The Travis family has been in business in our county since the early 1980s. Their works are breath-taking and have been exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution. The process is very tedious, with layer upon layer of glass, fused with multiple firings in the kiln. Fusing glass began about 3,500 years ago. Layers of glass with colors in between are fired in a kiln until the glass gets hot enough to fuse together. Depending on the complexity of the piece, several firings may be required to meld all the glass pieces together into one piece. There are platters, plates, bowls, oil jugs, and decorative outdoor plaques. All of them are lovely.
No photographs are allowed inside the Glass Feather, but plenty of artwork covers the gardens.
One of their outdoor plaques, with an assortment of wildflowers:
A Cardinal perches atop a deck rail:
This very large piece is really impressive.
A moving work of art, the glass sculpture is designed to catch the wind and turn, providing a kaleidoscope of color:
The happy little wren greets visitors to the gardens:
And there must always be a chickadee:
Glass boxes surround a cardinal:
While we could not take pictures inside, I can show you one of Patricia Travis's large bowls. We bought this one last year and it gives us great joy. The piece is very heavy and while it could be used for serving (it's even dishwasher safe), we keep it as a work of art.
We are so blessed to have such unbelievable talent in our area. Imagine...the mountains, the birds, the waterfalls, and all the artwork you can imagine. It just doesn't get any better.
12 comments:
Remarkable work. I looked at the online catalogue.
These are lovely, and such a variety of work to look at...love the piece you bought. You are lucky to live near such an art haven! I plan on visiting the website.
Very inspiring. I just got a kiln, but am only ready for pendants and bowls right now. Someday...
Came to you via A Mark On My Wall. Have been a lurker for a few months. I enjoy your blog and pictures.
The cardinal was my favorite!
That cardinal is lovely. I would definitely spend money for that to hang in my window!
Wow--such creative use of glass. So lovely.
Ooooo, I'd love it there. The glass is beautifully done. I don't think I could resist that Chickadee.
Mary
I love glass!!! you are right you are in a great area with many gifted artists. Everything you showed here is just beautiful.
How gorgeous Carolyn. It really is amazing to see what local artisans can do, and it makes you feel good to support their work there in the mountains.
Beautiful work, but my favorite is definitely your bowl! It is amazing!
Troutbirder - Yes, it is remarkable. The colors are simply beautiful.
Tina - We are very fortunate to live among so much talent.
Island Rider - Thanks for lurking. I'm so glad you like the blog.
Shelley - I liked the chickadee best, but the cardinals are beautiful as well. They have some very large platters with cardinals.
Cedar - They do look very nice in windows, or mounted on trees.
Bird girl - I love the bowl so much that I'm sure I would hold my breath if we used it for serving. I'd be tempted to tell everyone, "Now be careful with that bowl."
Donna - They do some lovely pieces, including fanciful olive oil jars. So pretty on the table.
Mary - The chickadee was my favorite as well.
Toni - We feel blessed to have so much local talent. I think the mountains attract writers and artists of all kinds.
Jayne - We do try to buy from local artists and our friends seem to enjoy the gifts we find around here.
Dog geek - We once were lucky enough to see them open one of the kilns. It's an amazing process.
I know what you mean. I feel very lucky to live in the area, too.
Post a Comment