Finbacks

Finback whales are the second larges species of whale on the planet.  Only blue whales are larger.  Finbacks have a very wide geographical distribution and are found in our waters off Newfoundland and Labrador.

In this piece I wanted to depict a rough sea, which offed quite a few challenges.  The ice pieces were made with a platter that I found at a home decor shop.  I knew that that would be difficult to cut up due to it’s undulating nature, but wanted to see if I could do something with it.  Those pieces make the whole thing 3 dimensional, since they are much thicker than the stained glass or smalti.

Winter’s Ascent

I have been doing some experimenting with using both stained and clear glass on it’s edge.  I think that it can create some nice water and ice effects.  The plywood substrate has been underpainted with a very dilute blue colour so that the paint is absorbed into the wood rather than lying on top of it.  This piece is 11 x 14 inches.

Living near the ocean, we are always seeing and hearing of stories of people who have either found a message in a bottle or have had one of their messages found on the other side of the Atlantic.  Sometimes it takes years before they are discovered.  They always make for interesting stories.  This inspired me to make this piece.

It is mostly vitreous and stained glass.  There is some smalti in there as well as some found objects.  The bottle has a message in it too, but I’m not saying what it is.

The pieces is 24 x 18 in. ( 61 x 46 cm.) and it is currently available.

Iced In

When the wind blows the ice onto the land.  This piece is 8 x 10 inches ( approx 20 x 25 cm) and is made with smalti, stained glass, pebbles and some wire.

The very moving lyrics of Stan Rogers’ song ‘Make and Break Harbour’ was the inspiration for this piece.  Many of our small communities are now abandoned and just dying beside the water.

20 x 25 cm.  Stained glass, smalti, pebbles, polymer clay, twine.

2014 was an incredible year for iceberg watchers here in Newfoundland and Labrador.  The bergs are very majestic and inspirational.  I am captivated by how light reflects from them. This piece is made from stained glass and a few bits of dichroic glass.  The water is hand painted clear glass.  It is 35 x 42 cm. in size.

This piece was inspired by a cove which is located very near to where I live.  On a windy day the waves work their wonders on the rocks and cliffs there.  This piece is made with smalti, stained glass, glass pebbles, real pebbles and sandstone.  40 cm h x 30 cm w  (16 in h x 12 in w).

It was a poor year for icebergs around our section of Iceberg Alley in 2013 so I thought I would make one from stained glass, smalti and marble just to remind me.

30 x 38 cm.

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The Arches are located on Newfoundland’s Great Northern Peninsula.  They are large rocks with erosion taking their obvious toll.  They do not seem to belong where they are.  It makes me wonder from where the rock originated and how it got there. I like the way that our province throws these things at you.

This piece is 76 x 33 cm ( 30 x 13 in).  I used marble, granite, pebbles, smalti, stained glass, unglazed porcelain, glass beads and millifiori.

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