September Senses

The Grand Tetons on a September Day.

       

September is a month for all your senses to wake up and take in the change of the seasons. There is so much to behold in the air, earth and landscape around us. I relish the vibrant colors and wonderful, woodsy and earthy smells. We got to re-charge our spirits, from spending time in our favorite National Park this month of September, enjoying the splendor of the Grand Tetons. I have also been enjoying walks off the beaten path with our dogs. Russ came across an owl in a dead tree while walking the dogs near our property. Amazing what you can see when you pay attention to your surroundings. 

September morning walk with the dogs

Gorgeous waterfall at Grand Teton National Park

An owl said hello...Whoooo is he staring down?

I can't get enough of this natural splendor!

Now that we are re-charged, there have been many projects to attend to this September in the Studio. Lots of little miniatures have been created, like the snowy owl pictured below. And our daughter-in-law received some new pieces to add to the Wall Art we gave them as a house-warming gift last year. The whimsical owls finished it off nicely. 

Miniature Snow Owl

A family of Owls accent this fused glass wall art.

    Russ is working on a commission of various mythical creatures for an author. The green dragon is the first endeavor for this commission. 

And I am packaging up a large order of music-themed ornaments for another customer. Here's a kiln full of treble clefs. 

Blown glass treble clef ornaments

We have lots of requests for scuba diver ornaments year round. Especially now, right before the holidays. The fires will be roaring all the way through to the end of the year

Blown Glass Scuba Divers

Well, that's about all I have time for this month. (These rescue kitties seem to be taking up much of my September days. Good thing they have not been introduced to the Glass Studio yet!) 

  

      

September Mornings

                

                    September is a great time for reflecting down the paths of memory lane.

September in Idaho reminds me of a warm, cozy blanket. I find myself wrapped up in the warm glow of the lights reflecting just right off  the high mountain peaks. This is where the two of us feel most at home, along with the companionship of our dog pack. Whether it's a long-forgotten path to walk, or peace and serenity at a high mountain lake, we enjoy it all. The nights are crisp and Fall is in the air. At the beginning of the month we treat ourselves to one last camping trip, as we know the holiday rush will keep us hopping soon enough, from one project to another in the Studio.

Our favorite getaway for September was this high mountain lake.

Our pups patiently waiting for us to catch the lake trout for dinner.

 The high mountain lake always provides us with plenty of small lake trout, and a sense of wonder at the beauty of it all. 

 We are also busy harvesting the garden during the month of September, canning much of the fruits and vegetables we have grown over the summer. Also, we love to take Fall walks  down familiar trails while enjoying the Autumn air.

Our apple trees are loaded this year.

September harvesting takes a good amount of time.

Having had a chance to enjoy the great outdoors,  Russ' creativity has increased this month. (Funny how that works.) Pictured below are some of the new projects he has completed in the Studio. The first piece has LED lights added for a nice glow, and would look great on a fireplace mantel. The wolf was screen printed, which is a new element we are adding to some of the glass works this year. There are also new designs to try out on fused glass bowls and plates, pictured below.

Screen Print of a Wolf in the Glass Mountain Peak.

Slumped and Fused Piece- "Fallen"

Slumped and fused aqua beads

Fused glass with dichroic accents

I say it every year, but Fall is the favorite season by far. We aren't so busy that we can't enjoy the beauty of the Fall mornings with many outdoor walks. The inspiration from what we perceive outside, carries on to creations in the Studio. Much like the Aspen scene below, combining Slumped and Fused with blown glass leaves. So out we go into the woods again, to gather inspiration for the next glass art work. Until next time, I hope you can take some time to enjoy all the sights and smells of  glorious Fall.

Fused Art with Blown glass accents

The Colors of October

"Hiding in the Woods"

If you know anything about me, you know that October is my favorite "color". 😊 And some of this month's glass creations just happened to reflect some of those vivid orange, red, and yellow hues of Autumn, currently on full display in many of our forests. The Slumped and Fused piece pictured above is nestled in a Birch branch.

Idaho's Fall Colors

Also residing in the Autumn foliage are a good number of mule deer and some white tail deer. Russ sculpted the mighty Buck pictured below, and placed it on an antler.

The Mighty Buck

I also finished a bunch of bright red blown glass chili ristras for a customer this month.

Glass Chili Ristras

The slumped and fused vase below incorporated just about every color on the spectrum.

Colorful Fused Glass Vase

This next creation wasn't inspired by the beauty of the Fall scenery. However, this month Russ was driven to create the piece below because of what has been going on with the political discourse in our country. His thought process went along the lines that the issues we are facing are not just a matter of "Black and White." Labels continue to tear us apart..... "Right vs. Left," "Wealthy vs. Impoverished,"  "Straight vs. Gay", "Christian vs. Agnostic," etc. etc. If we don't get our collective acts together soon, and figure out how to work together instead of continuing with the current polarization going on, our Democracy could melt into an uncertain future. What if we worked harder at embracing each other's ideas and worked  towards solutions for the common good. After all, "the future is in our hands" to create a colorful, healthy and vibrant America, and remember what it really means to be a great country. Lately it seems we have lost our way, it's time to get back on track. 

