14" Dragonfly Shade

Because of their popularity, Tiffany Studios created dragonfly shades in many different sizes and styles. The smallest dragonfly shade is the 14", a design which features smaller filigreed dragonflies than those which appear on any of the other dragonfly shade designs. The background of the shade also is studded with a smattering of half-round pressed glass jewels.

We recently completed the 14" dragonfly lamp pictured at the right. Blending from a light blue/white at the top of the shade to deep watery blues, the background glass is enhanced by the cobalt blue jewels. The dragonflies have powder blue filigreed wings and green bodies. This lamp is currently available for purchase in our showroom.

In the photo at the top of the posting, Irwin is shown soldering the inside of the shade before attaching the lower rim to finish the shade. Once completed, the etched metal filigrees are soldered into position over the glass bodies and wings of the dragonflies.

The 14" Dragonfly shade remains as popular today as when Tiffany Studios first offered it. To the left and below we are showing a few of the many examples of this design that we have created over the years. As you can see from the photos, this shade looks good in any color scheme. This shade works well on a number of lamp bases. The blue dragonfly is shown on the Mushroom base. The other examples pictured here are shown on the Dragonfly Stemmed Mosaic Base, which Tiffany Studios designed to go with this shade.

Secret Pots

On Friday, August 21st, Century Studios will be hosting a reception with artist Nick McArdell of Turner & Scratch Pottery. On this evening Nick will be introducing his new series of "functional" pottery called "Secret Pots". We will introduce this new line of pottery with 15 one-of-a-kind pieces.

What is a Secret Pot? Here is how they are described by Turner & Scratch:

Turner & Scratch, known for fine hand-crafted art pottery, is pleased to introduce its first line of functional ceramics, which we have christened “Secret Pots”. With this collection we hope to fill a need that the ceramic community has long ignored. No longer will you exclaim “I shall burst if I don’t tell someone.” Simply install the stopper and speak into the ears of your Secret Pot. The secret is stored and safe. The container is also totally reusable. If the secret becomes common knowledge, simply remove the stopper, release the secret and the pot is ready for use again. Each vessel hears the quietest whisper and understands any and all languages. Larger capacity vessels are available by special order to contain your confidential and extremely juicy particulars.

Secret Pots are quite small - less than 3.5" tall, and each comes with a ceramic stopper. They make perfect gifts. Each pot is a one of a kind creation, and some of the "hard of hearing" pots have three ears to make sure the secret is caught and kept safe!

Winged Moon

While working on our various commissioned projects, we have also been working on a new window for above the front door of our studio. Our inspiration for this image came from an old black and white photo of a tapestry designed by Dora Wheeler called The Winged Moon. Dora Wheeler was the daughter of Candace Wheeler, who founded the Associated Artists with Louis Tiffany. Candace Wheeler was instrumental in reviving and creating an American style of textile work, and her daughter designed many tapestries for the company.

In the above photo, part of the window can be seen on the light table as we work on cutting and fitting. To the right, Bill is seen foiling the window. We should be finishing it soon!

Turner & Scratch Pottery Show and Sale

Century Studios will be open on Friday August 21, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. for an artist's reception featuring over 45 pieces of hand made pottery by St. Paul potter Nick McArdell of Turner & Scratch Pottery. The show, titled Secret Pots & Jugging Cats will feature many new works by this talented artist. The decorated stoneware pieces for this show will include wall hanging platters, plates, vases and oil lamps, all created in the distinctive Turner & Scratch style! What are Secret Pots? We will explain more in a later posting!

Mark your calendars to come by our studio, enjoy refreshments and meet the artist.

18" Peony Shade

Last week, we completed an 18" Peony shade for our showroom. We always try and meld showroom pieces in with our commission work. This gives visitors to our studio showroom something new to see each time they visit. While Bill fine tuned the layout for the Madame Charpentier window, Irwin worked on this shade. The completed shade is pictured to the left on the Doric Column base.

The 18" Peony is one of Tiffany Studios' most popular shade designs and has always been a fun piece to create due to its overall floral design. This shade has a lush feel which translates well into many different color schemes. At the bottom of the posting we are showing another example which we created in 2006 on a Pottery 7-Handled base.

Since we were creating this piece for our showroom, we looked to our glass for color inspiration - usually, a client will have a general color scheme in mind when ordering a lamp. After searching through our glass library, we decided to create a piece with an Impressionistic, blended look. To this end, the flower colors bleed into background and leaf colors, and vise-versa. In the photo below, you can see how we lay the pieces out on our light table to check the balance of colors before assembling the shade.

To add richness to the lamp, muted greens that had whites and pinks blended in were employed throughout the background and leaf selections. The pink/white, and white/pink/green flowers were cut from Lins glass (a fantastic glass maker that has been out of business for many years). Glass colors come from minerals and mineral oxides. To achieve the subtle pink tones in this special glass, gold was used.

The 18" Peony shade design is a versatile sized lamp. This shade can be used with many different table bases, and this shade makes a perfect chandelier fixture.

Several Projects at Once

After a short stint away from the studio two weeks ago, we hit the ground running when we got back to work. Irwin worked on completing two different lamp projects while Bill continued to make progress on our next large window commission.

Bill has been hand painting faces and laying out portions for our next large window which is inspired by Renoir's painting entitled "Madame Charpentier". This will be a multi-layered widow and is quite large. The color palette for the original painting is not what jumps to mind when one thinks of an Impressionist painting. For this image, muted ochers, ambers and reds are accented with blue and play against a large amount of black. To translate this image into glass, much time is being spent carefully choosing the glass that will give the image life.

Bill usually starts these projects by getting the basic painting done for the faces and hands of the figures. Once we have more glass in place, additional painted layers will be added to blend the color of the facial features in with the rest of the window.

While Bill was busy painting and firing the window pieces, Irwin was working on a 14" Tulip shade that was commissioned by a client in Australia. By the end of the week, Irwin had the shade completed. A detail of the completed shade is pictured to the right.

Honing his multi-tasking skills, Irwin was also busy laying out an 18" Peony shade while there was still some room on the light tables. In the photo to the left, Irwin has completed the layout and is foiling the pieces. The Peony is being created as a showroom lamp.

Lily Ceiling Fixtures

Century Studios is pleased to announce the inclusion of two new ceiling fixtures to our line of unique Lily Lights. Inspired by an original Tiffany Studios fixture, we are now offering a 31 Light Lily Ceiling Fixture (shown in the photos above and below) and a 49 Light Lily Ceiling Fixture.

The 31 Light Lily is approximately 42" wide and 20" deep. The 49 Light Lily measures approximately 48" wide and 22" deep. Each gold lustre blown glass lily shade cascades down from the cast bronze bell which is held to the ceiling by cast bronze lily pads. These impressive fixtures will impart a golden glow to any room.

We are now also creating a 5 Light Lily Ceiling Fixture. This petite chandelier is approximately 11" wide and drops 20" from the ceiling. It is perfect for a hallway or small entryway. The simple lines of this fixture make it perfect for any style interior. The length of the fixture is adaptable. 10, 15, or 25 watt candelabra bulbs can be used in each light.