and artificial nature.”

Stop in and discover Ian’s work.

I love things that are fun and maybe a little bit whimsical. I think world events can be overwhelming and sometimes I just need something to make me smile. Waiyant Li of Creations Li makes things that fit the bill.  Her ceramic bowls, jars, and tumblers are almost guaranteed to put a smile on your face.  And, since they are completely functional, you can (and should) use them a lot… leading to LOTS of smiles!

Stop in and discover this new work by Creations Li!

As you know, I had a great time in Philly at the Buyers’ Market for American Craft.  One of the best parts of the show is meeting new artists and seeing their voices through their work.  One of my favorites from this show is Luis Marquez of Sekoya Originals.

Luis creates amazing candlesticks from iron.  Luis’s candlesticks take their cues from nature and family. You can feel the wind blowing the reeds. You can see the importance of the family unit. You can appreciate the creativity that drives Luis’s work.

Stop in and discover the work of Luis Marquez and Sekoya Originals.

I love origami… there’s something about folded forms that interests me.  I am always amazed by the creativity that I encounter with these shapes.  How a sheet of paper or a piece of cloth can be turned into a bird or a hat or a bowl fascinates me.  When I saw Hilborn Pottery, I was reminded of origami figures and the work grabbed hold of me.  Add to that the elegant grey glaze and I was hooked!

Hilborn Pottery is a family business, specializing in original wheel thrown and hand built clay products of exceptional function and form. They hand paint patterned designs using colorful, metallic oxide glazes.  Much of their ware is produced with layered slabs folded, sculptured, and twisted to achieve a fluid vitrified form.  All of their pieces are safe for food and drink, as well as microwave, oven, and dishwasher proof.

Stop in and discover versatile, creative, and beautiful Hilborn Pottery.

Hilborn Pottery

Glass is such an interesting and versatile medium.  I love to see how different artists use glass in such different and equally compelling ways.  Philadelphia glass blower Jim Loewer is self-taught through trial and error, focusing primarily on contemporary organic forms influenced by Japanese craft and the American studio glass movement and inspired by nature. A great example are his stalagmite vases and his bird bowls, which showcase his free-flowing forms and intense swirling colors with eye-popping results.

Stop in and discover Jim Loewer Glass.

Sometimes, something catches my eye and, at first, I may have no idea why… and I start asking myself questions: why did I stop? which piece, specifically, caught my eye? what is it about that piece?  And, I may move on, looking at new things, but all the while, I am trying to answer these questions.  And, I come back… over and over… until I realize that I need this piece – I cannot go home without it.

That’s how it was when I first saw Bradley Birkhimer’s pottery.  What caught my eye at first was the unusual shape of his pagoda vase… what made me come back was the enticing mixture of old and new that he combines in his pieces… what made me bring the pieces to the gallery was the energy that radiates from the vase and from his square jars.

Bradley B pottery is wood fired and fumed with baking soda and table sale to enhance the colors and textures.  The flames from the wood gently color the pottery, yielding hues of orange, red, and brown. Characteristics of wood fired pots are also the whitish circles left from the was clay, which separates the pieces from the shelves while firing.  Bradley uses his own personal stoneware blend and ash-like glazes to create these pots.

Bradley B pottery is influenced by Bradley’s experiences in China, giving him a framework to combine Chinese architecture, Western utilitarian pottery, his faith, and his culture into his ceramics.

Stop in and discover Bradley B Pottery!

pagoda vases and square jars by bradley b pottery

Fire & Light hand-poured colored glass tableware has a way of drawing the eye, enchanting the viewer with the unique play of light that filters through its rich spectrum of colors and textures. This enchantment is not simply a quality of the glass or its pigmentation, but of the very way in which it is made, the very hands that pour and press it, the beliefs and spirit that drive the people who craft the product, and the community from which it originates.

Fire & Light started as a partnership between a recycling center and some investors.  They turned recycled glass back into a raw material, using it to create bright, colorful functional pieces.  Today, each piece is made from recycled glass and the company strives to incorporate recycling into each phase of the production process, like using recycled beer kegs to cool their ladles.

Fire & Light colored glassware is a product whose history is a kind of future, where age-old craftsmanship meets innovative manufacturing, utilizing post consumer glass as a resource. But it’s the beauty that will get you, the twinkle of light on the surface of a watery blue bowl, and the knowledge that we get as much happiness out of making the colored glass bowl as you will from having it on your table.

Stop in and discover this distinctive glassware!

Sometimes, things just catch your eye… you don’t know exactly why, but you find yourself turning and looking… and, then, you go beyind just looking and start to study it.  You say to yourself, “wow! that’s unusual!” And that’s when I know I have found something for the shop!

Bibelot Design makes picture frames and coasters from glass, fabric, and copper – and does it with a fresh, modern, and sophisticated flair.  Christine McGrath and Reid Maltby create home accessories that make you stop and look.  So stop in and discover their work!

Look – something shiny!  This started as a joke between friends – I am quickly distracted by beautiful things, especially jewelry.  Well, that’s exactly what I said the first time I saw Erica Stankwytch Bailey’s jewelry.

Erica is a contemporary metalsmith.  Yes, she makes jewelry, but with an edge.  In Erica’s own words:

“My work involves a variety of technical applications that allow me to create conceptual and aesthetic work/s. I inspect the world in great detail and have always collected shells, seed pods, stones and interesting organic elements. My studio often resembles a laboratory with trays of collected specimens lined in rows. Whether by fear and fascination, disgust or admiration I am constantly moved by life. From the minuscule piece of reef collected on the shore to the enormous sadness evoked by the many inequalities that exist I am constantly inspired. Lamination, chasing, metal weaving, fabrication, enameling, forging, raising, forming and cast metal parts are often combined in my work in an effort to create pieces that are tactile and invoke in the wearer a sense of personal attachment. Using these techniques allows me to take small pieces of history/time and translate them into visual moments for the viewer and myself.”

Stop by and discover Erica’s “something shiny” work for yourself!