Pictures In Glass & PLDeere Studios

New blood is always a good thing!

2012-01-24T21:46:00.000-05:00

You may remember, last year I was fortunate enough to have a student from the Lenawee Intermediate School District Graphic Imaging Dept. come to my studio for some On The Job Training. I was just called by Joel Beutler, Instructor, about taking on another student who may be starting the first week of February.

These students bring a lot to my studio and I get as much from them as they get from being here. When all of the details are worked out, I'll post more information. But, for now, if you have a student considering a vocational school, I cannot say enough about their programs and instructors. Having worked on the Graphic Imaging Board with Joel, I have seen his passion for the program and for the students he has taught. Some information about Joel:

Joel has been in the Graphic Imaging/Printing Industries for over 30 years. He worked as a graphic designer for both commercial offset printing and flexographic printing plate production. Joel is experienced in traditional hand-produced graphic imaging and computer-produced graphics. Prior to teaching at the LISD TECH Center, he was the art director for two different national flexo firms for about ten years.

Joel’s educational background includes:
    • Associate’s Degree in Fine Arts, Monroe County Community College
    • Bachelor’s Degree in Commercial Art, Eastern Michigan University
    • Master’s Degree in Education Technology, University of Toledo
    • Art Certification (Ohio), K-12, University of Toledo
    • Graphic Communication/Printing Certification, Eastern Michigan University
    • Management & Supervision Courses at Owens Technical College
    • Microsoft/PC Classes at Bowling Green State University

To read more about the program, click on the link below!

Pat Deere

Links: LISD Graphic Imaging Technology

Finishing a project... cont'd. Hispanic/American Civil Rights

2012-01-22T07:59:00.000-05:00

To continue the history of this project, after many months of waiting, the artists were given new parameters. Right away I struggled with sticking with the project or letting it go. I loved the concept, but the budget was very tight. I went through a constant deliberation in my head about following through because I loved the impact it would have on thousands of people for many, many years who would walk into the bus depot and see these historical movements depicted in glass. Obviously, I chose to work through the problems.

Originally each artist was to create only one window. After checking with the arts council representative, I was given permission to work on more than one because I had different artists in mind to create the design, and I would fabricate it. Immediately I thought of Greg (Gregorio) Perez in Adrian. I admire him as an artist, as a wonderful person, I wanted to try to mimic his style in glass, and I knew he would take the historical part of the project seriously. He accepted and I have to say this was a very time consuming but inspirational window to work on. I really wanted it to be vibrant, full of color and movement... and it was. I could not have been any happier with the design. Greg did have to go through some design changes due to the fact that, although historically correct, there could have been some negative fallout as a result. Once the changes were made, even he was happier with the results.

From my end, trying to get the results of a "linocut" or "woodcut" design in glass was not easy. Originally, I tried using the same materials he would have used, applying glass paints, then transferring it to the glass. Those results were unsuccessful. Next, I tried different paint brushes to get the look I was going after. I finally found that look and had somewhat mixed results getting it to repeat in the same way throughout the project.

Every artist goes through the process of acknowledging what they like and what they would do different. I can relate to that in this piece. Because after 4 years of working on a project that was scheduled to end several years prior, I was in constant deliberation about where to cut costs. The answer I would get when talking with the "Powers That Be", was never changing and resulted in this response: Work within your budget. So I did that while at the same time trying to create a window that was good enough to honor the original design by Greg and the people it represents. So, the wonderful results included a beautiful design to start with, some gorgeous glass, a fun learning experience trying to honor Greg's style, and in the end, a very attractive and educational stained glass window. What would I have done different? Bit the bullet and purchased more glass, similar in tone for the faces. This was one of my most time consuming and costly windows to build. And, although I was way over budget on this one, if I had to do it again... I would have bit the bullet and bought more glass despite the recommendations of the financially responsible people in my life.

Greg - I will be forever grateful for you input on this one! Do me a favor and check out the link to his web site below.

Pat Deere

Links: Gregorio Perez

What an artist goes through to finish a project...

2012-01-21T09:50:00.000-05:00

Finally, I have the privilege of posting pictures of one of the finished windows that I have been working on for the Michigan Transportation Authority in Flint. As a project that spanned 2007-2011, there were definite challenges along the way. Most of them revolving around increased costs due to the length of time it took to get it completed. Without going into all of the details, my lead costs alone increased 40% from the time this project started.

I think sometimes it is important to share what an artist goes through on their end so I'll take a little time to do that. This gets a little lengthy, but there are artists that may be interested in the process and clients who may be interested in it as well. So, I'll be posting bits and pieces of the process as I post more finished photos.

In 2007, I was invited to submit drawings for a stained glass window with the design based on Civil Rights. Immediately, I knew what design that would be. I had met an amazing person whom I saw read her poem, "Self Portrait", while performing with The Long Hairz Collective at the Crazy Wisdom Book Store in Ann Arbor and have always wanted to create a stained glass piece based on that poem. So, after getting permission to use her poem in conjunction with this project I created and submitted my design. Upon getting the requested design, the committee decided that most of them were coming in with an African American theme, and although they wanted that as one of the themes, there are many other people who have been protected by civil rights laws that needed to be represented.

So, they combined efforts with another organization to help them decide what groups of people should be included in this project and what details need to be included. Right away, the project totally changed. It changed for me because our ideas are now being dictated by a committee.

I encourage you to listen to the reading of the poem I was referring to and have the link listed below. More to come...

Pat Deere

Links:
Self Portrait Is On This CD: Long Hairz Collective, Dreadlocks and Ponytails

Sure feels good to be painting again!

2012-01-12T07:09:00.000-05:00

With all of the demands on my life, it felt like my creative side had been put on hold for a while. This is a small medallion that will be inserted into a leaded glass window for St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Tecumseh, MI. They were the unfortunate recipients of vandalism a while back.

At this point I have already painted and fired my line drawing, the shading, and am beginning to apply the enamels.

Once these are fired and the glass is cooled, I will be applying two different silver stains.

The photo of the finished leaded panel is one taken from a window in the same room the broken window came from. The only thing left to go on for a design for the broken panel was the border and couple broken shards of the blue border.

So, the design for the inner panel was created based on design ideas from Richard Boulter, Deacon, and photos of similar windows to the best of his memory.

The last photo, a computerized drawing of the design, is what I will use to fabricate the leaded panel.

Pat Deere

LINKS:
St. Peters Episcopal Church, Tecumseh
Stained Glass Repair/Restoration, Pictures In Glass

You Are Here Toledo Project

2012-01-11T15:42:00.001-05:00

When I was notified via FB of the "You Are Here Toledo Project", it kind of intrigued me. They were looking for "Dot" artworks.

It's been a while since I have done any ART for Arts Sake and it felt good to think about it for a bit.

In fact, I didn't realize how long it had been since I updated my blog. Other things kind of got in the way.

Back to Facebook. The link I was sent:
www.youareheretoledo.com . They are looking for 100 dots that will be made into "dot stickers" and placed all around the city.

So what I have here, are 3 pieces taken from my crushed glass artworks, made into a "dot", that were submitted for participation in the project.

The nice thing is, the artwork is already done. I just had to manipulate it a bit.

I understand that if chosen, we will create a piece of art that will fit into the location it will be placed. The photograph of the art is what will actually be used for the dot sticker.

Kind of a fun concept.

I hope a lot of other people participate. If you do, let me know!

What else have I been involved in you might ask...
~Finished my project in Flint, and I will post pictures.
~Ramping up my involvement with my business: SendOutCards.com/PLDeere
~Recently went to Utah for a SOC convention, and ski vacation with my 3 boys... Yeah!

And now, it's back to work. It feels VERY good!

Pat Deere

LINKS:

SendOutCards Where you create greeting cards online, we print, stamp, stuff, label, mail, and track them for you. Check it out and send a card for FREE!

Pictures In Glass My crushed glass page!

One Window Left In the Hispanic American Set

2011-07-29T09:17:00.000-04:00

Moving right along on the Hispanic American set of windows. This was the first window I painted, trying to recreate the technique used by the artist of this drawing (Greg Perez). His work consists of linocut artwork and this is something I have no experience with. So, recreating it using glass paints and trying to stay within budget (impossible on this one) has been a real challenge. In all honesty, I really like the portraits that came after this one much better but that is no different than in life... we get better as we move along.

I have a link to one of Greg's blogs below if you want to check out more about him as an artist!

Pat Deere

Links: Greg Perez

Hispanic American Window #5

2011-06-30T06:28:00.000-04:00

This is the bottom window of 5 sections for the Hispanic American Window. The drawing was done by Greg Perez and I am fabricating it. This photo was taken without light behind it. Can't wait till you can see it installed.

More details about the significance of items but the fields represent the many migrant workers who come to America to work in our fields and the Monarchs that migrate to Mexico are the main features of this panel.

Pat Deere

A look outside my window!

2011-06-29T22:58:00.000-04:00

It's not so bad
working late into the night
when the view outside is
so gorgeous and
constantly changing.

Moving Right Along on Hispanic American Window

2011-06-24T11:04:00.000-04:00

Still cutting, painting, and firing glass but we are moving right along on the 2nd window for the Hispanic American set of 5 panels. This window measures approximately 4'x4', has painted elements in the butterflies, plant life, and portrait depicting Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

Still to cut are the hummingbird, flower, and greenery.

One panel is complete, one is almost finished leading, another is partially leaded, and this one will be leaded soon. We have one panel that is yet to be started.

Like all glass... slowly but surely it is getting done.

Pat

Trillium In Crushed Glass

2011-06-20T07:10:00.000-04:00

This posting is a little late, but I wanted to post the pictures of my trillium panel since I posted all of the photos I used as inspiration.

Like the other crushed glass pieces, this was very fun to create. I am planning on using this theme for the room in my house that faces the south. I am actually making pieces that will go on the corner pieces for the window framing in that room and will follow that up with a transom or hanging panel that will go in the large window.

The top photo shows a close up of the panel prior to being installed into a beveled glass framework. I like this picture because it shows all of the detail in a very clear way.

The next one shows the glass from a horizontal view and reminds me of rock candy.

And finally, you can see how it looks when the hanging is completed. I used a series of 1" and 1.5" bevels to surround it and finished it in copper channel surrounded by rebar to keep it from warping over time and giving it a something sturdy to hang by.

This is one of the panels I created for a show in Little Rock Arkansas for the months of June and July. More of my crushed glass panels can be viewed on my web site!

Pat Deere

Links: Crushed Glass Panels

Hispanic American #3

2011-06-15T14:26:00.000-04:00

Moving right along on my Civil Rights Windows. This is the middle panel for the Hispanic American Window to be installed in the bus depot in Flint, MI. This section is about 21.5"x55" and has been constructed using 1/4" lead came from Streuter Technologies that is preglazed with an adhesive product. Using this lead eliminates the step of cementing and this is the first large scale project I have used this lead on. Because the budget was so tight on this project, I have been exploring all avenues I can to create a quality window at the lowest possible cost. Glass I used included that from Uroboros, Bullseye, Spectrum and Kokomo.

Tayleen, my student from Siena Heights University in Adrian painted the the glass where needed. For the most part, I cut and constructed the panel myself.

This photo was taken with the glass against a glass easel against a wall so there is no sunlight from behind. I don't have any pictures with natural light coming through but it looks great. Can't wait to get the other 4 panels done so it can be delivered.

Most importantly, the design was created by Greg Perez and altared where needed to fit a stained glass design. A great window begins with a great design and beautiful glass. Thanks Greg for a great beginning!

Pat Deere

Trillium Are Not Endangered In My Woods

2011-05-12T13:26:00.000-04:00

Just a few photos that are my inspiration for the next crushed glass panel. On Mothers Day in our woods the Trillium look like a carpet of white in some areas. I like to walk the woods then because the flowers are so abundant and the bugs are not. Give it another week and you have to wear bug spray or run faster than them... which takes away from the joy of walking in the woods. This was like a gift to us when we first moved to this property 22 years ago. I would walk the woods daily at that time and was surprised to find these wonderful little flowers everywhere on Mothers Day.

I am planning a 4 panel set for this next crushed glass project. They will be intended to be sold separately or as a set of 2, 3, or 4 panels. The goal is to fire them just enough to keep it together and let the texture show. Off to work now...

Pat Deere

Last Day Of Kayaking On The Pond

2011-05-11T11:08:00.000-04:00

Ok. I am kind of excited about this panel. One of my favorite things to do, when there is no ice on the water, is to kayak. I got started years ago when we went white water rafting with a group of about 50 people (I think). On that trip I did not kayak but we went white water rafting on the Gauley and all around us people were kayaking and it looked like so much fun.

Their boats were short and meant for doing tricks and rapids and what not. Mine is a 14' boat meant for rivers and open water. Last year I rented my kayak from the Tecumseh Community Center. I got hooked. For about $20 I could use it Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and again on Monday before they opened. The photo I created this piece from was from a picture I took on my last trip in the Fall of 2010.

The top picture shows what my layered glass looked like just prior to firing. The picture below here shows the process close to the beginning. You can see the frame I use to keep the glass in place while layering. I have been using a clear layer of large glass and very small powdered glass to make it solid. From there, I layer colors and clear to get the effect I want. I love these pieces because they have a lot of dimension and you can see the layers of colors when looking at it closely.

The next set of pictures is my Mt. LeConte piece after firing. The first one was taken while back lit and the 2nd one was taken with lighting from my room, sun, and flash. I think I like the picture that is not back lit best for this panel. So, I believe I am going to try a wall mounting system for this piece with light shining on it.

Because I was so focused on creating these pieces, the glass I had in my other kiln got way over fired. They were some of the glass pieces I needed for the Flint , Hispanic American window I am currently working on. Luckily it doesn't take time to recut or paint what I ruined.

Pat Deere

Crushed Glass: Mt. LeConte from Clingmans Dome

2011-05-10T15:07:00.000-04:00

I love the "before firing" pictures of my crushed glass panels. This one is going to be pretty heavy. I used a new mold and it will end up being quite a bit thicker than some of the others but I think I am going to like it.

Kayleen, a friend of mine climbed up Mt. LeConte in Tenessee and this is the view from the top. Most of what I create comes from places I have been, but this is one created from a picture of someplace I would like to go.

And, because the picture was taken from a mobile upload, I am sure the color is nowhere near what she actually saw during her climb. Can you sense a little jealousy here?

To backtrack a little bit, I have been invited to participate in a gallery exhibit at Legacy Fine Art in Hot Springs, Arkansas. In order to do that I have to have 13 pieces of art ready and shipped by May 22nd. That doesn't give me much time. I have quite a few already done, but have to have a new piece in my kiln daily to reach my goal.

Tomorrow, I hope to post a picture of this window successfully fired in the kiln! And, I will have glass crushed and ready to create another panel using this photo taken while kayaking in Tecumseh for the last time last fall.

Pat Deere

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to be free!

2011-05-04T11:50:00.000-04:00

Window #2 of 8 windows is completed. You can't really get an idea of the color and how it will look with light coming through, but this is the closest I could get to having a complete picture up until now. Today I am working on the Hispanic American Civil Rights window. Feels good to actually have some completion and a deadline I can work with.

