1940 – Evangeline Bergstrom publishes the well-known book, Old Glass Paperweights

Paperweight Museum at Corning Museum of Glass (New York) opening with the Houghton Collection – 1951

1953 — The Paperweight Collectors’ Association created in the United States by Paul Jokelson

The Bergstrom Art Center in Neenah, Wisconsin, opens the Paperweight Museum now know as the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass  — 1959

1978 — Paperweights: Flowers Which Clothe the Meadows Exhibit presented to the public at Corning Museum of Glass

1986 — The Paperweight Collectors Association of Texas was founded. PCA TX is celebrating 30 Years!

Damon MacNaught  and Ken Rosenfeld 30th Anniversary PCA TX Paperweights

Precise, colorful, and imaginative – that is how Mike Hunter’s work is described by Carl Carter, President of the Paperweight Collector’s Association of Texas, Inc. Mike is an award winning glass artist from Scotland. He began work with glass as a teenager training at Wedgwood Glass Kings Lynn in 1976. He earned the title of master glass artist at Welsh Royal Crystal in 1986 and after a time at Perthshire Paperweights, he was employed at the Lindean Mill Glass Studio of David Kaplan and Annica Sandström in Scotland.

Twists Glass Studio

In 1998, Michael and Sue founded Twists Glass Studio near Selkirk. Michael was named Scottish Artisan of the year in 2002. The award was for the best UK collectible; his remarkable lizard paperweight. In 2010 he was recipient of the Scottish Arts Council’s Creative Scotland Award which enabled study with Pino Signoretto in a master class at Creative Glass Centre of America. He was one of two Silver Award winners in the Glass Category in the UK Craft&Design Magazine’s 2015 Selected Maker Awards.

April 30th PCA TX Meeting

You will find Mike’s work at the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass, Nazeing Glass Museum in Essex, UK, and Paxton House in the Scottish Borders.  You won’t want to miss his talk at the April 30^th meeting at Cabela’s Longhorn Cantina Conference Room where Mike’s work and the work of many other paperweight artists will be presented by L. H. Selman, LTD of Chicago.

Meeting Location Saturday April 30, 2016

Cabela’s Outfitters – 15570 S. IH-35 Frontage Road Buda, Texas

9:00am  Longhorn Cantina Conference Room Opens for members viewing and purchasing paperweights with guest dealer L.H. Selman, LTD.

10:00 Business Meeting with presiding President, Carl Carter

Afternoon – Educational speakers including Mike Hunter – Twists Glass Studio – Selkirk Scotland. Shopping occurs throughout the afternoon.

 

Friday Night Dinner

Friday night dinner at 4:30pm at Texican Cafe located at  11940 Manchaca Road, Austin, Texas 78748

 

Peter Holmes at age 15 became an apprentice at Caithness to Paul Ysart. Paul selected young Peter as young Willie Manson to assist him primarily on weekends. Paul Ysart was known to keep his glass making techniques quite secret, so much so that he confined his work to times when other workers were not present.

During this period Paul was creating snake and salamander designs. When Peter tried making one of his own (and was successful) Paul confiscated the snake weight and it was never seen again. Nevertheless, Peter continued to work at making paperweights largely working with abstract designs and his friendship with Paul grew. Peter’s work attracted the attention of Colin Terris, chief designer at Caithness. Colin and Peter began to work together on abstract designs they felt would be of interest to the market and of course, Caithness abstract were good sellers.

Times changed and Paul left Caithness to form his own venture, Paul Ysart Glass Ltd. Eventually, Peter left as well taking Ron Hutchinson, sales manager at Caithness with him. Together, they founded Selkirk Glass in 1977 along the river in picturesque Selkirk, Scotland. Sales blossomed and David McGregor and Peter’s brother Philip joined Selkirk Glass. Peter’s relationship with Paul continued on favorable terms and when Paul retired at age 79, Peter and Ron purchased workshop equipment and remaining weights to sell for Paul. Paul also sold some in local shops for as little as $4.00 U.S.

Selkirk productions are created from glass that comes from an original Paul Ysart recipe handed down to Peter from Paul. Peter moved from Selkirk Glass in 2002 to form Scottish Borders Art Glass with his son Andrew. In 2006, Selkirk Glass closed its doors while operating as a subsidiary of Edinburgh Crystal Glass Company Ltd .

 

Paperweight glass artist Gordon Smith last visited PCA TX in October 1992 and at that time had been interested and involved in glass artistry for 17 years. He studied at Salem County Community College in Penns Grove Borough (now Carneys Point Township), New Jersey.  In 1980 while working at a firm owned by the Kontes brothers, Nontas and James (Jim), they encouraged him to explore paperweight making and to pursue a relationship with Wheaton Village when not at work. The Kontes brothers became Gordon’s early mentors as he began to purchase his own equipment and develop his skills making paperweights. They had the foresight to recognize the talent in Gordon’s early work and encouraged his art.

