In conjunction with the 2018 Bluff Country Studio Art Tour, Juried Sales Gallery artists Tom Nelson and Jean Manrique will do a demonstration of their work right in the gallery. This event is free and open to public.
Based in Dassel, MN, Tom Nelson started creating glass projects in 1975. He finds intrigue and wonder in the vast array of glass colors and textures and how all these factors play a major role in the design and creation of a project.
Tom’s early inspiration was from the work of Louis Comfort Tiffany. He has created many Tiffany style replica lamps and considers himself a student of the Tiffany design attributes; studying many of his best window designs in great detail. Tom believes that characteristics like plating multiple layers of glass and abstract coloring add a great amount dimension to a window. Studying the contrast of light and dark shading, Tom finds design ideas in the most unusual places and enjoys turning those inspirations into stained glass windows. Tom is inspired by the way light can strike an object or nature scene in just the right way and strives to capture that look in his glass.
Making felted art objects and eco printed garments and paper prints are the two passions of Saint Paul, MN based artist Jean Manrique. Eco printing is the process of transferring the pigment from real leaves and blossoms onto fiber or paper and so is a seasonal practice. Once there’s a hard freeze here in Minnesota and the leaves are gone, Manrique’s felting season begins.
What Manrique loves about making felted wool art is the versatility and beauty of what can be created. She enjoys how the beautiful colors of merino roving and the natural colors of undyed wool fibers feel when they turn silky under her hands when warm water and olive oil soap is added. Manrique claims there is great satisfaction in seeing the soft, wet fibers begin to felt together and become one unified piece of sturdy wool fabric that are then molded into lovely objects. With felt as a medium, Manrique says the possibilities are endless.