Time to begin again!

2011-04-21T08:44:00.000-04:00

I posted the studio in a complete mess so I had to post the "after cleaning" photos too! This feel so good that I had to take a picture to remember that it is clean and organized every now and then. Usually, it looks this way between projects.

The Immigration window for Flint was delivered last week and we will begin on the Mexican American and Handicapped windows next week. The pattern is printed for one and the other is almost ready to go. Once those 14' windows are in progress, say goodbye to the studio as it looks today. It's just part of the process. I know that. But, I do like to enjoy it looking like this every now and then. Photos of the Immigration window will be posted soon. They are now at the window company for thermopaning before being installed!

In between working on this large installation, I have been able to provide some people with private lessons. Cannot take more than two at a time though due to lack of space. If that interests you, give me a call or send me an email!

Pat Deere

Links: Stained Glass Classes

Shop Blog

2011-04-11T22:53:00.000-04:00

Ok. Honestly. It doesn't always look like this. I'm finishing the last of 5 sections of my Immigration window for Flint. That means taking everything out of my trailer and bringing it into my already crowded studio. Running my last firing in the kiln (in the bottom photo), that I can barely get to. The first photo is the full length of my work table area with glass easels to the left, empty crates to the right, boxes of lead on the floor, etc., etc., etc. The second picture is the same area from the other end. And the last one, with my kiln, is going out of my shop into my office and supply area.

I'm posting this because after I deliver the windows on Wednesday, guess what? Yep. It's cleaning day. Then, onto another window!

Sunrise in Effrette

2011-04-07T20:21:00.045-04:00

Trouble posting this one... sometimes I get the pictures and the words disappear, or the words are there and whoosh - where are the pictures. Let's see if I can get them both!

Some days are better than others and yesterday was not fun. So, what's an artist to do? Create something that feels good to the soul. I have been looking at these glass rods in my studio for quite a while. Do I make glass beads? Not really. I have in the past and I make them to embellish my stained glass projects but I certainly don't consider myself a glass bead maker.

So, with the transition in my studio, my tables being completely filled with my 4.5'x14' windows for my Flint project, blah blah blah blah blah... I am using up my supplies. These rods have been calling my name and yesterday was the day.

I love transition of color. And, I have been wanting to play with it using my glass rods.

So, one by one I started laying them out on the kiln shelf, blocking the ends with shelf pieces to keep the layers in place. I was trying to replicate the window I created to the left here using end pieces of glass, and a beveled border. Wasn't exactly trying to duplicate... just get a similar feel.

My first go around I didn't have the sun in the upper left corner in place. And, I fired it a little too long. When I opened the kiln the rods flattened more than I anticipated. I wanted that rippled texture the semi fused rods would give.

Seeing that, I decided to fire it again, add more rods that would be fused at a lower temperature and I felt like it needed an element, like the sun, to give it an interesting area. I am kind of liking how it is turning out. It is still too hot to touch, although I tried (you know - too anxious). But, there is a crack that runs along the side.

I think what happened was when I turned on the kiln I thought I just turned on one ring of coils and I actually turned on 3 rings to start with. I'm quite sure it got fired to fast because it was about an hour less than my first firing. So - there is a crack. That's ok. I got to try it. I am somewhat happy with the results. Happy enough to know I want to build up my supply of rods again and try a few more times.

Got me through my hump. And nothing changes my attitude like a little sunshine!

Pat Deere

Brian Finished It

2011-04-05T09:06:00.001-04:00

I have been posting pictures of Brian Berean, my student from the Graphic Imaging Technology program and the LISD TECH Center. He is shown here with the finished window that he created from start to finish while working for 2.5 hours a day for about 3 weeks.

We are supposed to be installing the window any time. I can't wait to see what it looks like once it is installed! I will take pictures.

Pat Deere

Little kiss at the W.A.V.E.

2011-03-24T08:29:00.000-04:00

This week-end I will be working at the W.A.V.E. Festival at Lourdes College in Sylvania, Ohio.

WAVE: Women, Artists, Visionaries, Entrepreneurs
4th Annual Celebration of Women Festival
Saturday, March 26, 2011
11 a.m. – 4 p.m. (NEW TIME!)
Franciscan Center Commons, Lourdes College
6832 Convent Blvd., Sylvania, OH 43560

I will be taking my newest product, SendOutCards, to this show and am very excited about it. This is a tool that allows you to create your own cards for any purpose. I originally bought it for Christmas cards for my business, my husbands business, and to create graduation announcements for my son's upcoming high school celebration.

I have since found it to be such a wonderful product for almost anybody, that I have added it as an item I sell as well. The card you see here is a fun example of one I created as a campaign for a company at a show I recently attended. They took photos of guests walking by and sent them an email of their photo. I took it one step further and sent the picture back to them on a card... I know they are hanging on to this and not just pushing the "Delete" button when through. I know, because I talked to them.

Women, Artists, Visionaries, and Entrepreneurs. This Saturday. Should be a good show!

Pat Deere

LINKS:
W.A.V.E. Festival
SendOutCards.com/PLDeere - Send A Free Card

I don't count the money till it's in the bank and cleared!

2011-03-23T07:57:00.000-04:00

Sometimes even a sure thing doesn't pan out.

I have been working with a church in Massachusetts. One of the committee members called me and was very excited. She came from a church where 4 churches were combining into one and they were trying to make the building they would be celebrating out of, reflect all of the church members. She gave me the dimensions, the budget, the fact that all of the members on the committee chose my design - actually, the design of Pamela Shapiro fabricated by my studio. They were sure this was a go ahead.

How it came to be that they called me in the first place was this: The committee had been deliberating for a long period of time over what to use for stained glass. They could not come upon a decision. So the pastor told all of the member to go out and find some stained glass that they like and bring it back to the next meeting where they would vote. Pamela's design was voted on by every member on the committee. They thought it was a done deal.

Because the church wanted to be sure all of the members were on board, especially because they were trying to bring the members of 4 churches together, they felt the need to offer them a vote which included another design. I was told, they did not expect the other design to be chosen.

But, this sometimes happens. What is the reason for it? I am not sure yet. But I have learned to be excited about new projects, but not overexcited until I have the check cashed and the money in the bank. Something else will come along, I am sure of it.

If your church is looking for inspirational glass work, you know where to call!

Pat Deere

LINK: Custom designed stained glass for churches.

Moving right along...

2011-03-21T16:42:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty excited about what Brian is doing here. Today he was able to finish cutting the glass and grind/cut the pieces to fit. There are still some final adjustments to make and approval from Great Ideas to be sure we are fitting within the theme of this customers room.

Keep up the great work Brian. I know she is going to be thrilled.

The rest of the story about this window is in my previous blogs!

Pat Deere

Brian's Progress

2011-03-19T07:54:00.000-04:00

I probably should have taken another photo after this one because he has a lot more done, but I love the progress on this window Brian, my student from Vo-Tech is working on. We are trying to keep it obscure since it is an outdoor window and she wants some privacy. Right now laying on the pattern it looks a little dark, but there will be a lot going in with the light behind it. The design is coming together nicely!

Pat Deere

A kitchen window I created featured in Beautiful Kitchens, Spring 2009

2011-03-17T20:51:00.000-04:00

This was kind of fun. As I was searching the internet for information and, BOOM, up pops the picture I had been looking for and forgot about. I created the stained glass window above Tiffany's kitchen sink using a simple design element she was using throughout the room. If you click on the link below, you will see on the second page there is a hanging lamp fixture with the same simple design.

For this window I used a clear textured glass that complimented glass in the built in cabinets with the border including a natural, stone-like glass.

The article reads, "At their best, architectural details are like intriguing people- never showy, slow to reveal themselves, and full of surprises. Take this kitchen addition to Tiffany and Mike Kapnick's 1920s-era home in Adrian, Michigan: Many of its distinguishing features are so discreet they produce a whiff of quality sensed first, processed later." Tiffany Kapnick is owner of Persnickety in Adrian. Click on the link below for more information.

Pat Deere
Links:
~Thinking about custom designed glass for your home, click HERE.
~Better Homes & Garden "Beautiful Kitchens" magazine, Cover article from Spring 2009 Edition
~Persnickety, Adrian, MI

For a good cause...

2011-03-17T12:27:00.001-04:00

I got a call from Julie at Great Ideas last week to see if I would be interested in helping out with a project she is involved in. Somebody she knows has a child who got sick and is not recovering the way they had hoped. From what I understand, the community is coming together to redo this teenagers room for her. My first thought was, perfect timing. I have Brian, a student from Graphic Imaging Technology program and the LISD TECH Center, with me for a few weeks. He is in the Graphic Imaging Technology class and picks up very quickly.

So, I asked him if he would be willing to work on this project, and he said yes. Together we looked at patterns and decided on this one. We made a few variations to fit our design. I showed Brian how to scan the image into my glass pattern program, use the auto trace command so we wouldn't have to draw a pattern from scratch. Then he was able to take the tracing, clean up the lines, and we had the pattern printed out in duplicate.

From there, we started looking at glass. They wanted the window to be obscure on the bottom and lighter on the top for privacy purposes. We used a lot of squirly shaped glass globs because they will let light in but you won't be able to see through them. Browns will be at the bottom and the further up we go, the more we will add golds and ambers. We are trying to work with the colors of her room.

So, today Brian was foiling globs and bevels, altering the pattern where needed, discussing glass selections, and cutting the duplicate pattern to get ready for tomorrow. So far so good, don't you think?

Pat Deere

Link: Interested in Custom Designed Glass? Click HERE.

22 New Dichroics from Bullseye

2011-02-09T12:04:00.000-05:00

For those glass lovers that use Dichroic Glass, I just got an email from Bullseye Glass Company:

We’ve just added 22 dazzling dichroic patterns and colors to our already broad selection. The new sheets include some Crinklized Dichroic™ styles, which fuse to rough, crinkly textures that scatter light in many directions, whether exposed or capped.

I like to use Dichroic when fusing, as accents in my stained glass panels, for jewelry, etc. Check out the link below to see what options they are offering. Got a new computer and my photos are backed up... wanted to post some samples of what I have done with dichroic but I guess that will have to wait until I get a computer savvy person to help me through the hump!

Pat Deere

Links:
Bullseye Glass Company New Dichroic Offerings

Fishers Of Men

2011-01-30T18:25:00.000-05:00

I have posted this on my blog: www.ChurchesAndChapels.blogspot.com . Check it out!

Pat Deere

Links: Churches and Chapels Blog

The Willow

2011-01-29T12:31:00.000-05:00

Super excited about this project. I am waiting for final approval (cash down payment), so the recipient of this donor wall will remain unnamed until then but take a look.

I came up with a this idea a few years back for an organization that chose another way of honoring their donors. Their mistake, in my humble opinion. Most donor walls I see are very similar... brass plaques, in rows according to the size of their donation, on a wooden background - or something similar.

Because this piece is going in a theater I thought it should be more dramatic and resemble what goes on there. The body of this willow tree is dancing in the wind, the branches are her arms, and the legs are her trunk. The greenery will be pieces approximately 4-6" wide by 10-13" tall, with individual pieces of colored glass adhered to them. The background for the glass will be wood. Each 12" piece will be screwed onto the background so they can be easily changed out as donors increase their total donations.

The colors will be very dramatic as well. I will be using gold, silver, and black paint for the donors names, which will add to the variety of color. Because there is another large stained glass installation in this building, I will be taking colors from it and incorporating it into the willow. I'm starting on it Monday!

How can you get one? If you are part of an arts organization, or non-profit that is looking for a way to honor their donors... give me a call. I would love to come up with something exciting for you as well.

Pat Deere

An Important Email I Got From A Friend...

2011-01-28T08:48:00.000-05:00

(Although this is not a stained glass issue... it affects all of us.)

Dear Friends,

I have received a letter from Great Lakes Geophysical, Inc. in collaboration with the

Patrick Petroleum and West Bay Exploration companies to seek permission to cross my land in search of gas and or oil reserves via seismic testing. I assume

that the residents in my subdivision are also being approached to fill out the survey.

My home, along with the rest of the residents in the subdivision, is surrounded by

three lakes. I shutter at the consequence of this request.

The area in which I live and to a greater extent, the Irish Hills, is being drilled

for oil now. I drive down Wampler's Road and see constant flaring, 24/7, of the natural

gas the companies are not interested tapping into, at this time. The last three

words are italicized, because it is inevitable that the flaring of the untapped gas will

be of great interest, in the future.

Families already under contract for the leasing of their mineral rights are aware of

the wording that states any means of extracting gas/oil is admissible. However, at the

time of their signing, it was not common knowledge of the controversial oil/gas extraction

method called hydraulic fracturing. Fracking will be used in our area when the situation

is warranted and that will present huge environmental challenges.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Fracking

With the numerous oil/gas disasters, large and small, from the Gulf of Mexico; to the

Kalamazoo River; to Napoleon Township, just miles from my home, where they are still

dealing with the contamination of many private wells from a gasoline spill that happened over

20 years ago-- the list goes on. It doesn't matter where it is, what size it is, or what contaminate

was involved, environments are direly affected. Man included.

Community dialoge must take place to better understand the risks involving all aspects of

oil/gas extraction-- from the toxic biocides used in the well bore to kill living organisms; to the

toxic chemicals and vast volumes of water used in the fracking and stimulation of the wells;

to the carcinogens emitted from flaring into the air; to the disposal of the contaminated fluids.

Adding to this needed dialogue is the use of seismic testing, to uncover the oil reserves.

Communities are becoming acutely aware of the adverse impact seismic testing has on wildlife

and the ecosystems around the testing sites.

http://www.wildlandscpr.org/biblio-notes/shake-rattle-roll-understanding-seismic-testing

Guidelines for seismic testing on DEC administered state land - New York- have stipulated

that 'no holes will be drilled in any road, trail picnic areas or other locations where the public

tends to congregate, nor will they be drilled in any wetland, unique natural community or area

of special concern.' http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/sfseismic.pdf

Canada's native population is embroiled in legal battles to stop seismic testing on the ocean floor

because of the stress and ultimate destruction of the marine life.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2010/09/15/nl-seismis-animals-915.html

http://article.wn.com/view/2010/09/15/Seismic_testing_harms_wildlife_environmentalists/

All communities will face the same issues. It doesn't matter if it involves wetland, ground or ocean,

seismic testing is affecting fragile ecosystems across the board.

What I see happening in my own back yard is a community known for its abundant natural resources

allowing oil and gas companies to transform its identity for corporate gain. Resources that make up

the land we are living on, farming on, playing on are being extracted for corporate profit.

Yes, this is capitalism. But when a community's health, quality of life and well-being could be compromised,

wouldn't it make sense to be asking the right questions before the irreversible has taken place?

Serious questions for serious times.

Pam

Calling all fusers and glass painters...

2011-01-05T16:26:00.000-05:00

Exciting news today! I made the mistake of leaving my glass in the kiln too long, with too little kiln wash and voila! My glass was stuck to the shelf. Thought I was going to lose the glass and the shelf but I did get it to release.

