Photograph by Richard Green, For Salinas Californian article, November 1, 2008, "Meet the Artist"
I have been designing and fabricating with glass since 1979. An art major in college, I bring my love of drawing to my work. I generally do commission work in the geographic area that ranges from the Oakland Hills to Pebble Beach.
In the last twenty years I have often worked with Mehus Construction. (www.mehus.com), a builder recommended by Sunset Magazine's Western Builders Alliance. In 2008, I was fortunate to be selected as the first Artisan in Residence program at the Pinnacles National Monument. I am the author of two stained glass pattern books for hobbiests. They are "Crystal Catchers" and "Crystal Christmas" published by Valee Studies. I hold semi-private stained glass classes in my Aromas studio. |
I design especially for the job at hand. Sometimes people have a specific idea of what they want. more often, they have a general idea and maybe some color preferences. Taking ideas from the client, the style of architecture, light fixtures, and any other accessories, I prepare two or three drawings of possibilities to show the client. And we work from there, sometimes combining favored aspects of the preliminary drawings into the finished design.
Sometimes clients have inadvertently given me quite a challenge. My favorite example of this was meeting a client who was remodeling their beach house and wanted a new entry. "I think I want only clear glass in the entry" they said. "I'd like something "ocean-y" but I don't want to see any seagulls or lighthouses. The ball now firmly in my court, I designed the Kelp Entry you see in the Clear Glass category. Other categories you might be interested in looking at include: Full Color Glass, Clear Glass with Color, Beveled Glass, and Overlay. I am often inspired by nature, which, I think is reflected in my work. In my free time, I enjoy plaine aire watercolor painting as well as hiking, kayaking, sailing and cross-country skiing, or just sitting in our garden, by the koi pond watching fishes and dragonflies. I hope you enjoy this visual tour of my work. I can be contacted at 831-726-1786 or by email at linda_bjornson@att.net |
