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Seekers
Glass Gallery Presents the work of Rick and Janet Nicholson, who collaborate on
handblown glass platters, bowls, vases and lamps executed with a painterly
approach to line and color.
Their
distinctive, asymmetrical style is distinguished by bold opaque,
semi-translucent, and translucent colors contrasted with brilliant, clear
crystal. The Nicholson’s elliptically shaped pieces, sometimes curled over at
the edge, convey the flow and fluidity of molten glass.
The
plate or roundel, which is one of the most difficult forms to achieve in
handblown glass, provides a flat canvas for the Nicholson's. Their surface
“drawings” combine deep, soft colors to convey the viscosity and delicacy of
the medium. Rich bands and swirls of color make their platters as dramatic as
any abstract painting.
The
Nicholson’s large pieces require tremendous strength and technical skill.
Manipulating a mass of molten glass on the end of a five-foot blowpipe, at
temperatures in excess of 2000 degrees F., the Nicholson's begin each piece as a
bubble to which they add various contrasting colors of molten glass.
To
create the flat form of the plate, the bubble is attached to a punty rod,
opened, and spun out in one continuous process.
The
Nicholson's hope that their art will enrich the homes of people who appreciate
their creativity and attention to detail so often overlooked in our fast paced
world of mass marketing.
The
Nicholson's met at the University of Southern California where they took a
course in glassblowing together.
In
1982, Rick and Janet left careers in ceramics and photography respectively to
pursue glass art full time.
The
artists have studied at the renowned Pilchuck School with master glass artists
Dale Chihuly, Fritz Dreisbach, Richard Marquis and Therman Statom.
The
Nicholson's have been featured on PBS, and Sierra
Heritage Magazine.
Major
exhibitions and collections include the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA; the
Governor’s Mansion, Sacramento, CA; Hewlett Packard, Sacramento, CA; Los
Angeles International Airport; Oakland Museum Collector’s Gallery, CA; and The
White House Christmas Ornament Collection, Washington, DC.
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