Once released, I found what I thought I would find, which was kiln wash stuck to the back of my glass. With a little bit of research we found one person who suggested letting it soak in vinegar for a few hours before trying to wash it off. I would thank that person if I would have kept track of who made the suggestion!

So I am thinking... I've tried a lot of things but it's worth a couple of hours wait time to see if it really works. And, it did! I still had to spend some time washing, lightly scrubbing, and rinsing until I got it all off but it was worth the effort.

This was a piece of glass that I really didn't want to spend more money or time on than I had to. Give it a try if you are in the same position and let me know how it works for you. Or, if you have another suggestion, I would be glad to post it!

Pat Deere

ARK - Art Rocks Kids

2011-01-04T16:55:00.000-05:00

Young artists in first through ninth grade, who attended the fall session of Adrian College Department of Art and Design’s Art Rocks Kids (ARK), will exhibit their best works January 10 - February 31, at Adrian Public Library. The public is invited to a reception for the artists on Saturday, January 29, at 2 P.M.

The fall ARK theme was “Go Green: Recycled Art.” All projects were made of reclaimed elements repurposed by the students into art. Recycled containers were made into doll-like objects; aluminum cans were cut and nailed to wood, creating ornate designs; clay was textured with found objects and adhered to old frames; and found cardboard and Styrofoam became the supports for acrylic paintings.

Enrollments are now being taken for the winter session of Art Rocks Kids art camp. The theme, “Explore Medieval Art,” includes students making their own stained glass projects with guest artist and stained glass studio owner Pat Deere. Students will also make clay dragons, drawings of imaginary castles, castles of papier-mâché, and ceramic goblets.

Classes will be held Saturdays, 9:30 A.M. to noon, January 15 - February 19, in the Mahan Center for Art and Interior Design on Williams Street. Experienced art educator Debra Irvine-Stiver will direct the program, assisted by Adrian College art education students.

Cost for the camp is $70 per student and includes all materials. The enrollment form can be found on the college website ( http://www.adrian.edu/news/11ARKwinter.pdf ). Please send a check made out to Adrian College Art Department, with the form, to Denise Hein, Office of Conferences at Adrian College, 110 S. Madison St. Adrian, MI 49221.

Fees may also be paid with a credit card by calling Denise Hein at 517-265-5161 ext. 4382. Registration fees are non-refundable. Scholarships are available for students who qualify for their school’s free lunch program.

More information may be obtained by contacting Sue Thompson at 517-474-1103 or sthompson@adrian.edu .

Pat Deere

My plans for the first Monday of 2011

2011-01-03T09:16:00.000-05:00

First Monday of 2011 and what do I plan to do?

I started out my day with an exercise routine I like using the Body Sport fitness ball. I like it. It gives me a good routine but is not hard on my body.

While exercising, I decided I am going to utilize that time by listening to inspirational, motivational, or educational material. Today, it is education. I am adding another product to my list of products and am excited about them. You can find my web site for sending cards by clicking here or on the link below.

My best routine also includes some time for prayer and/or meditation. I include a link to my Daily Reading on this web site to make it easy for me to do. I have found in the past my days always work out best when I start out in that way. Can't explain it. I just know it works for me.

Unless I am looking for something specific... Facebook and emails will only be checked once a day once my "Important" things get done. On days when I am doing things that are less than desirable for me, I find I can get lost in useless things and waste more time than I realize. Not going to happen in 2011.

Give me another half hour and I will be back in my studio, getting Nicole started on some web site work, and I will be back to painting on my Immigration Window.

Looking forward to a great year!

Pat Deere

Links: Want to find out how to send out a card for $2.99 including postage? Personalize it with your own message. Type in the address. It will be printed, posted, and sent!

How travel affects my art...

2010-12-30T08:45:00.000-05:00

Today I was asked by a local college to consider speaking on how my recent travels to Europe have effected my art. This may be done in conjunction with other artists.

Sometimes my first instinct is to say no... how am I going to fit one more thing into my day. But, I said sure. In the back of my mind I realized this may be the push I need to organize my travel materials and put them to the good use I intended.

And besides, the reason I went to Europe in the first place was to expand my vision of what can be included in my artwork, to get some spiritual uplifting, and at the same time have some wonderful time with my son and brother who were invaluable to me on this trip. With my sons French speaking skills and my brothers many experiences traveling in Europe, I truly believe I could not have made that trip without them. It is a little daunting going to so many countries with so many languages and it is easy to feel lost. With their help, I was able to see all that I wanted to see and truly enjoy the experience.

If things work out as planned, one of these future blog posts will let you know about my arrangements with the college. I am very often inspired by other peoples travels and this will be my opportunity to share that experience with others.

It will be nice if this leads into another idea I have for future trips to Europe.

I'll keep you posted!

Pat Deere

Links: I have changed my website some, added a lot of new ready to ship items, posted my recent newsletter, etc. Check it out.

Tis the season!

2010-12-14T07:36:00.000-05:00

DARK KNIGHT MISSION LAMP

Although this is not a lamp I made, it is one I sell on my web site. It is a production lamp at a good price. Sold one yesterday... check it out by clicking my link below.

SIZE: D:23", H:24" Mission Design Lighted Base Table Lamp (2*E27*60W+1*E12*15W), 3-Ways Knob Switch

These Lamps are hand crafted. They are made of real glass, foiled and hand soldered. They can slightly very in color because they are handcrafted. They are beautiful to see and any customer will be proud to have them in their home. Some of the biggest and HOTTEST resellers anywhere.

These retail to $299, but they are on my web site now for $149 including shipping. Can't beat that. They are production lamps, but very beautiful.

If a more customized look is what you want, that is where I specialize. The lamp to the left was made for a customer who had a lamp base and was looking for something different that he couldn't find in every other store. The glass was hand picked to match the base and his decor. Give me a call. We'll talk!

Tis the season!

Pat Deere

LINKS: Production Lamps
Custom Designed Lamps

My CyberMonday Newsletter is Going Out!

2010-11-28T17:59:00.000-05:00

CyberMonday - What is it?

I don't know about for everybody else but for me it is the day I offer deep discounts on a lot of items. What you see here is the first page. The whole newletter is on my web site. But, your best bet is to be added to my mailing list so you can get the whole thing first hand with links that work, more legible writing, etc.

Hope what I am offering can help make your Christmas shopping a little bit easier this year.

Although my greatest discounts are on Monday, I am offering discounted items through the whole month of December.

Enjoy,

Pat Deere

1st Day In London... what a day!

2010-11-11T10:17:00.000-05:00

September 8, 10am. Off the plane in London - first impression: much like NYC. Today we checked into our hotel, then walked... and walked... and walked...

Lots of fun stuff. Everything is old, sculptural, alive. I didn't expect to like London as much as I did. Matt and I decided to buy tickets for Shakespeare's Globe Theatre for Bedlam, a play written for the Globe. We decided to go outside of the main area to eat dinner and found a wonderful neighborhood restaurant/bar called the Walnut Tree on High Road in Leytonstone where I had Morrocan meatballs, and Matt had a curried cous cous dish. Both were good and the prices very reasonable.

After dinner we walked around the town. Lot's of row houses. Lots of fake stained glass in them... WHAT? Promised myself to take my camera back there the next day for proof but we never got there.

Prior to dinner we went to St. Mary LeBow Church. I have more information about it in my blog: http://www.churchesandchapels.blogspot.com/ .

But, some of the most fun things were quirky things we found around town... Oversized chairs made of astro-turf:

Love this funky little painted van. I am kind of jealous - would love an old van I can paint up however I want without having to worry about resale value.

I actually took this for a friend of mine, Marapat, who is a wonderful writer and in the process of publishing her first children's book. This one's for you!

When the day was done, we checked into our hotel, the UMI Hotel, 16 Leinster Square, Bayswater, City of Westminster, London W2 4PR. The first is a picture from our room, and the second is a photo of the entrance. The entrance photo is typical of businesses and housing that we saw around London.

Statistics: According to my pedometer, we walked 19,968 steps, burned 603 calories, and covered 6.3 miles. Not bad in a days work!

Inspiration this day gave me: Definitely have to do ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, MI next year. No Doubt.

Photos: On top of these photos, I am little by little posting more photos on my Facebook. Look me up: Patty Sailus Deere .

Patty Deere

I'm just as excited as the day I left!

2010-11-09T10:07:00.002-05:00

Last night I was finally able to start organizing my photos from our trip to Europe... and have them saved on my computer! I was just as excited as the day I left. The pictures are bringing back so many great memories.

The day before, my family took a day trip to Cedar Point Amusement Park in Ohio. I don't do rides. I am a people watcher. So I had a lot of time to observe...

~A young girl with black hair, pretty face, slim, brown boots, shorts, tattoo's up one arm, ear lobes filled with disks the size of half dollars, and an heir of confidence with 4 guys accompanying her.

~A teenage boy with long, blond, straight hair, cigarette in his hand, with a similar outfit to his friend smoking with him.

~A really cute 6ish girl with blond braids and a pink court jesters hat with white pants, sparkly strings and bellls wearing brown Carhatt overalls.

~A small black boy with a big smile, giving directions through a microphone for a ride.

~Older women trying to look young.

~Young girls trying to look older.

~Young couples enjoying a few hours of freedom away from adults who are still there to help form their lives.

~A lot of smiles, tired looking faces, people waiting on family and friends to finish a ride and a lot of park workers.

Here I am at a Cyber Cafe in Ohio, looking up things to do in London and wondering what I will observe while there. And, enjoying my family in between their time on the rides.

Pat Deere

Today's Photos: Awesome clouds on my way from Detroit to London. The last one shows a heavy storm cloud above and beautiful puffy clouds below. My son Matt, who I am travelling with is sitting in Detroit Airport waiting for our plane.

Where to go tonight from 4-6pm

2010-11-06T06:29:00.001-04:00

As a member of the Lenawee Council For The Visual Arts, I volunteered to help with their reception Saturday. If you are looking for some fun Christmas presents… stop by.

NOTE: All art is cash and carry! Jewelry, oil pastels, acrylics, watercolors, photography - start your Christmas shopping now! I plan on taking some of my glass as well.

Great art, food, and friends. I will be there for sure and would love to see you! This would be a fun way to start your Saturday night!

Announcing The LCVA Reception/Celebration For The Holiday Salon!

Date: Saturday Nov 6

Time: 4-6 pm

Where: The Croswell Opera House, 129 East Maumee Street, Adrian, MI 49221, (517) 264-7469

Today's Photo: This is a picture of my studio, the back doors, and the awesome sunrise this morning. I love getting up to work when the stars are still out, the sun starts to rise, and the day is still beautiful - regardless of the temperature. And by the way, the temperature in my part of Michigan is going into the 30's.

Pat Deere

Voting

2010-11-02T07:42:00.002-04:00

Going to vote! Getting out early before the crowds.

Deere Transom

2010-10-27T16:35:00.000-04:00

It's been a long time coming and this is only a temporary installation, but... here is the transom that goes with the sidelights for our home. The sidelights are still on the work table, and this window still has to be backlit and trimmed out. I just had to see how it looks though. Can't wait till tomorrow when I can see what it looks like with the sun shining on it. This photo was taken in the afternoon when the sun was already on the other side of the house so the colors are appearing a little dark.

My computerized drawing is posted on 8/29/10 of this blog. I wanted to temporarily install it because I was undecided on the color of the patina (for the solder). I finished it in copper but was considering using black lead lines instead. Once I got it installed and looked at it from the porch and street, I decided to leave it finished in copper.

GREAT NEWS: My supplier has just given us a new option when ordering sheets of glass that customers want shipped large. Normally, I have to order and have it shipped by truck. Now, I can have 4 large pieces of glass shipped in a box, cut to as large as 24"x24", and avoid truck charges. Call today to find out more about this option!

Pat Deere

LINKS: Classes are starting. If you are interested, check out my web site or give me a call. 517 431-2271.

What a way to start a morning.

2010-10-25T12:35:00.000-04:00

Started out the morning leaving my house around 7am. There was such a beautiful moon when we got home last night and it was really warm for a Michigan Fall. So, this morning I was in the water using my rented kayak before 7:30. This is pretty close to what I saw. The moon was full, the water was still, and it was very quiet.

As I paddled along, the sun started to come up. Not a great sunrise because it was pretty cloudy on the east side. But, as you can see from this picture, the color was absolutely beautiful. A couple of weeks ago it was even more brilliant but we are getting to the end of the color season. Still quiet except for the fish flopping and geese taking off of the water.

Now to the best part. I am using my camera phone so the pictures are not great but this is still worth posting. I have been lucky enough to see a lot of deer while I am on the water. It is easy for me to be quite and get really close to them. If you look just to the right of center, left of the two skinny tree trunks, and above the shoreline is one of the six deer I was following this morning. Two of them came from the top of the hill, down by the water, and back up the other side as I sat in the kayak. So cool!

On my way back I always pass this beautiful red bush. You can see from the leaves in the water, it gets pretty soupy sometimes. Great morning. Now back to the studio for a busy day of repairing stained glass, removing some church windows from their frames for repairwork, and catching up from the week-end.

Pat Deere

$200 was the highest bid!

2010-10-21T22:51:00.001-04:00

The Art Bra I posted yesterday sold for $200 at the auction tonight! It started at $75 and they closed the bidding at 6:10pm - only 40 minutes after the bidding started. Thanks to Elizebeth Engle, who made the ceramic base I was able to work with, it was put back up for auction and reached $200 before they closed the bid again. Fun work for a good cause. Lots of fun pieces - some bras that people were wearing, some edible art bras, music, food, and a lot of people.

If you didn't make it this year, put it on your calendar for 2011!

Pat Deere

Art Bra Auction in Tecumseh - Bid on a bra for breast cancer research.

2010-10-20T17:28:00.000-04:00

What a fun project. When my friend, Elizabeth Engle asked me if I wanted to work on an art bra with her using ceramic and glass, I said "sure!" I have been wanting to use that combination of materials for a while and never had the chance.

While I was on vacation, Elizabeth got a mold from my studio. She created the pieces, brought them back for me to fire in the kiln, and I used this one as my donated piece. The top section was created by painting fusers glue mixed with glass frit with a design carved into it prior to firing. The nipples fell off during the firing process, so they also were covered in frit, fired, then glued back on after the mosaic work was completed. The strap is copper wire and the bottom is decorated with beadwork.

This is the third bra I have created for this event over the years and it is a lot of fun to be a part of. Some of the bras are a little quirky, like this one, but the cause is serious. If you are in the area and have the opportunity to go, I have the information listed below. Advance tickets are required - I believe they have sold out in the past so call ahead to be sure.

You can find information on facebook: Tecumseh Art Bra Auction

Contact Info: The Purple Pear Tree, 109 W. Logan St., Tecumseh, MI, 49286, Phone: 517-424-6003

Hope to see you there!

Pat Deere

Glass Class Fridays are starting now!

2010-10-19T11:13:00.000-04:00

People have been asking me when I am going to start giving classes again! Well the time is now.