Gordon was given the opportunity to develop designs that would debut at the Arthur Gorham Paperweight Shop at Wheaton Village during the May 1982 Paperweight Village Weekend. The Gordon Smith flower and strawberry design paperweights sold immediately at Wheaton and resulted in more orders. to fill. Two other designs, a lady slipper and bearded iris were also on view.  We owe Mr. Gorham a debt of gratitude for nourishing several South Jersey paperweight artists including Paul Stankard, Pete Lewis, Jack Choko, and the Banfords in addition to Gordon Smith.

Ten years later, Gordon brought his “Marine Life” series to the PCA TX meeting in Austin, Texas.  It was in this series that Gordon learned how to apply scales to fish and place tiny bits of glass together to replicate colorful coral reefs. Gordon’s paperweights continue to feature wildlife in their natural environments including snakes with hundreds of applied colorful glass scales, using a technique some call “scaling.” The detail included in Gordon’s weights is readily apparent upon close inspection. It difficult to imagine just how anyone could have the patience to create these works of art.

Gordon’s collaborative work creating paperweight sculpture with Barry R. Sautner, the master of diatreta, has resulted in highly prized collector pieces. Gordon also collaborated with pate de verre artist, Anna Boothe. A wine goblet with milkweed and butterflies on a paperweight base of milkweed with a chrysalis is illustrated in the Annual Bulletin of the Paperweight Collectors Association Inc., (2009) article written by Bernard A. Drabeck , pp. 99-104.

Gordon continues to display his highly developed technical skills as a glass artist creating paperweights that are pursued by collectors. Whether it is a Trillium bouquet, tree frog, koi fish, or coral snake you are seeking, Gordon Smith is bound to have created one of the finest specimens you can find in glass.

Gordon will be at the February PCA TX meeting with Leo Kaplan, Ltd. (136 E. 57^th Street, NY, NY – Suite 605 (6th Floor) exhibiting  paperweights in Galveston, Texas.

JANUARY 27, 2016 BY RUTH GLOVER taken from Ruth’s website www.ruthglover.com

Dick wrote research papers and treated cancer patients with brain tumors as a neurosurgeon in Houston. His reputation for expert treatment for brain cancer caused many sleepless nights.  Kathy, his wife, worked as a nurse and physician’s assistant. In 1995 the chance to retire became reality for Dick Moiel and Kathy Poeppel. Since they collected art glass and paperweights, they explored the process of glass art.

The road to their “retirement career” fell into place. They never expected the rich rewards which followed. They built Houston Glass Studio, where they purchased tools and a furnace, dubbed “the glory hole.” Their studio resembles a laboratory for creativity, sometimes referred to as a “hot shop.” In summer, the furnace is off. No longer do they wear sterile clothing in medical facilities but dress in old clothes and suffer from the heat from October through April as they produce an abundance of glass art.

The Interview with Kathy Poeppel – Houston Glass Studio – December 2015

I asked Kathy to comment on their “career change” when I attended their Open House at the Houston Glass Studio in December:

What are the key elements in your successful career change?

We haven’t approached glass art as a career.  Dick retired from his Neurosurgery practice because it was time to step back from the stress.  Glass filled the void which followed.  We took time to explore.  The whole process of learning and making was invigorating.

What advice would you give to others in transition to a career in the arts?

Keep it a labor of love. 

What was the most challenging aspect of the career transition?

Trading the confidence and comfortable expertise of a seasoned professional for the humbling, anxious, thrilling opportunities only the total novice can know. 

Did you have mentors who helped you learn the trade at the beginning of your studies?

Once we stumbled onto the path of glass there was no difficulty finding talented teachers. Studio ownership offered unlimited access to glass and the opportunity to practice.   Otherwise gaining the skills and understanding of glass as a material would have been a slower process.  

Your resumes show extensive education.

We are professional students: between us we took over 50 classes, at eight schools from 30 different glass artists.  Learning in a class environment is essential. Glassblowing is a collaborative process. Watching and talking about glass encourages the hands-on experience.  With glass it is possible to learn from someone else’s mistakes.

Are the classes expensive?

Tuition for a 1 week class will run $500-$1000 plus travel, room and board. 

Shelf at Houston Glass Studio with Dick and Kathy’s work              

 

Education and Scholarships    If you are considering a career change you need to hone your skills with specialized training. Universities offer short term classes, conferences and hands-on skill training.

A quick internet search for scholarships lists programs for new and experienced career growth. The premier place to study glass making is Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York with world-renowned instructors. Corning offers scholarships.

I belong to the Paperweight Collectors Association of Texas, which provides an annual scholarship to improve the processes for creating paperweights. Be resourceful in looking for support to improve your chance for less stress and new friends. Research the type of art you find fascinating. Who knows? You may be the next emerging artist with a second or third career.

Take to heart what Kathy says. No career change is easy, but by “keeping it a labor of love,” you find new satisfaction in the world of work.

Their studio is open by appointment during the year with special hours and an Open House in December. Be sure to visit their Houston Studio Glass website  for details.