Encouragement & Inspiration

Last week, I read about a studio downsizing in my area and decided to check it out to see if could pick up anything.  I wasn't really in the market for another kiln but there seemed a large variety of items - molds, frit, glass...etc.  It turned out to be the studio of the late Dan Fenton, one of the pioneers in fused glass.  I met a wonderful woman, Patti O'Doherty, who told me a lot about Dan and his industry contributions such as working with Bullseye on their glass and Phil Teefy to make Glass Glow kilns.  She also gave me a number of Glass Art magazines of which Dan was one of the editors.  It was great reading and seeing part of glass history.  Dan passed away from cancer but was working on glass right up until the end and even completed a gorgeous stained glass piece with limited vision.

Patti, like Dan, is one of those people who has worked in glass for 30+ years and is a wealth of information.  As a glass artist, she asked to see my work and was very encouraging, which was especially welcome coming from someone who had so much experience.  While I didn't purchase much, I did buy 4 sheets of glass from Dan Fenton's stock.  Patti encouraged me to make something and reference that it's made with Dan's glass.  But, what I plan to do is to create something solely from these 4 sheets as special tribute to Dan.  So, look for this sometime later this year.

In the meantime, I'm hoping to see Patti again soon when she holds the rest of her sale on molds, frit and other glass in about a month after the Jacoby stained glass window show at her studio finishes.  I feel privileged to have met her and to have heard about Dan's contributions.  It's not that often that you meet someone in your field with so much experience that encourages and inspires you.  And, for this, I am very thankful.