TO DO:
1. Take a look at my web site and see the list of classes I offer. http://www.picturesinglass.net/
2. Contact me to let me know you plan to attend.
3. Take advantage of my incentive - get your first class hour for FREE!
4. After that, class time will be $10/hour including tools. Materials used are extra.
5. Call your friends... it's always more fun with friends.
6. Think of gifts you want to give for Christmas: Candle holders, jewelry, picture frames, etc.

The plan for now until further notice is:
Time: 6pm-9pm
Date: Friday Evenings
Location: My Studio (10650 Carson Hwy., Tecumseh, MI 49286)
Pre-Registration: REQUIRED

Pat Deere

Re-engergized!

2010-10-10T07:16:00.000-04:00

Lot's has gone on and my energy is peaking again. Just got back from a 3 week trip to Europe that I am beginning to organize through photos and thoughts... more to come on that.

Friday I was one of the lucky thousands of visitors to Grand Rapids, MI with the purpose of seeing art for the 2010 ArtPrize competition. Today is the last day. It is well worth the visit. Art along the water, inside buildings, outside buildings, in restaurants, etc. Over 1,000 works of art are everywhere and it represents such diversity. I'll say it again, it is well worth taking the time to go today if you haven't been already. I spent 5 hours walking around and still did not see it all.

All of this is giving me the excitement to start my cathedral again. While in sculpture class quite a few years back I started a 5' x 8' glass and steel cathedral. To make a long story short, it would dissapoint me at different times in my life when I needed a place to go and feel peace, serenity, or just have private time in a place that I felt close to my God. That got the ball rolling. I had no idea it would take the amount of time it is taking to get the cathedral done. Needless to say, after traveling through London, France, Barcelona, Florence, Rome and Venice, that inspiration has kicked in - in a very big way. I am working on it again. I'll be posting the progress on my blog and try not to think about the hours it will take to get it done. But, this is being done for my benefit and I don't have to put a price on it. And, all cathedrals I have seen have taken years, and often are in a constant state of work.

Today's Photo: The doors to my cathedral. They have been cut with a hand saw out of steel, sanded, sandblasted and heat treated for color. My original plan was to cut them with a plasma cutter. The steel I was using was too thin and it was causing the steel to warp. So, what I thought would take a day or two, took me many days and hours to do by hand. OK The photo will have to come later. Techinical difficulties... my computer is not recognizing my internet card. But, I don't want it to stop my momentum so here goes my blog update without a photo. Later this afternoon, working on my flying buttresses.

Pat Deere

Links: ArtPrize, Grand Rapdis, MI

Monet's Gardens Tomorrow

2010-09-13T15:55:00.000-04:00

This is part of a stained glass window I found while walking along the shopping district in Paris (I am pretty sure). We covered a lot of ground. Due to internet difficulties... a quick list of our travels:
Notre Dame
Many other churches in Paris I will go through later.
Wonderful sandwiches on French bread on every corner.
Best meal of our lives while in St. Malo.
Mont St. Michel today.
Back to Paris tonight.
Planning our trip to Monet's garden for tomorrow.

More to come later!

Pat Deere

1st Day In Paris

2010-09-11T19:22:00.000-04:00

It's midnight and I am going to sleep so we can get up and be at Notre-Dame de Paris by 8:30am. Then off to the Louvre before heading to Mont St. Michelle in St. Malo tomorrow.

Today though in a brief outline... details to come later:
Breakfast in our room - baguette, yogurt, juice, etc.
Walk down the Sienne on a beautiful sunny day.
Prayed at Notre-Dame.
Lunch at a little cafe.
Walk walk walk walk walk.
Coffee at another cafe.
Watch a chalk painter painting the Mona Lisa outside the Museum of Modern Art.
Visited St. Eustache and St. Merri.
Planned our travel to get to tomorrows destination.

More later,

Pat Deere

London to Paris

2010-09-11T05:11:00.000-04:00

OK. I have to admit I am loving this artfilled journey but the familiarity of home and the access to technology as I know it is greatly missed.

That said, we are having a great time and ideas for projects once I get home are definitely flowing.

One of the best experiences was going to the Globe Theatre in London (you can see Matt holding Delilah here). It is a reproduction of the original Shakespeare Theatre. It is an outdoor setting and we bought standing only spots for 5 Euro a piece.

Computer failed on me again ... so:
London:
Globe Theatre - check.
Westminster Abbey - check.
The Actors Church - check.
Shopping - check.

Paris:
Eiffel Tower at night - check.
Baguettes & Escargot - check.

More details when I get home and can right in a flowing manner without the frustration. Don't need that while I am here.

Pat

Where in the world is Dlilah?

2010-09-08T19:58:00.000-04:00

1st day in London. What a treat. My first impression was how it reminded me of New York.

Today Delilah can be seen sitting in a broken out window pane of a red telephone booth on a London street. She is my travelling companion and will lead the way for this blog while I am in Europe.

First, the photos of the clouds, which I will post when I have a computer I can use with better editing abilities. Our trip began in Detroit with a layover in Philadelphia before leaving for London about 10pm Tuesday night. There was a storm over Cleveland that allowed for some wonderful photo opportunities. My son, Matthew thought we might be able to get a free international flight when he saw the “Volunteers Wanted” sign. Darn it when he found out they were only looking for one volunteer to give up their seat for a free flight and they already found that volunteer before we arrived. Our United Airways flight left about a half hour late as they tried to fix the tv’s… no luck… and they served us miniature pieces of chicken, on miniature trays, with miniature salads about an hour into our trip. Six hours later we woke up to a miniature Danish in plastic wrapping before we headed off to customs, which was uneventful, thank you very much.

Love the streets of London. Cars are small. People drive on the opposite side of the road. Tipping is different here than in the States.

Later in the evening we were able to walk through a London side street. There were many row houses that had a lot of character. But, they had fake stained glass. Couldn't believe it. I'll take pictures later.

Went to St. Mary le Bow Church and information about it is on my Churches and Chapels web site. The link is below.

I'm tired and heading to bed. It's after midnight here and after 7pm in Michigan. On our list for tomorrow is Shakespears Globe Theatre, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and not sure what else.

Pat Deere

Links: Churches and Chapels Blog

Crushed Glass Kitchen Cabinet for Epiphany Kitchens

2010-09-01T12:32:00.000-04:00

Today's Business: Really - I am just trying to keep the people who are filling in for me informed of what to do while I am gone. Even though I have an office procedures manual, feel like I have covered my bases with the bank - employees - and customers, being gone for three weeks is a long time and I feel like I am leaving something out.

Today's Photo: When Epiphany Kitchens from Northville called about working on some cabinet doors for their display I knew what I wanted to do for them. Shown here is one of two doors completed for them. The other has the same design, but a less expensive version with the central piece being clear textured glass. They will be having an open house for their customers, designers and builders while I am in Europe so I am thankful I was able to get it to them before that event. Their showroom is very nice and has a lot to offer. I put a link to their web site below that you may want to check out.

Pat Deere

Links:
Epiphany Kitchens
107 N. Center St.
Northville, MI 48167

Artprise Entry by the Svelata Foundation

2010-08-30T09:38:00.001-04:00

Growth Idea: Following artists on Facebook is a real motivator for me. I have been following the work of Mia Tavonatti as she progresses on the mosaic shown here. This is just a small portion of a large mosaic she is creating as an entry to the Artprise competition coming up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Unfortunately I will be gone during the voting part of the constest, but I will be back on time to visit Grand Rapids and look at all of the entries. Any takers, let me know. I will go sometime in early October and plan to make it a day trip. If you have the time, a trip to Grand Rapids during the voting period would be a good use of time I would think.

I love the flow of color in this mosaic. I love the glass chosen to depict the water scene. And the composition itself is beautiful. You will find it worth your while to click on the link below and see more pictures and read more about Mia and her foundation.

Today's Business: My trip to Europe is just around the corner. I have a couple more patterns I need to get ready and printed off before I go... so that is priority today. I also need to get some money... exchange my US dollars for some Euro and I have been told the exchange is getting better so that is on my list today also. I can't even imagine the emotion I will be experiencing when I enter the cathedrals and architecture of years past in London, Paris, Barcelona, Marsielle, and then again in Florence, Italy and Rome. It is just sinking in that next Tuesday I will be on a plane that will lead me to a place that will undoubtedly change my artwork forever. Can't wait!

Today's Product: Classes, classes, classes in October. I'll be able to start them when I return.

Pat Deere

Links:
Svelata Foundation, Artprise Entry by Mia Tavonatti

Finally something for my home!

2010-08-29T00:05:00.000-04:00

Trying to prepare for my upcoming trip to Europe and I have decided to have Brandi, one of my helpers, work on the transom and sidelights for our home which has been newly log sided so it will be ready to solder when return.

The glass has been picked out for a while. I had a general idea of how I wanted the color of the glass to flow, but I wasn't sure how I wanted it to pull it all together.

This is the design I have decided on. One of my favorite multi colored glasses by Uroboros, their #6595, will be the basis for the design. Our name and the ribbons will be cut using Youghiogheny Medium Amber Stipple Glass, #5002. The ribbon-like pieces will have a contrasting green to pull together the green trim of the house and the hints of green in the Uroboros glass.

One piece of the Uroboros has a lot of rustish colorations. I anticipate putting that portion of the sheet around our last name, "DEERE". On the bottom of the transom and into the top of the sidelights I plan to pull the blues out of the glass. From there it will be a gradation of green and ambers.

You can see in the photo of the front of our home, the spaces where the sidelights and transoms will go. Our initial thought was to put glass in the upper sections of the log fans going across the top of the porch area. But after rethinking that idea, I have decided against it. The wood fan design looks great on its own and I don't want to take away from it.

More photos will be posted as I move along. Pretty exciting for me. We have lived in this house for 20 years and finally made the decision to stay in it and fix it up the way we want. So, even though I have been working with glass for 30+ years... there really is not much in my home. But, that is going to change.

Custom glass for your home could be customized to your taste just like this one has been customized to fit our needs. For more on custom glasswork, click onto the link below.

Pat Deere

Links: Custom Stained Glass

Greek Orthodox Church in Southgate, MI

2010-08-27T08:10:00.001-04:00

See my posting for my Churches and Chapels web site for more information about this church. Photo was taken by Dave Lamarand Photography.

Pat Deere

Links:
Dave Lamarand Photography
Churches and Chapels Blogspot
Pictures In Glass Stained Glass Info.

Wedding Invitation Framed in Glass and Flowers

2010-08-26T17:20:00.001-04:00

I have a customer from Ann Arbor I have done work for in the past. She likes to have the invitations for the weddings she is invited to framed in glass and embellished with dried flowers.

This is the third frame I have made for her and she requested blue glass and a lot of flowers.

This evening I am heading that way so I will deliver this, check the fit on another customers windows before I install them, and meet up with my son who is moving back home.

Full evening at the end of a busy day!

The next time you are invited to a wedding, think about giving a gift they won't get from everybody else. Although this is beautiful, yours does not have to look just like this one. Every frame is created around the invitation you bring in and the likes of the wedding couple.

Pat Deere

Sonbahar Resimleri:)... - from Facebook

2010-08-25T08:03:00.000-04:00

Growth Idea: Say what you want about Facebook but... I get a lot of inspiration from it. Check out the intricate artwork on this leaf. On a normal day, I probably never would have found this artist. I can't even read the language on the FB page. But, I can appreciate the artwork that people have posted to it.

The only downside I see is spending too much time looking at other peoples art and not spending enough time on my own.

So... I'm off to my own studio and no more FB till the day is over.

Pat Deere

Links: HEYKELTRAŞ Coşkun ÖZER Facebook Page

Students work donated to give back...

2010-08-24T10:55:00.000-04:00

A while back during one of my free classes a student, Cal, worked diligently on this piece using scrap glass pieces I had in my studio and a few other fun findings. When I was asked for an item to donate to the Art Affair in Tecumseh, I knew what piece to give. This year I have made it a priority to to give a percentage of my income to charitable causes. Part of the percentage comes in the way of donated glasswork. So, thank you to my students for donating your time and for those of you who are local, be sure to check out the upcoming event:

CIS and CAT Art Affair - The Art Affair is a collaboration between Communities in Schools and Community Arts of Tecumseh
Join us on August 31st from 7-9 PM at the Tecumseh Country Club for a great evening of art demonstrations. There will also be art works available to win through a raffle drawing. Mary Rochelle Burnham will be doing caricatures. Tickets for the event can be purchased at the Art Center or at First Federal Bank for $20. Raffle tickets for the artwork are $5 each or 3 for $10.

Donated Item: Above glasswork to the CIS / CAT for Art Affair Tecumseh. If you have an event coming up, it is possible we can donate to your cause also. Just let us know.

Day 163 Growth Idea: Letting people know what I do when I assume they should know already... is a mistake. So today I am letting you know that along with free classes I give every now and then, I also give classes in bead making, traditional glass painting, sandblasting, stained glass, lamp making, and more. Check out my classes website for more detail about what you can expect to learn in each class. I also give private lessons which work out very well for certain customers. Nobody goes home disappointed.

Pat Deere

Links:
List of glass classes
Communities In Schools
Community Arts Of Tecumseh: Facebook, Blog
Art Affair Tecumseh (Article is at the bottom of the page.)

Rose Carden Cabinet Door for a Manchester Kitchen

2010-08-23T11:01:00.000-04:00

Today's Product: My customer called looking for glass for a kitchen cabinet she said she had been intending to put glass into for 20 (+/-) years. These openings were not very big and putting cut glass into them was possible, but I felt there was a better use of that space. The glass shown here, I call Rose Garden. It is a picture glass I had made for me from the glass manufacturer, Uroboros. They made two types of this picture glass, one is the piece shown here and the other is the Iris glass. Although the glass is one of my most expensive, it is such a beautiful piece that it does not pay to cut it into small pieces, thus saving on labor costs.

So, Saturday, Cheryl was able to walk into the studio, pick out her glass, have me cut it for her while she took off for a few minutes, and when she returned she had glass in the cabinet doors that had been left undone for 20 years. It's nice when a project can be so quick and still meet my customers needs. The link to this glass is below.

Today's Growth Idea: Listening to live music is always an energy booster. This week-end I attended a wedding where the couple hired a Bluegrass band that I don't know the name of that was wonderful. Honestly, it was not my first choice of music but was perfect for this wedding. And the musicians were wonderful. I gained a new appreciation. After that we headed up to Habitat Ultralounge at Webers Inn in Ann Arbor and heard the Bugs Beddows Band. On their web site they describe themselves: Trombone - Driven Rhythm & Blues and Funk - Hot, Danceable, Rockin' Rhythm & Blues - Plenty of Vocals, Horns, & Dancing! . It was all that. We danced the rest of the night and loved watching the band on the rare occasion we sat down. What a great energy and idea booster that was.

Pat Deere

Links:
Rose Garden Glass
Bugs Beddows Band
Habitat Ultralounge, Webers Inn, Ann Arbor

Looking for links.

2010-08-20T17:41:00.000-04:00

www.PicturesInGlass.net

Today's Business: Moving right along... getting ahead on my personal stuff, my plans for Europe are almost set, and business is moving right along.