(A little back story on the creation below.)

"The Future is in our Hands"

The many layers in the fused piece below were another October creation.

Multi colored fused glass plate

To end a very busy month of October, Russ is taking on a rather large endeavor. There are many layers and contours to fill in with this project. 

A work in progress

There have been multiple firings in the kiln, of this Crested Crane, and Russ is working on the background environment. Still a work in progress.

Many firings in our kiln until it's complete, stay tuned.

Well, that's a wrap for this month. Looking forward to the little ghosts and goblins coming around to  trick or treat. That reminds me, I better get some pumpkins carved. Yikes!

Pumpkins from our garden.

Autumn Works

Slumped and Fused Artwork titled "The Seasons"

It's that time of year again, as my most favorite of all the seasons has descended on us in what seems like the blink of an eye. I can't believe it is already time for crisp Fall walks! There is nothing that can compare to the sights and smells of an Autumn morning. Not much can tantalize our senses quite like a September morning can. Although, I have noticed this September has been much warmer than usual, and our Morning Glories continue to welcome us at the garden every morning in all their glory. Colors are more vibrant this time of year, and our animals are also more alert on their morning walks. The picture above shows our latest creation celebrating the seasons in a unique way. We slumped and fused glass Aspen scenes to depict the 4 seasons, inserted them in a tree branch, and added blown glass Aspen leaves as accents.

Morning glories are filling in nicely at the garden arbor

Ornamental grass in the backyard

Our lab/retriever dog is a little on the shy side

But we can't take too much time to enjoy the outdoors lately, as there is plenty of work to do in the Studio. It's right back to the torches to fill more orders, among them is a large one for 400 of our sandblasted doves, they need to be shipped out by the end of October. Also, our teardrops have been very popular as of late. Can't seem to keep enough in stock. We compare ourselves to the busy squirrels in Autumn, only with us it is our glass inventory. We have found that we can never have too much of an item on hand. Getting ready for the holiday season can be daunting at times, but so far we seem to pull through when the need for more custom requests come our way.

A variety of ornaments are headed out the door today

So, I am off to package and ship a variety of orders, including the stunning glass floral arrangement pictured below, that was a custom request off the internet. **Here's hoping it all arrives in one piece. After that, it's time to tackle 400 doves before the real push of the holidays begins. Hopefully, we will be able to make sure and take time to smell the roses, or more importantly to me anyway, the smells and sights of Idaho's crisp Fall mornings. 

A customized slumped and fused vase with a variety of blown glass flowers and hummingbirds was made for an upcoming wedding

Preparations

Well here it is again - Fall, the busiest time of the year for most folks, including yours truly. I am struck by how quickly the season changes in our high desert climate from warm sunny weather to crisp Autumn mornings. It hits me that Fall has arrived as I go on a cool morning walk with the dogs. I witness the subtle changes and color variations in the plant life. We'll spend the next couple of weeks scurrying around the garden and tending the flower beds, and prepping the hens for the long winter months ahead.

One of our giant pumpkins in the pumpkin patch

Our hens are really starting to lay eggs this Fall

I am in the throws of canning the garden goodies, and have a ways to go. Our tomatoes were plentiful this year, so lots of work is put into our home made spaghetti sauce and salsas. We just harvested our potatoes, beans and onions. Then it's on to cucumbers that I'll pickle, beets, jalapenos, carrots, squash and our great pumpkin harvesting. There is nothing quite as gratifying to a middle aged woman and her spouse, as growing and harvesting the endless bounty of veggies and fruit. I really wish I would have taken up gardening at a much earlier age. Guess I'm making up for it now.

Preparing to can more tomatoes 

 Meanwhile, the work continues to pour into our studio, as we receive a rush of new orders from customers. Russ is working on a Columbine order for a gift shop in Colorado, then it's on to a very large order of blown ball ornaments. (More on that in the October blog.) After that, another customized glass chess set. Then before we know it, all the Holiday rush will be upon us.

Prepping to make quantities of Columbine flower ornaments

Some of the Columbine order

Starting on an order of blown ball ornaments

It's good to be busy, and regain clarity and focus on what our goals should be for the coming holiday season. From what we can tell, it looks to be another active couple of months behind the torches. Meanwhile, we are taking the time to enjoy the Harvest Moon rising above us in our back yard, as it gives us yet another reason to love the season of Fall.

Harvest Moon rising in our backyard