28" Easter Lily - Part 1

We have been working on our latest Century Studios' original lamp design, a 28" Easter Lily shade. The process of designing a new shade design always takes a while, and Bill Campbell began by drawing the flowers and creating the composition on a blank form. Once the drawing is complete in pencil, the lines are inked to finalize the design. The design is then copied from the three dimensional form, each repeat is inked in place on the form, and the flat cartoon is numbered. The entire design process takes quite a bit of time to execute. Once we make copies of the working patterns, Bill gave the cartoon a basic coloring so that he was able to begin the glass layout.

Selecting glass for a complex shade like this one is a painstaking process. Each area is carefully considered and as pieces are cut and fit into the pattern, the shade slowly evolves on the light table. Bill is seen choosing flower colors for the shade. Easter Lilies are white, but our client prefers that the shade not have bright white flowers, so mixes tones of white were selected for the flowers.

Once the layout was completed, the foiling began. This design has over 1900 individual pieces of glass, so each step takes up quite a bit of studio time. 

The foiling complete, the form is waxed with our house made tacky bees wax and each piece is individually transferred in place on the form. The next step is to begin the soldering.

Lamp of the Week: 20" Nasturtium

Climbing over rocky areas, creeping across the ground and mounding in joyful abandon, nasturtiums are the botanical court jesters of the garden. The 20" Nasturtium shade is perfectly shaped to show off the large saucer shaped leaves and brightly colored flowers. The pattern ebbs and flows with clusters of leaves prevalent in some areas and an abundance of flowers blooming wildly in others. Shown on the 7 Handled Pottery base, this shade was created in 2006 and is in a private collection.

16" Fish

The 16" Fish shade is an unusual Tiffany shade design. With the notable exception of the dragonfly shades, very few Tiffany designs feature wildlife motifs. Five Koi swim gracefully across the surface of the shade in a rhythmic pattern. Filigree overlays accentuate the fins on each fish.

This colorful shade was created using a lightly textured water glass and heavily rippled glass for the lower edge. Commissioned by a South Dakota client, this shade was created almost exclusively from Lins glass. Hints of orange, amber, and blue appear in the predominantly green background, while the deep amber colored fish are tinged with green and yellow. The shade is shown on the Shell Urn base.

Lamp of the Week: 16" Dragonfly

Instantly recognizable as the iconic Tiffany Studios lamp design, the 16"Dragonfly shade is perfectly paired with the Dragonfly Mosaic Urn base. The shade, with its brooding blues and greens is enlivened by the jewel toned dragonflies. The wings of each insect are accentuated with a delicate filigree overlay. This lamp was commissioned in 2013 by a local client.

The Baum Bugle

The current issue of The Baum Bugle features an article written by Bill Campbell about Century Studios' Wizard of Oz themed stained glass panels, windows and suncatchers. Last summer, Bill and Irwin attended the Oz Con convention in San Diego and gave a presentation about their Oz themed pieces with projections and a question & answer period. After the convention, Bill was asked to write an article based on the talk.

The three page article is illustrated with numerous black and white photographs of finished pieces and their production. The back cover of the publication features a full color image of Century Studios' Whirlpool window, which was completed in March 2015 and is inspired by a full page illustration by John R. Neill from The Scarecrow of Oz, which was published in 1915.

The Baum Bugle is the official publication of the International Wizard of Oz club, and it is distributed to each member. Published three times each year, The Bugle features illustrated articles about all aspects of the Oz universe. This issue

To find out more about The International Wizard of Oz club, go HERE.

Lamp of the Week: 24" Border Peony

The 24" Border Peony is a design that combines a geometric background with a wide floral border. The exuberant flowers "grow" in profusion along the lower half of the shade showing off their brilliant petals and dense foliage. This shade incorporates the flower colors into the upper portion of the shade, balancing the geometric portion of the design with the floral border. Created in 2003 as a showroom piece, the shade is shown on the Sr. Floor base and is in a private collection.

14" Peony

Commissioned by a client in Florida, this colorful 14" Peony shade combines large, open flowers with lush foliage. The cheerful mix of colors are perfectly suited to this lively shade. The Tree Trunk base is a perfect compliment for this lamp.

Lamp of the Week: 22" Trumpet Vine

This lush 22" Trumpet Vine shade is a large turban shaped lamp covered in a profusion of blossoms. For this shade we blended glass from many makers including Chicago Art Glass, Lins, Schlitz, Uroborus, Youghiogheny, and Wissmach. The complex mix of colors, textures and transparency combine to provide a vivid color scheme that celebrates the beauty of art glass. The shade is shown on the Root Base. This lamp was commissioned by an overseas client.