Today's Growth Idea: What has been working best for me is my web site. I have been told by "people in the know" that linking is really important to continue to bring up my web site to the top of the search engines. So, if you would like to share links, please send me an email. For me, it would be most beneficial if it is a related business. Stained glass artists, mosaic artists, studios, and supply shops would be ideal. Even if you don't know how to do it, send me and email and we will help you through the process. It will help all of us.

My History: When I opened my studio in Adrian life was still a struggle. Juggling a business and small children isn't always easy. But it was important to me as an individual to do that and I think it made me a better mother as well. It forced me to think about what was important for me to do in my business each day, and what special things I could do with my boys. On days they came to the studio, they knew if things went well and they behaved, we would go roller blading or bike riding or something fun. It is how I tried to keep some sort of balance in my life.

Today's Product: Because of projects I had going on in my studio, classes were pretty hard for me. When I get back at the end of September, I will once again be able to give stained glass classes.

Check out my class link below to see what options I offer.

Pat Deere

Links:
Send an email to Pat Deere for linking opportunities.
Stained Glass Classes

Virgin Islands - Here We Come

2010-08-19T06:23:00.000-04:00

Today's Business: Well, I got a quote sent out to a church in the Virgin Islands. This is an exciting possibility for me. They are looking for a very traditional style of glass which means a lot of glass painting, lead came construction, and a design where the pictures tell a story.

In the Catholic church, stained glass windows were used to tell stories of the bible and help people understand through pictures. Children could see what was happening before they could read and adults could be inspired through the artwork. For myself, although I know the church is made up of the people and not of the art, it is the art that often initially attracts me to enter a church building. That is the goal of this church in the Virgin Islands. Their goal is to have the Stations of The Cross painted on 15 of the windows.

The 15 Stations this church is looking for includes depictions of the following scenes:

1.   Jesus is condemned to death
2.   Jesus is given his cross
3.   Jesus falls the first time
4.   Jesus meets His Mother
5.   Simon of Cyrene carries the cross
6.   Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
7.   Jesus falls the second time
8.   Jesus meets the daughters of Jerusalem
9.   Jesus falls the third time
10. Jesus is stripped of His garments
11. Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross
12. Jesus dies on the cross
13. Jesus' body is removed from the cross (Deposition or Lamentation)
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb and covered in incense.
15. Resurrection of Jesus

What an honor it will be, if given the opportunity, to work on my vision of each of the scenes and know that what I have been asked to create could affect many people in a positive way for years to come.

My History: Writing about the history of stained glass in the church made me feel like going back to my history. One of my favorite memories of my studio on 115 W. Maumee Street in Adrian was when my mom and Grandma came to visit. My Grandma lived in Traverse City and didn't come down very often. She and Grandpa were milk farmers and that made it hard for them to get away. When they did get away, it was usually for a specific event like a birth, anniversary, etc. She came when my studio was just opened, not much displayed yet, but it had a very nice look. This will always be a good memory for me.

Growth Idea:   I have been having a Vicki help me out and am continuing with that still. She only comes once a week but is a true asset for my business.

Today's Product: Glass painting brings so many possibilities to a stained glass window. It can be anything from a traditional style I described above that this church wants, or something as simple as the lake shore scene shown here.

This was a wedding gift for a young couple who visited Lake Cumberland. The scenes are all simple and beautiful. This hanging panel includes a piece of rock taken from the shore that a fisherman made of wire is standing on. The scrap glass used for the frame was chosen because of it's unusual color and shape. If you have ever been on Lake Cumberland you will know how the lake jogs and curves around in a very unusual pattern that reminds me of these pieces of glass. This is what makes custom gifts so fun. They can be catered to fit your exact needs.

LINKS: Glass Painting classes and Custom Stained Glass

Pat Deere

Arkansas is home for these cabinet inserts.

2010-08-13T15:24:00.002-04:00

Today's Business: Busy days ahead. Actually, I am getting a lot accomplished. Don't know if I mentioned it yet but I am working with a church in the Virgin Islands about the possibility of an installation of about 15 windows there. Pretty exciting.

Today I have to call to figure out shipping costs. We are considering the possiblity of cutting and painting the glass here, shipping it to the Virgin Islands, then constructing them on site. Todays goal is to have a fairly comprehensive quote for them to present to the financial committee next week. More to come on this as it progresses.

Today's Project: Kitchen cabinet doors heading for Arkansas - Last night I was up until 1am tryng to finish these kitchen cabinet inserts that I just delivered for shipment to Arkansas. They were a little bit of a rush to get done because my customer had family visiting who could bring the doors to her... saves a lot on shipping and less headache worrying about breakage. I just got the glass needed on Monday.

Debbie is in the middle of redoing her kitchen. When she was visiting family and told them about her remodel, they knew she wanted glass and brought her to me.

While in my studio, Debbie was able to look through glass and show me the colors she liked. Once home, she sent me pictures of her kitchen cabinets and I began to draw up designs. The glass used was Amber waterglass, green Spectrum opal, orange/yellow Youghiogheny Stipple. These are a set of 6 cabinet doors inserts ranging in size form 8.5" -17" x 31".

Can't wait to see the photos of the glass installed in her cabinet doors.

Pat Deere

Links: Custom Glasswork by Pictures In Glass

Wheat doors heading to Ohio.

2010-08-12T16:35:00.000-04:00

Although the 365 Day thing sounded like a good idea... as things changed, office staff changed, and my responsibilities changed, time just didn't permit.

Life has been busy. Getting ready for my trip to Europe and trying really hard to finish all unfinished projects before I go. We re also in the process of redoing our house - which I am not spending near the amount of time on I should be because of my priorities here. Not bad problems though - I can't complain - just busy.

The kitchen cabinet doors shown here are for a customer who is redoing their kitchen - wheat is their theme. They have a door with the wheat theme and wanted their cabinet doors to match. These were made using clear GNA for the background because of the light texture and the customer wanting their items on the shelves to show through. The wheat was made with clear textured glass as well with a black patina on the solder.

Simple but elegant. And, it gives them the custom look they were wanting. A detail of the wheat is shown here.

Going back to the 365 days idea... I think I will pick it up again at some point in time. Continue with my history, etc. It really helps me and hopefully helped a few people along the way.

Today's Growth Idea: Hiring help where needed. I have called in Vicki Philo. Vicki has helped me in the past to keep up on things that fall behind for me. Important things that I just can't seem to get to. Usually it has to do with marketing for new business. She is a blessing in disguise. Because of the new newsletter I recently sent out, I got a call from a church in the Virgin Islands... YES the Virgin Islands. We are just in the talking phase but a step in the right direction. And, yesterday, because of her following up on letters to builders I talked to in 2007, another job is on its way. Sometimes I have to remember it pays to have other people do things I just can't get to.

Pat Deere

VACATION... Yes!

2010-07-09T08:28:00.001-04:00

Off to Munising, Michigan in our beautiful Upper Peninsula. The plan is to stay in Munising, be at the beach at 9am, paddle across Lake Superior to Grand Island, camp out and paddle back. With a whole lof of fun stuff in between.

Seems like a perfect way to spend my 50th birthday. On an island with all of the men I love: My husband Tom, and my boys: Matthew, Travis and Casey.

See you when we get back. Full of energy and ideas!

Pat Deere

Day 163: What do MacTalla Mor, The Lion King, and Jimmy Buffet have in common?

2010-07-02T20:02:00.000-04:00

Day 163 Growth Idea:   These are all bands that keep me going when the going gets tough. A late night cutting glass again tonight. But the music is good and the sun is still shining! That makes it easy.

Day 158 Donations: $29.34219

Donations Running Total: $257.54

My History:   The history here is not necessarily chronological. I found this photo of an announcement when I first opened my studio in Tecumseh. I'm not holding stained glass in my arms... just my son Matt. What was I thinking. Babies and glass don't mix very well. But, when it's in your blood you figure out a way to make it work. If I am doing the math right, about a month after this photo, I was pregnant with my 2nd son Travis.

Today's Business:   Nice quite day. Phones were not ringing much. Picked up a check for a new job I'll be starting - sidelights and transoms for a home in Ann Arbor. Music and glass cutting this evening.

Today's Photo Above:   Matt and I when I opened my first studio.
Today's Product:

2"X3.5" Hand painted glass broach by J. Jaussaud, kiln fired, and edged in gold. Painted pink rose created on this pin. $20 on my jewelry web page.

Pat Deere

LINKS:

Jewelry Page of Pictures In Glass website.
MacTalla Mor Band

Day 160: Lady Liberty looks like she may be holding a "twist" ice cream cone.

2010-07-02T00:00:00.001-04:00

Day 160 Growth Idea: Keep on working till you can't work any more!

Day 159 Donations:

Donations Running Total: $228.207

My History:

Today's Business: Working, working, working all day in my studio... YESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have needed this. I am probably 80% done with the cutting on my 14+ foot statue of liberty window.

Today's Photo: Guess what it is?

Pat Deere

Kayaking, Glass Cutting, Phone Calls and Computers

2010-06-30T20:11:00.000-04:00

6/28-30/10

Day 159 Growth Idea: Striving for that balance again... mixing kayaking and biking into my glass cutting, phone calling and computer working is not just a luxury for me, it really is a necessity. Without that exercise in my life, my brain gets overloaded and my work load can feel overwhelming. So, yesterday morning while I was kayaking down the river in Tecumseh, I let my kayak float to shore. I was very quiet. The closer I got to shore the more noise my boat made as it floated over the lily pads on top of the water. Before I knew it a doe popped up its head, stood up to look at me, and ran away. That kind of stuff makes the rest of the day much better.

Day 158 Donations: Think I have a place for the mosaic monopoly table I made for a fund raiser that never happened.

Donations Running Total: $228.207

My History: So, we call in the building inspector and with a few minor changes the building was approved for business. I felt like I could have used more finished pieces for the front of my studio, but my glass supply was pretty good. I tried to keep a piece of all of the most popular brands of glass at the time in stock, and a lot of what I liked to work with. Without a large selection of glass to choose from, it is difficult to effectively design a window.

Today's Business: Where does the time fly? Business during these times is pretty hectic. Too much work for the employees we have but not enough to hire more help. So, among cutting glass, designing new projects, and bidding new jobs... it's answering phones, working out computer problems, paying bills, and trying to collect money. The past few days have found me meeting with Pamela Shapiro on the Immigration Window. Since she actually designed the window, her imput was important to me. As usual, it was easy for us to communicate how the finished piece should look so that part of the week went very well. Today, however, the phone was ringing off the wall making it impossible to cut any glass until around 4:30. So, I am enjoying my time alone in the studio right now.

Today's Photo Above: My most recent wedding invitation framed for a wedding gift. This one had a very plain invitation, so we took the shower invitation and incorporated it. I have more samples on my web site.

Today's Product: This wooden mirror frame was normally $15 and is on sale in my "Garage Sale" for only $7.50 . It was in my shop during my studio fire years back so the packaging is funky but the frame is in great shape. Lots of great deals on that page.

Pat Deere

LINKS: Garage Sale Items - Wooden Mirror Frame

Cabitzing with other artists can be an invaluable way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon.

2010-06-27T21:15:00.000-04:00

Day 158 Growth Idea: Cabitzing with others artists can be an invaluable way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Day 157 Donations:

Donations Running Total: $228.207

My History: Part of the difficulty of my new building was it's age and trying to meet the requirements of the American Disabilities Association without going broke in the process. I had 2.5 floors. The top floors had not been used in years. Because I was using the building for the same use, retail, that the previous owner had used... I had some things grandfathered in. I did have to be sure the bathroom was handicap accessible, the doors and hallways were wide enough, the rams were not to steep, etc. The first floor I could handle. But the regulations made the 2nd and 3rd floor too much for me at the time.

Today's Business: It's Sunday... so I can't call it business. But I did get the opportunity to visit with a group of wonderful women, artists, and now friends. Seeing what inspires other people is a real inpiration to me. Tonight... catching up on paperwork. Tomorrow... moving right ahead with cutting glass for my Immigration window, designed by Pamela Shapiro and fabricated in my studio.

Today's Photo Above: I posted this picture again because it was a combined effort with artist, Pamela Shapiro. Although we did not know each other at the time the project began, she became a wonderful friend and artist I have worked with on other projects since. I find collaborating with other artists something I really enjoy. I think that successful combined effort really shows here.

Today's Product:

In The Arms Of God came about while I was studying the Holy Spirit and how it moves in my life. It often comes very quietly and if I don't pay attention, I will miss it. It comes during prayer, when I'm in the car, when I'm by myself, when I can hear the silence...

Pat Deere

LINKS:
~In The Arms Of God can be found on my web site.

Art For Arts Sake

2010-06-25T23:33:00.000-04:00

Day 156 Growth Idea: Sometimes it is fun just to make art for arts sake and not for any other reason. Not for money. Not for somebody else's expectations. Not for obligations. It is good for the soul.

Day 155 Donations:

Donations Running Total: $228.207

My History: Kind of a funny story that could have turned out not-so-good, but it didn't. During the process of renovating my new studio my boys often came with me. Once in a while they would bring somebody else. On one of the days their cousin Blake came with them they discovered a way to cross over the staircase onto the second floor. Blake was crossing and didn't quite make it. He fell from the 2nd floor ceiling onto the 1st floor floor - on his butt. After looking stunned for a bit and realizing he wasn't hurt, he just started laughing. We closed off that section real quick!

Today's Business: A real productive day. Finished my Devils Lake Underwater crushed glass piece. My camera is still in for repair so I will have to post pictures later. My 4.5'x14' pattern is ready for cutting my next Flint MTA window - Immigration. And... I visted the new LCVA Art Gallery at the Croswell Opera House for the first time since they merged. What a great space and great show today. If you haven't visited it yet, you have to check it out. The link is below.

Today's Photo Above: Making art for arts sake reminds me of the fun little project shown in the picture. The LCVA used to have a "Box Show" where artists would make "box-like" artwork and bring it to the gallery to be auctioned off. My box was created by saw cutting various bottles and arranging them into a design. I called this, "Patron of the Arts", and it was intended to be a pencil holder. The red glass rod is a pencil made from lampworked glass rods. I kind of liked this piece.

Today's Product:

On my web site I have a whole section devoted to "Garage Sale" type items. This is a Kaleidoscope kit that normally ran $13.90. It went through my shop fire so the packaging is old looking. But, the kit inside is new. It sells on my site for $5.00 now. You might want to check out the bargains. The link is below.

Pat Deere

LINKS:
~Croswell Opera House/LCVA Gallery
~Pictures In Glass "Garage Sale"

Day 155: Knowing my limitations can be a help or a hinderance...

2010-06-24T21:50:00.000-04:00

Wow. It's been a long time here...

Day 155 Growth Idea: Knowing my limitations can be a help or a hinderance. I can remember working with a group of people one time about how all of our characteristics can be helpful or hurtful, depending on how we use them. More about this down under "Today's Business".

