Background
Lou Goldstein … DBA Lou’s Art Glass
I am a Hot-Glass artist employing the time-honored techniques of glass fusing and slumping. All My work is individually handcrafted and each piece is unique.
I participate in many Art & Craft shows, festivals and events in Ohio. I maintain a studio at my home in Highland Heights, Ohio. I have attended many hot glass workshops and classes around the country.
My glasswork is focused in three areas: 1 Candle Holders/Vases, 2 Glass Jewelry and 3 Glassware.
All three evolved high heat and require kilns with temperature controllers in order to ensure proper annealing.
Glass Candle Holders/Vases
I make two types of Candle Holders/Vases: One is Fused & Slumped and the other is slumped from a single sheet of glass. The Fused & Slumped candle holder involves two kiln cycles, one for fusing multi layers and colors of glass into a single blank and the other for slumping the blank into the basic vase shape .After the Fused & Slumped blank or the single sheet is prepared, all edges are ground smooth. The blank is placed on a mold in a kiln .The mold looks like an upside-down water tumbler. The kiln temperature is raised to 1300F .The glass softens and due to gravity Slumps (folds) over the mold, resulting in a one-of-a-kind folded candle holder/vase shape. The fused and slumped candle holder may incorporate various accents of colored dichroic glass, gold and/or silver foils, and specialty made stringers.
I make stringers using a small Kiln mounted six feet above the floor. Glass is placed in a small flower pot and the kiln temperature is raised to 1740F. At this temperature glass becomes very fluid and a thin stream of glass (stringers) emerges from the bottom of the pot. I catch this hot glass stream using metal bowls. The result is randomly curved stingers to be used as accent on candle holders and trays.
Jewelry
Using color, shape, depth and texture a design is envisioned. The glass is cut and the design, consisting of several layers, is assembled. I make and incorporate a special pure silver loop(s) as an integral part of the design. The loops are embedded in the glass to provide a secure method for subsequent attachments. This is particularly important for my new designs that incorporate several stones in one piece (i.e., four, three and two stone neckwear; five & three stone link bracelets.) After assembly, the design is placed in a kiln and fused at a temperature of 1500 degrees. Depending on the design two or three fusing cycles may be required. After fusing, the stones are assembled into single or multi stone designs of neck wear, earrings, bracelets, rings and brooches.
Most of my Jewelry designs incorporate three or more layers of glass.
….. Base layer Color … establishes overall background color
….. Deco layer(s) …. provides sparkle/highlight/flash/burst of colors
….. Top layer …. protects and imbeds the depth of color and design
The jewelry design features one-of–a-kind dichroic glass and abstract designs. Each piece is individually handcrafted with a goal of optimizing the harmony of contrasting colors. The layering methods create a depth of color distinctive to glass and gemstones.
Glassware
The Glassware includes plates, trays, platters, and bowls. I use computer graphics to aid in the development of my one-of-a-kind glassware designs.
After the basic object is concepted which Includes: size, rough design geometry, colors and textures,
I prepare the design by cutting & grinding each piece and then assemble to suit the design concept.
A design may include 3 to 60 distinct shapes, each in a different color and/or texture.
The assembled design is then placed in a kiln where the temperature is raised to 1500F.
At this temperature the Individual glass pieces Fuse together and become one homogeneous flat glass Blank.
The blank is carefully cooled to room temperature .Then placed on a specially designed mold that I design for each style of tray, and the temperature is raised to 1250F. The glass blank becomes soft & fluid and slumps into or over the mold resulting in a unique glassware design.
I am married; reside in Highland Heights, Ohio and the father of four. I am a graduate of Fenn College of Engineering (Cleveland State University)