Day 154 Donations:

Donations Running Total: $228.207

My History: Back to my new studio renovations. Moving day was fun... just ask anybody who helped me. Moving glass for most people is pretty intimidating. It is fairly heavy. Breakable. Not easily packaged. And I was only moving a block and a half away. So we pretty much moved everything piece by piece on dolly's from my old studio into my new studio. Thank God for friends and family. Wish we would have taken pictures because it was a pretty interesting move.

Today's Business: Sometimes I don't know when to call it quits, what jobs I should accept, and which ones I should let go. Sometimes that is good. I expand my knowledge, learn my limitations, and realize what I am good at and what I should let others do. On the other hand, sometimes it gets me into frustrating situations that are difficult for me and not good for those I am trying to help. Today's project was to replicate the sandblasted design for a front door from an historic Tecumseh home. I have the knowledge, equipment, and supplies needed... but not for a window of the size needed by my customer. I thought I could do it. The design turned out great, as you can see from the photo. The problem is where I had to mesh the masking material together. It was just unacceptable to me. Still not giving up though. Tomorrow I will call my supplier to see if they can recommend somebody who can take the design I already computerized and transfer it onto a mask the size of the glass so there will be no seams. My supplier of my sandblasting material is another resource for me to see if I can get what my customer needs. The good thing is ... maybe I can still help him. The bad thing is, I surely won't make money on this but I have learned my limitations, and possibly will learn how to handle a project like this next time around. Right?!?

Today's Photo Above: The end result of my efforts to recreate the design given to me by a customer whose sidelights broke. The design was recreated via American Bevel Designer, transferred onto photo sensitive film, transferred to glass, then sandblasted.

Today's Product:

Parrot Accent Lamp: Mission Style Stained Glass Panel. This link will take you to my web site page where you will find more info about this lamp, and others like it.

Pat Deere

LINKS:

~Parrot Accent Lamp

Day 132: SCORE Online

2010-06-04T08:24:00.000-04:00

Day 132: Growth Idea: Review your business insurance coverage and make updates where necessary. This advice came from the online SCORE link I have listed below. I believe every business should be more prepared for disaster than I was with my studio fire 10 years ago. I found a link for them Online.

Day 131 Donations: Donated sandblasted wine glass to the Lions Club of Clinton... they do good work. Check out their site.

Donations Running Total: $189.6622

My History: So, at this point in the new studio renovation I am almost done. I have got my carpet pulled up, my walls painted, my wood floors for my work are refinished, and carpet in the front. I chose carpet squares and they looked great. Using 3 different patterns and colors allowed for a very custom design that could be easily fixed if one got damaged, for a fraction of the cost of traditional carpet. I put the carpet down myself, which also saved on labor.

Today's Business: I will be doing a lot of getting ready for my show in Toledo this week-end. Brandi has been fusing glass for money clips, zipper pulls, and necklaces so we will have some lower end items to sell. I have been making some nightlight, jewelry holders and will be finishing them up today. We have some last minute work to do on the Women's windows so they will be ready for delivery next week. And, hopefully my Spectrum 96 glass will be delivered today so I can finish crushing the glass I need for a commissioned piece. OK... I typed this a couple of days ago. Today I am actually loading up for The Old West End Festival set-up this afternoon.

Today's Photo:

New Nightlights - These are kind of cool and much better than the picture shows. They are about 8" and 2.5" deep, lit with a night light, have a space for rings/keys/and such in the top mirrored lip, and many are painted with quotes and designs. Some have beautiful glass that speaks for itself. I'll have these in Toledo and on my web site later.

Today's Product: Mission Style Stained Glass Panel. This link will take you to my web site page where you will find more info about this window.

Pat Deere

LINKS:
~SCORE - Counselors To America's Small Business
~Saturday and Sunday I will be at Toledo's Old West End Festival by the Glass Museum at Toledo's Museum of Art

Day 127: Silouettes - Patina them in black or leave them silver?

2010-05-27T21:55:00.000-04:00

Day 127: Growth Idea: Standing my ground can pay off!

Day 126 Donations: $ .55

Donations Running Total: $189.6622

My History: A funny story about my old studio. I inherited my moms organ. I kept it in the front of my studio and it was fun to have kids come in after school and sit down to play it for a while. One day, I heard noise coming from it but nobody was sitting there. Then I realized it picked up the radio station 2 doors down. Kind of spooky!

Today's Business: Well, I am back on track. Delivery of my first window for the Flint Bus Depot will be June 8th if all goes well.

Today's Photo: Women's Rights, silouette section. The silouettes in this picture are in the top section. Tonight I was playing around with the patina on the lead, changing it to black on one of the silouettes. Think I'll do that with all of them. What do you think?

Pat Deere

Day 126: Thanks for your design idea Tyler!

2010-05-26T18:19:00.001-04:00

Day 126: Growth Idea: Teenagers are great inspiration!

Day 125 Donations: $

Donations Running Total: $181.1138

My History: It was really exciting to also have wonderful window display areas. Underneath my 16' sign, were full windows that could be utilized day and night.

Today's Business: Was not fun... but the result was. I have been fortunate that most of my business dealings work out well. I had a recent situation where the customer I am working with for a large project has been very slow, the contract outdated, and I am ready to deliver and move on. With the help of an attorney at Pre-Paid Legal, I was able to work out a reasonble compromise that will work out for both of us. Finally, the black cloud over my head is moving away and I am getting my creative energy back. I can't say enough about the help I get through Pre-Paid Legal for a very resonable cost. In fact, I am putting a link at the bottom of this page for my representative whom I have known for years. The insurance is very low cost and I have used them many, many times. This one situation alone has paid for the premiums I have paid over the years. Thanks Mickey!

Today's Photo: Tyler's Mask. This is a drawing from my sisters grandson, Tyler. He showed me this today and I couldn't help but think what a wonderful piece of glass this would make. I am considering a fused glass piece. I love the inspiration from teenagers. This design has great lines, and color, and intrigue. Can't wait to get some free time to play with it.

Today's Product:

Fireplace Screen. Due to the demand for budget priced stained glass, I started looking around for reputable suppliers of production stained glass items. I found one I am very happy with. I am beginning to put these pieces on my website with the understanding that what I do for my customers is custom stained glass. The quality, uniqueness, and pricing will vary greatly from production glass. Take a look and tell me what you think. I only have 3 items on now but will be adding more tomorrow.

Pat Deere

LINK:
Pre-Paid Legal Link: Coons & Associates
Today's Product Link: Hamstead Standard Stained Glass Fireplace Screen.

Day 117: Time to paint!

2010-05-17T17:36:00.000-04:00

Day 117 Growth Idea: Don't forget to go back to the basics. Time to get out the paints.

Day 116 Donations: $

Donations Running Total: $181.1138

My History: Taking my history back to where I left off a couple of days ago, still working non-stop trying to get the studio ready. Then I realize that moving into this large space requires a large amount of stuff to fill it up. So, I started drawing out where everything would go so when my customers walked in, they would see finished pieces, as they walked back they would find sheets of glass, and behind the glass bins was my work area.

Today's Business: Constantly running the kiln, organized my crushed glass with a new bin and containers so they are stored by color with glass codes on each container (yes!), updated my web site (yes!), and started to paint out the idea that just wasn't coming together. I have been commissioned to work on a piece of crushed glass for a cottage. This customer has wonderful art pieces with colors I would like to capture in my glass. The cottage is on Devil's Lake where perch, blue gill, and large mouth bass are sought after. Because of the unusual dimensions, molding, and open window space for this project... the best solution in my mind was a crushed glass piece that will combine 4 separate panels into one. I can now comfortably start to layer my glass (yes!).

Today's Photo: Under The Sea at Devil's Lake in the beginning stages on my easel.

Today's Product: Rose colored crushed glass nightlight with fused glass bowl set.

Pat Deere

LINK: Night Light & Bowl Set

Day 116: Use my energy to capture ideas while they are hot... and give back where I can.

2010-05-16T17:41:00.000-04:00

Day 116

Day 115 Donations: $

Donations Running Total: $181.1138

Today’s Growth Ideas: Use my energy to capture my ideas while they are hot and... give back where I can.

My History: Taking my history back to where I left off a couple of days ago,

Today's Business: While biking today, my kiln was running for a project that is due on Friday. My first couple of tries resulted in cracked glass, telling me I was pushing the heat to fast and had to slow down. So, at 8am this morning I put it in the kiln and turned it on low. When I got back at about 4pm, the kiln was at about 800 degrees, and I could turn up the heat until I reached about 1500, the desired doneness for this project before venting it and shutting it off. While babysitting my kiln, I worked on the piece shown in todays photo. This has only been cut, and the words painted. It still needs to go in the kiln for firing prior to foiling and soldering. I am considering some kind of welded steel frame... still thinking about that one. A couple of pieces are cut stone I got from my computer guy. They are the iridized pieces on the hill. I wrote down this thought a couple of days ago and how true it was today. The last 30 miles of my 50 mile ride were against a pretty hefty wind. Definitely pushed me to my limit.

Today's Photo: I call this one, "Biking Downhill". It will be posted on my website when finished. It may be a couple of weeks because my kiln has been firing daily for other projects I have been commissioned for.

Pat Deere

LINKS: Dawn Farm - Ride For Recovery The ride was great and they offer 10 and 25 mile rides as well as the 50 mile I went on. Dawn Farm is a recovery center in Ypsilanti. They are a worthy cause. Join me for the ride next year or at least check out their web site for more info.

Day 115:

2010-05-15T14:56:00.000-04:00

Day 115

Day 114 Donations: $.7808

Donations Running Total: $181.1138

Today’s Growth Idea: Remembering the past but pushing on for today.

My History: Back tracking again... when I found this photo I had to post it. My first studio was barely big enough for a 4'x8' work table, glass bins on one wall, a desk, and display units for a few items. Hmmmm... where did I put my son. I had Matthew at this time and was pregnant with my middle son, Travis. What was I thinking? Actually, what I was thinking was that following my passion would help me maintain my sanity in what was sometimes a pretty insane life. I knew starting out would be difficult. But, I also knew, eventually my boys would be grown and I could put the knowledge I was gaining from these experiences to good use. That has proven to be true, but what a process to get there.

Today's Business: Lots of kiln work, glass crushing for future projects, and catching up today. Getting a lot of items ready to add to my "Garage Sale Page" so Nicole can add them on Monday. Now, it's time for a break so off for a bike ride on this beautifully sunny day.

Today's Photo: This is pretty funny. My first studio in Tecumseh showing me teaching a class - I am on the far right.

Today's New Product:

I often get asked to create stained glass pieces based on 12 step programs. This is one of those pieces. It is about 8" round, has some nice edge pieces making up the triangle, and "Free At Last!" painted on the bottom.

Pat Deere

LINKS: Pictures In Glass web page for 12 Step items.

Day 114: There is nothing like riding down the hill with the wind to your back...

2010-05-14T14:54:00.001-04:00

Day 114

Day 113 Donations: $7.9927

Donations Running Total: $180.333

Today’s Growth Idea: There is nothing like riding down the hill with the wind to your back to make you feel like you are in shape... then the ride home against the wind tells me where I really am. Getting my exercise through biking really is good for me in every way. I feel healthier, it clears my brain for a more productive day, and it gets the creative juices flowing... the smell of lilacs was a bonus. Gave me some ideas for new glass pieces. I'll post photos when done.

My History: This is a blast from the past. While going through my files I found this photo. It brought a lot of controversy at the time. In this picture you can see two of my boys during the renovation process. They obviously got tired of pulling up carpeting and decided to have some fun. Travis took the caution tape and tied Casey to one of the poles... then decided to pretend to hit him with a hammer. A potential customer called into the radio station and threatened them if they advertised my grand opening... and on and on. The add read: HELP! What's happening here? Come find out when you visit Pictures In Glass ~Stained Glass Studio ~ in downtown Adrian. These guys were busy working on the renovation of our new location and decided to take some much needed time out. This was in the Exponent on May 25, 1999. Guess you had to be there to appreciate the humor.

Today's Business: Trying to keep up with my help. I have things coming at me from all sides today and no time to think. So, I let them take the rest of this sunny day off while I try to organize so their next day back at work will be productive. I'll be posting my garage sale items soon (things I have had since the studio shown above burned about 9 years ago!).

Today's New Product:

These are hand painted broaches I purchased from Judy Jaussaud years ago. They are often floral patterns edged in gold like the one shown here.

Pat Deere

LINKS:
Jewelry page showing this broach.
Judy Jaussaud info.

Day 111: Back to the blog and an update...

2010-05-11T11:41:00.000-04:00

Day 111

Day 110 Donations: $

Donations Running Total: $180.333

Today’s Growth Idea: Back to the blog and some kind of order. I get off track and think this blog takes too much time. I am finding, it actually keeps me on track and helps me put some kind of order into my day. So... a more concerted effort starts again.

My History: While renovating my new building, I had a lot of help. My boys, although they were still young (in elementary school), came and helped every day. They had a lot of energy and pulling up carpet and playing "carpenter" was fun for them... for periods of time. In between, they would go up to the second floor and treasure hunt. We had some unusual things left in the building. One of them, which was actually left in the basement, was a foot xray that one of the previous businesses used to check the sizing of a persons foot before they sold them shoes. Hmmmmmm.

Today's Business: It is only Tuesday and already a busy week. I am following up with paperwork and designs for a church I met with yesterday who wants new windows installed. I also met with a

kitchen shop yesterday who will be displaying my crushed glass/beveled glass in one of their kitchen displays, and finally a residential customer who is looking for transom windows and sidelights for their entry way is something I need to finalize. Brandi is in the back crushing glass and I am at the computer. That will change in a minute.

Today's Photo's: I have posted some of these photos here before or on Facebook, but this is a glimpse of 3 of the 5 sections for my Women's Right Window for the Flint Bus Depot.

Today's New Product: Brandi is fast becoming my fused glass jewelry person of choice. Here is one of the necklaces she created. More are on my web site. These are currently introductory products sold at introductory prices... they probably won't be able to stay at this price for long!

Pat Deere

LINKS: Jewelry... earrings, necklaces, broaches.

Day 95: Getting out the brushes and paints.

2010-04-25T22:39:00.002-04:00

Day 95: Getting out the brushes and paints.

Day 94 Donations: $

Donations Running Total: $160.94

Today’s Growth Idea: Work on class idea for use while visiting France and Italy.

My History: So I am coming to work in the morning, climbing a 20' ladder to paint the walls (and I hate heights), pulling up carpet and exposing the wood floors in the area that will house my work tables, kilns, etc. I think we pulled up 5 or so layers of tile and carpet to get to the wood. In the front section of the studio I planned for glass bins and display areas. The space was perfect for what I needed to do. The sign at this point is just on the drawing board.

Today's Business: It was fun to get out the paints and begin working on ideas for the classes I would like to give while overseas. Our plans have changed a little and I will fly into London, go through France, and fly out of Florence, Italy. While visiting the museum exhibit with Kristina Deere yesterday, we had the opportunity to brainstorm about different ideas. The focus for now is coming up with a viable plan that can be used for one day workshops. I love the idea of working with a steel frame and incorporating crushed glass pieces - similar to those I have shown in the past. The idea behind this is, the steel frame can be welded and treated, sent to the college along with the glass ahead of time, then when I arrive I can simply create the fused glass with the students and slide them into the framework previously created. The painting here is simply the beginning. But, I like the idea and it is giving me something take to the computer and perfect.

It feels good to be back on a roll.

Pat Deere

Day 88: There is nothing like the Kiwanis Trail

2010-04-18T23:13:00.000-04:00

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 88

Day 87 Donations: $

Donations Running Total: $160.94

Today’s Growth Idea: Rollerblading brings me to a wonderful place where I can be grateful for what I have and think about what I need to do in the upcoming week.

My History: When I first bought my Adrian building things were getting a little easier for me. Two of my children were full time students at Sacred Heart Montessori School in Adrian and my youngest was in ½ day kindergarden. He loved school and wanted to go all day like his brothers so he could eat at school like they did. For anybody who is a mom that works, knowing your children are in good hands and happy while you are working means everything. While in Adrian, I could take my children to school, go straight to my studio, pick them up at the end of school and either bring them back with me or take them to the Christian Family Center where they could spend time with friends swimming, playing basketball, or play games for a couple of hours until my studio closed. Most days, this worked out well.

Today's Business: Getting ready for my trip to France. So many places I want to put on my agenda, I am beginning to look at all the prospects and about ready to buy my plane ticket. Thinking about all of the places with stained glass that will be a must for me to see makes me think about all of the wonderful places right here near us. Today, I went to church at St. Mary of Good Counsel Church in Adrian. I wrote about it in my blog http://churchesandchapels.blogspot.com/ . A wonderful church with a new sculpture on the way.

Pat Deere

LINKS:
Tecumseh / Adrian Kiwanis Trail
ChurchesAndChapels.blogspot.com

Day 85: Always time for coffee... my personal adrenaline.

2010-04-15T14:13:00.000-04:00

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 85

Day 84 Donations: $

Donations Running Total: $160.94

Today's Growth Idea: Put on a pot of coffee. I am so sluggish and need a little boost. Coffee will do that for me.

My History: Going to the sign committee was interesting. There was some discussion about it being a traffic hazard (?), not being readable from the road (?), and from what I remember it wasn't well received because it wouldn't be a good reflection of what I do. In my own mind I remember thinking, what better reflection of what I do than creating a sign made from glass. Needless to say, I did get my approval and the job of cutting many square feet of glass began. For the 1/2" squares, I would cut a square foot of glass at a time scoring over score lines horizonatally and vertically then breaking all of the pieces with running pliers.

Today's Photo: My personal adrenaline. At dinner this week-end, watching the cream mix into the coffee became the topic of our table. Even my cousins 4 year old daughter was intrigued by the designs it made. When I get sluggish and can't figure out what to do first in the middle of a busy day... coffee and music always help.

Today's Business: Getting some inexpensive items ready for a show I have coming up. This is kind of hard for me... but I am doing my best. Because this isn't a fine art show, I know I have to sell items in a more affordable price range. We came up with some night light, jewlery holders that I will highlight some time next week. I am also getting another section of my Women's Rights window ready for soldering, and finishing a stained glass window that I am retrofitting for a customer in Dearborn. But, before I do any of that, I need to respond to a customer who called yesterday about a set of 4 church windows. Definitely need the coffee because we are leaving early tomorrow to visit with my son in Sault Ste. Marie, and watching my youngest sons first hockey game of this season tonight. Not much time. Maybe I need a pot not just a cup of coffee.

Pat Deere

Day 83: Finishing my taxes so my brain can concentrate on other things!

2010-04-13T17:24:00.000-04:00

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 83

Day 82 Donations: $

Donations Running Total: $160.94

Today's Growth Idea: Finishing my taxes so my brain can concentrate on other things!

My History: Once I closed on this new building on Maumee Street in Adrian, I immediately began working on my sign ... it was such an issue with my old building. The sign committee had a history of being a little difficult to get your ideas accepted by, so I chose to use the existing sign board and create my design over the top of that. The only thing I would need to convince them of would be my design idea. You can partially see the sign from my building in today's photo. It was a 16' long sign created in glass mosaic in 4 - 4' sections. Since I love carousels, that was the central design. My studio name was at the top and STAINED GLASS STUDIO in large letters was at the bottom.

Today's Business: Inventory. This is one of the most time consuming things I do. It took us a day and a half to inventory the new glass I brought back from Chicago during my suppliers annual glass sale. Because so much of it was sale glass, it did not necessarily have codes on it so we had to figure it out as we went along. Once the inventory was done and the glass put away, we cleaned the studio so we will be ready to work tomorrow.

Today's Photo: This picture shows the "working area" of my studio... never enough space. After my Adrian studio burned and I moved to my "temporary" studio next to my home, I had to learn to work with a lot less space. Along the walls I have grinders, a work bench, a welder, a torch, a sandblaster, air compressor, kilns, and shelving for works in progress. In this photo, on the right are my glass easels and my work tables move around from place to place as I need the room. You can see the glass for my Women's Rights window is taking up temporary housing on the floor. Once soldered, it will be placed on the glass easels so I can see it finished with light behind it.

Pat Deere

Buffalo, Babies, the Bay and McDonald's Mocha...

2010-04-11T23:24:00.000-04:00

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day ?

Day 7? Donations: $

Donations Running Total: $

Today's Growth Idea: Getting inspiration from noticing the everyday things around me. Today I was driving home from a wonderful long week-end in Charelvoix, MI (thus the reason for my lack of updates to this blog). My niece got married at Castle Farms... a beautiful building on beautiful grounds in a beautiful city.

People often ask where I get my inspiration for my artwork. Honestly, it comes from noticing the little things that other people might otherwise ignore. Watching my cousins children interact was inspiring. Looking at all of the familiar things on my drive home from Traverse City - like the buffalo farm, the cherry tree farms, and my gradma's street. Taking the time to rollerblade along Grand Traverse Bay and stopping by to notice things like this wonderful view of the rocks through the water. Driving slow enough to be aware of my surroundings and breath it all in. These things inspire me. Drinking a mocha along the way.

Then, when I get back to working in my studio... the work becomes much easier. Ideas come more freely. And it is more like fun than like work. Now it is time to plan for my trip to France. This is a trip I have been waiting for, for a very long time. Just thinking about all that I will see is almost overwhelming. My son will be studying near Lourdes... a definite stop on my list of things to do. Being able to see him while there is a bonus!

More about that later.

Pat Deere

LINKS:

Castle Farms, Charlevoix, MI

Lourdes

Creating, packaging, marketing! Day 76

2010-04-06T07:05:00.003-04:00

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 76

Day 75 Donations: $

Donations Running Total: $160.94

Today's Growth Idea:  Today the plan is to come up with a creative way to package and market my wine glass. I have been making these for a while, perfecting my techniques, my adhesives, and my ideas.  Brandi is my employee who was a previous Vo-Tech student in graphic arts. She is now attending college and I have given her the task of coming up with a way to package and market these glasses. Their intent was to have a variety of colors and sizes so people could purchase them, use them for parties, and their guests would know what glass was theirs... not have to figure it out by what color the lipstick on the rim is.    She is coming up with some good ideas. I'll keep you posted.

My History:   Going back a bit... I got sidetracked. I found the building of my dreams, the price was right, and the owner was a wonderful person to work with. I wanted to keep my costs down, have a storefront, have a front and back entrance to my studio, and have a place for a large sign. So, this was it. I contacted the realtor and put in an offer. Because I wanted to deal with the terms of the land contract, I offered him a little more than the asking price. He accepted and we were both thrilled.

Today's Business: I am working on creating a wedding box for a customer out of her childs wedding invitation, another customer is coming in for a private lesson with her daughter, while they are here I will be finishing the work on a custom designed lamp shade. And, at some point I have to get my taxes to my accountant.

Today's Photo: Wine glass with lamp worked flowers in a variety of colors and styles.

Featured Glass: These wine glasses can be found at future shows, in my studio, and on my web site for sale. Because they are in the "trial stage", they are very inexpensive right now. Check them out!

Pat Deere

LINKS:   Pictures In Glass, wine glasses for sale.

Visit a stimulating place... like Eastern Market in Detroit

2010-04-03T21:50:00.000-04:00

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day ?

Day ? Donations: $

Donations Running Total: ?

Today's Growth Idea: Visiting a stimulating place can do wonders. Eastern Market in Detroit appeals to the senses in many ways. The first thing that strikes you as you approach is the visual appeal. The market is surrounded by many old warehouse type buildings. The sheds that the produce is sold in are newly constructed. Many of the buildings have beautifully painted murals on the walls. The culture is diverse. As you approach you can smell the food. Often, you can smell food cooking by vendors outside. Musicians play on the streets. As you walk across the bridge to the meat house vendors are set up selling their products. It never fails to amaze and excite me to go to the market.

Today's Business: I am looking into becoming a memeber of the American Glass Guild. They will be sponsoring a conference in Detroit this July! A great opportunity for the city of Detroit and those of us who live in or nearby. My hope is to become a member and volunteer to help out with this event. I can't wait. Volunteering will give me the opportunity to meet glass artists of all levels from all over. It's always a burst of energy to attend something of this magnitude. Hope you check it out!

Today's Photo: Eastern Market from the web page with a link below.

Pat Deere

LINKS:
Eastern Market, Detroit, MI
American Glass Guild

My History:

Diversify

2010-04-02T21:33:00.001-04:00

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day ?

Day ? Donations: $

Donations Running Total: ?

Today's Growth Idea: Diversify.

My History: Along the lines of diversification... when I was new in business I felt like I was doing too much of this for the manpower, experience, available funds, etc. available to me. I felt like I needed to go in all different directions to get whatever busines I could wherever I could get it. I gave classes, sold supplies, contacted churches, advertised in the newspapers, radio, and other venues. Because I was fairly new, I was testing the waters of everything and made too many decisions on the spur of the moment instead of thinking them through as much as I feel I should have.

Today's Business: Thinking more about this diversification thing. I have been researching more about it. I started thinking about diversifying because that was the common thread at the meeting I attended yesterday for the board I sit on for the Graphic Arts Program at the Vocational Technical School in Lenawee County. Business owners in the field talked about having to diversify what they offer in order to fill the gaps of lost business. Past students of the program talked about how the diversity of the projects they worked on while at Vo-Tech really helped them at the college level. And, past students who are now in the working world confirmed that being open to and knowledgeable of many different techniques and programs is helping them when working or looking for new jobs. For so long I felt I needed to focus on certain aspects of my business instead of being so diverse... and now the economy is causing me to rethink this idea.

Another common thought among the business owners and teaching staff of local universities and Vo-Tech was the fact that techniques may change, advancements will always happen, the tools we use are forevery changing, but the creativity we have and the passion we put into our businesses, art, and life are not the kinds of things that can be taught. They are in each of us and have to be nurtured every day or none of the education, attempts at diversifying or not diversifying, will do us much good.

So, my bottom line is that I will continue to work in the direction I have been working in. I truly enjoy working on public art projects, residential stained glass and giving classes. I will continue these things but, I will also think about how I can do them better, maybe in a more creative way. And, working shows... this is someplace I feel I can really diversify what I have been selling. More on this later....

Today's Photo: Miniature Stained Glass Windows - originally created for my miniature house. I have had people buy them for Christmas Ornaments, necklaces, and suncatchers. This is a good example of the diversity of use of an item that I had an art show promoter suggest I try when doing shows.

My serentiy comes from...

2010-04-01T07:39:00.000-04:00

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day ?

Day ? Donations: $

Donations Running Total: ?

Today's Growth Idea: Getting back to my routine: My days are most serene when I wake up with prayer and meditation and go to bed with a heart full of gratitude.

My History: Wow! My last post was about a past employee named Flo. Today, I find myself without an office assistant... again. She had an opportunity for another job she couldn't pass up. It threw me for a loop for a little while but we are working through it and will be better for it. The good things... we have come up with an office procedures manual that is proving invaluable... it's a work in progress. Now, back to refiguring what I should do myself and what we should pay to have done. A for sure is: I need to have a competent person paying bills, payroll and taxes. This is not my line of work and costs me if I try to do it myself. We've got that covered.

Today's Business: Along with answering phones, sorting mail, answering emails, creating designs and quotes... I will be back working on my Flint Women's window. More photos of it to come. The picture here shows my sketch for the painted part of the window that will have representations of the women's organizations that were instrumental in moving women's rights forward. I also need to go back and find out what day I am supposed to be on in this "365 Days" blog. I get a little side tracked when I don't have internet for a while. During my last show in Pontiac, I had no internet... which meant I couldn't start out with my normal routine... including prayer and meditation... including updatding my blog... etc... etc... etc... Doesn't take much to get me off track sometimes. But today, I am starting back again!

Today's Photo: Pat Deere sketching a design to be painted on glass and incorporated into a stained glass window.

Pat Deere

Day 57: Feeling kind of blue.

2010-03-18T08:07:00.000-04:00

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 57

Day 56 Donations: $6.29

Donations Running Total: $38.3168

Today's Growth Idea: Feeling kind of blue... means I have to allow myself to feel sorry for myself for a few minutes. Then, get over it and get some work done.

My History: Seems like a good day to talk about past employees, what worked and what didn't, what I learned, etc. Hiring has to be one of the most difficult parts of owning a business. Paying somebody enough to keep them if they are good, and allowing them to be let go if they are not pulling their weight. I was pretty fortunate when I first opened my business to find somebody named Flo. She had been in the glass business for a long time and was very beneficial to me. She was able to give me advice and suggestions if she saw them and was also willing to do the work that needed to be done when necessary. My customers loved her and I did too. That was not always the case though.

Today's Business: First of all I have to get past the fact that our new office assistant, Dana, who we love has found another job. It is tough. With the economy the way it is we probably were not paying her what she was worth. On the other hand, she was just getting to the point after about 3 months where she was able to move forward with some of the things that would have helped her and us. So, on top of getting ready for my show this week-end, working on my Flint patterns, and making jewelry and vases for this week-end... I have to consider how to move forward from here. Do I want to train another person for 3 months and have them leave for a better opportunity? Should I hire somebody for the sales end of our business, keep our previous bookeeper for payroll and taxes, and another part time person for filing and incidentals? This may keep the flow going if I lose one leg of the operation. Continuity was and still is a concern. Think I'm ready to get back to work.

Today's Photo: Titled: Lady In Blue. This was a fun piece I donated to our local gallery, the LCVA (Lenawee Council for the Visual Arts) for a fundraiser a few years back. They asked people to make boxes, things that looked like boxes, were box shaped, etc. Although this was a strech... it worked. I made it with scrap pieces of painted blue glass, a sandblasted face left over form another project, and part of a fused glass piece that broke. Kind of wish I would have kept this one.

Pat Deere

LINKS: I'll be at the Palace of Auburn Hills Spring Home & Garden Show on Friday and Saturday. Come check it out!

Day 51: Give to a good cause... the Ann Arbor Skatepark

2010-03-12T09:11:00.003-05:00

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 51

Day 49 Donations: $.41917

Donations Running Total: $32.04675

Today's Growth Idea: Give to a good cause using your talents to their fullest. Today's cause is the effort a large group has been working towards building a skate park in Ann Arbor, MI.

My History: The more I thought about this building the more I felt like it was meant to be mine. My life was extremely busy with my boys now all in school, my home life a little hairy, and my business growing but still not very profitable. I am continuing to put money into more glass and supplies, advertising, and creating relationships with other businesses in the area. I liked the idea of this new studio because it was on one of the main roads in Adrian and almost everybody coming into Adrian would see my sign. It attracted people from Hillsdale, Toledo, and of course Lenawee County.

Today's Business: My Flint windows. The drawings are not going as smoothly as planned. I bought The Glass Eye software program because I could use it to print on a large sheet printer (2' wide). But, I am having trouble getting it to print properly. The lines are not lining up and, it doesn't show the detail of my border lead, and the size appears to be off. Not good. These windows need to be exact because they will be placed in thermopaned glass prior to installation. So, looks like I am taking what came off the printer and altering it by hand.

Today's Photo: Titled: Travis, Mid-Air My latest crushed glass piece (on the left) was inspired by a photo of my son Travis (on the right) skating in some off the wall spot. My original intention with this piece was to cut the figure and tire with a band saw to get a good likeness of him. My second thought was to try it all in crushed glass. I like it. Although it is more abstract looking, I think it gives him more movement and makes the piece look alive. He said the event is 12-6 tomorrow at 704 Airport Drive, Ann Arbor.

Pat Deere
LINKS:
~Article about Washtenaw County pledging $400,000 towards the park.
~Event info on Facebook from Red Belly Boardshop in Ann Arbor.

Featured Glass: Travis Mid-Air will be added to my web site. The site has changed some so if it is not on there today, it will be added shortly. Any photo can be created in crushed glass. What a great gift for the person who has everything don't you think?

Day 51: Playing Hookie

2010-03-11T21:23:00.000-05:00

1. hookie 205 up, 18 down

A day in which liberty is taken upon oneself to exclude themself from school or work obligations while, most likely, pretending to be sick or having a death in the family. Usually this time is spent with a significant other (i.e. hookie for XXXkie), a sports activity (i.e. golf or playstation), or just plain sitting on ones XXX all day editing & writing definintions for modern slang words over the internet. Commonly referred to as "playing hookie".

Partial definition from Urban Dictionary

Day 50: Do one thing at a time.

2010-03-10T08:32:00.002-05:00

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 50

Day 49 Donations: $

Donations Running Total: $31.607.28

Today's Growth Idea: Do one thing at a time. Sometimes I can get overwhelmed with all that has to be done. I will make plans to finish 10 things and at the end of the day only completely finish a couple. I heard some good advice from somebody named Anne yesterday. She said she has learned if she finishes completely, one thing at a time her life goes much smoother. I can easily get sidetracked by starting one job, answering the phone and forgetting what I started so I go off on something new, only to find my unfinished project still sitting where I left it.

My History: So I have found this building that I love from the outside and feel compelled to call and get information on. I know I have already moved from my first little space, to my second location on the second floor of the Bidwell Building in Tecumseh, to my current location in a mall of sorts in Adrian. Do I want to move all of that glass again? Moving is not easy. Moving thousands of square feet of glass is another issue all together. My mind got clouded over with visions of a real sign, a 16' sign, lots of space, and knowing that once I have my own building I can do what I want with it and not have to move again.

Today's Business: Dana and I have been doing great with our procedures manual and having regular meetings to keep up on what is going well and what still needs to be done. Today we are having another meeting for that purpose. Our manual is working well but we have quite a few pages that are hand written notes that need to be typed and added to the book so it can be properly used. Yesterday my goal was to finish a leaded glass window, a pattern for another window, and start a pattern for some kitchen cabinet doors. I got sidetracked, like I talked about in the beginning of this blog. Today, I will write those things down on my list of important things and not forget about what most needs to be done today.

Today's Photo: Earlier in a blog I mentioned working with the Seasons Restaurant in Adrian. I ran across this news article that showed the interior of the building. My lamps are on the ends of each of the long tables. They were made with Spectrum glass, slumped over hand made molds, to create long molten looking pieces of glass to create the lamps with.

Pat Deere

Featured Glass: Since we are talking about lamps, I am adding this new lamp to my web site for purchase. Check it out on the link below!

LINKS: http://www.picturesinglass.net/panelsandlamps

Day 49: Know how to figure cash flow!

2010-03-10T04:03:00.001-05:00

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 49

Day 48 Donations: $

Donations Running Total: $31.607.28

Today's Growth Idea: Know how to figure cash flow!

My History: You know how you have in your mind exactly what you want a studio to be. I had seen a picture in a magazine of this studio/gallery that was long and skinny. It had lights that came down from the ceiling in a variety of colors that lit the counter below. It gave me ideas of what I wanted my ultimate studio to be. This building was 2.5 floors high, it had a 16' sign, tin ceiling, trellis like structures perfect for hanging glass, and it would cost about the same per month that I was currently renting my space for. I knew this was worth further investigation.

Today's Business: We are finalizing quotes in response to the last show we attended and met with Graham Fleming (our representative from SCORE). Graham is helping us understand how to read reports that will keep us on top of our business. It is almost embarassing to say that report writing, reading, and deciphering has not been a common practice for us. We use Quickbooks, but don't utilize it the way we should. I am typing up my notes from our meeting to be sure we can adequately create and use the reports we create in the future.

Pat Deere

LINKS: Custom designed lamps to work with your existing base can be made by us at Pictures In Glass.

Day 48: Architectural salvage... I love it!

2010-03-08T12:12:00.001-05:00

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 48

Day 47 Donations: $

Donations Running Total: $31.607.28

Today's Growth Idea: Architectural salvage businesses can be a real plus! While in Chicago I was able to visit architectural artifacts, inc. They are an architectural salvage store, museum and events business. Had I not left my purse at home and had to depend on my friend for gas, food, and toll money, I probably would have made some purchases there. I get such inspiration from a store like this and often find pieces I can use in my stained glass panels. If you have time, check them out on the web and definitely visit them while in Chicago.

My History: So I am going along with my business, raising my boys, bringing them to the studio often with me and still trying to figure out my sign situation. As business people do, I am always looking for opportunities. One of the local businesses, Smith's Cyclery, was selling their building. I walked by, looked in the window, and oh my gosh...

Today's Business: Catching up from the last week and week-end. My glass did not come home with me, they will be shipping it. I did get the drawing for my last window for Flint, and that is the Veterans Rights window. So, I will be looking through my bins looking for glass that I have in stock, and figuring out what I will need to fill in the blanks. I published my new blog and wrote to both churches looking for their input and photos. Nothing real exciting today. And... that's ok.

Today's Photo: This came from the home page of architectural artifacts, inc.

Pat Deere

LINKS: architectural artifacts, inc. store museum events
ChurchesAndChapels.blogspot.com

Day 47: Our Lady of Lourdes Church

2010-03-08T07:53:00.001-05:00

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 47

Day 46 Donations: $

Donations Running Total: $31.607.28

Today's Growth Idea: Getting inspiration from churches I have visited. I have information on this church on my blog (with a link at the bottom of the page): ChurchesAndChapels.blogspot.com . I love visiting other churches when I travel. This one is undergoing a lot of renovation, but we were able to visit it during the process. Unfortunately, they were having a prayer vigil so I was not able to take my camera in for pictures. I am emailing the church to see if they will send some I can post to my Churches and Chapels blog.

Today's Business: Visited Ed Hoys in Chicago for a glass buying spree. Picked up the glass I needed for my Flint windows, with a few exceptions. Tried to keep the costs down because the budget on these windows is VERY tight. But, I had to just go for a few pieces even though it was probably more than I should be spending. I know people are not going to look at those windows and say, 'Wow, what a beautiful window for the price'. They will be judging the windows on what they see, not how much I am being paid for them. It is kind of a dilemma. This piece of glass from Kokomo (Celtic, code: CEL) has an interesting story. When I visted the Kokomo glass manufacturing building in Kokomo Indiana I was given a tour by one of the owners. He showed me this glass, which was made by a glass restoration company to restore the public buildings in Texas. The roll was given (or purchased?) by Kokomo Glass Company and now they make the same texture but are not allowed to make it in clear because that is the glass that was used for the restoration projects it was originally created for in Texas. To make a long story short, this glass is what I will be using for the top of the building for my Arab American Civil Rights window. You can visit Kokomo glass for tours of the building and watch their glass making process - great day trip!

Today's Photo: Taken from the website: http://ololchicago.parishesonline.com/scripts/HostedSites/org.asp?p=9&ID=5316

Pat Deere

LINKS:
http://www.churchesandchapels.blogspot.com/
Kokomo Glass Company

Day 46: It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee...

2010-03-06T12:45:00.000-05:00

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 46

Day 45 Donations: $

Donations Running Total: $31.607.28

Today's Growth Idea: It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity. (by: Dave Barry) . Sometimes you just gotta have it to help you get through the day, especially on the days when you are trying to pack 2 days worth of work into one.

My History: One of the books I considered my glass bible talked about self promotion. That is not something I was good at during this time of building up the business for my studio. Stained glass is something people like, are curious about, shows up well in pictures, and is not something you see everybody else doing. I am realizing now that it makes good news - but didn't take advantage of it during the early years of my business.

Today's Business: Today I am finishing picking out glass for my Flint windows. I already have the glass picked out for 2 of them: Women's Rights and Arab American Rights. I am currently working on getting the glass for, "The Migrants" window by Greg Perez. I still have to pick out glass for 5 other designs before leaving for Chicago in the morning.

Today's Photos: The section of the design shown above by Greg Perez shows Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor surrounded by Hibiscus Flowers which are the state flower of Puerto Rico, Monarch Butterflies that migrate to Mexico every year, Oyamel Fir trees that the butterflies are drawn to, and the coffee plant that is representative of hispanic origin. Greg's link is below where you can see a photo of the full design. I am so excited to work with Greg on this window because his approach to art is so different from mine. I am hoping I can learn a new skill that will be put to use in other projects. His specialty as an artist is printmaking with linoleum and wood. The photo to the left shows my glass easel, 5 sections totalling about 5'x15', with the glass selections for this window laid out. The photo to the right is a close up of one section of the window with sections of glass I will be using for the hibiscus, the Ruby Throated Hummingbird, the Oyamel Fir Tree, and the Monarch Butterflies. I like to lay the glass out on the easel with photos I use for reference, in the order they will appear in the final design. It helps me to picture the finished window in my head and see how all of the glass colors will work with the rest of the glass chosen.

Pat Deere

LINKS: Gregorio Perez, Arte Goyo

Day 45: Preparing for my glass buying trip to Chicago on Sunday.

2010-03-06T09:27:00.000-05:00

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 45

Day 44 Donations: $

Donations Running Total: $31.607.28

Today's Growth Idea: Prepare for my trip to Chicago. Ed Hoys, my main glass supplier, is having their annual sale this Sunday. I have been in the past and always get great deals. But, I am not always as prepared as I should be to maximize the trip. That is changing today.

My History: One of my biggest struggles at this point... still... is advertising. Where to spend my money. What advertising is working well. What is not working. I spent quite a bit of money on newspaper ads. The only one that worked that I got a direct response from was a full page ad I did in combination with other businesses to advertise and event we planned for Lenawee County churches. The ad was very expensive and did not bring in enough of a response to consider that type of advertising again.

Today's Business: I have started, and will finish, pulling glass for all of my Flint windows. I have talked about what a tight budget I have on these windows. So, it is imperative for me to fully utilize whatever glass I have in stock and get the rest at a discount. Dana is following up today on all of the leads we got from the Cottage and Lakefront show.

Pat Deere

Day 44: Looking for fund raising events.

2010-03-04T09:20:00.000-05:00

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 44

Day 43 Donations: $1.404973

Donations Running Total: $31.607.28

Today's Growth Idea: Looking for charitable events that are looking for a fun way to raise money that won't cost them anything. Dana is beginning to start a list of events and any help she can get would be great. If you know of an organization that sponsors an event, let us know who it is and we will contact them to see if Tara can be helpful to them. Just click on the link to her blog listed below with your idea, and we will follow up with it. We will keep a list of her travels on the blog and post photos of people she impresses along the way.

Today's Business: Unfortunately, I am heading to Kentucky for a funeral... so today's business is cut short.

Pat Deere

LINKS: http://www.whereintheworldistaradeere.blogspot.com/

Day 42: www.WhereInTheWorldIsTaraDeere.blogspot.com

2010-03-02T17:09:00.000-05:00

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 42

Day 41 Donations: Now that the show is over, I am back to work and can make some money?!

Donations Running Total: $30.2023

Today's Growth Idea: Where In The World Is Tara Deere? I have had this mannequin for quite a while. She started out when my husband brought her home for target practice and I saved her life because I knew there was more purpose for her than that. A mosaic was created on her that I started a new blog for called, "Where In The World Is Tara Deere" that will document where she is going and where she has been. My goal is to raise $10,000 from her before she is retired to a good home.

My History: At this point I was getting a pretty good following of students for classes. I created outlines for each of the classes I taught to be sure I covered all the bases. At that time, each class created a specific piece from start to finish... a little different than I do today. I always try to be sure when a student left, they knew the basics of cutting class, grinding, foiling and soldering so if they never took another class again, they could probably get by.

Today's Business: Today was spent cleaning the studio so we can set up our projects, meeting with a representative from the SCORE Office about figuring job profitability, and preparing for tomorrow.

Today's Photo: The beginnings of Tara.

Pat Deere

LINK: http://www.whereintheworldistaradeere.blogspot.com/

Day 41: Know my limitations!

2010-03-01T12:44:00.008-05:00

365 Days Of My Life As A Studio Artist: Day 41

Day 40 Donations: $ .60275

Donations Running Total: $30.2023 (My running total donation is going to the Sand Lake Volunteer Fire Department for my labor for sandblasting the beveled glass retirement plaque for them.)

Today's Growth Idea: Know my limitations. This is not always easy for me. I feel like I should be able to do everything that has to do with glass. I often can, but I can't always do it justice.

My History: While in this studio I was commissioned to create new windows for St. Joseph Catholic Church in Adrian. This was my first church commission and it consisted of windows created in a mouth blown glass called, Lambert's Clear Reamy, framed with brass came, and included a beveled border with names of parishioners sandblasted into them. I had the opportunity to experience the church on a committee level. This was a wonderful opportunity for me and it is always satisfying for me to know when working with projects like this, that they will likely be installed there for at least the next 100 years.

Today's Business: The plaque shown here was just picked up by one of the volunteer firemen. I explained my limitations with the sandblasting equipment I have, and they are happy (even though I saw flaws). We decided next time to create the letters larger, because the issue with the equipment I have is that it does not clearly blast through my resist if the letters are really small. I am in the process of cleaning up after the hurricane came through and dropped of all of the stuff that was in my trailer and the rented Budget truck from this week-ends show.

Today's Photo: St. Joseph Catholic Church, Baptistery.

Pat Deere

LINKS: Pictures In Glass, Churches and Commercial Work.