The Delphi Blog

It's very rare that a video stops me in my tracks. But when a colleague sent me Hilltop Artists' "Black Forest Ham" video , I was hooked for the entire 7 min. and 58 seconds. If you haven't heard of Hilltop Artists , it's an organization that reaches out to at-risk teens and teaches them the art of fusing , flameworking , mosaics and glass blowing . More importantly, it gives kids a sense of self-worth and an outlet for pent-up frustration. With the help of Dale Chihuly, Hilltop Artists, a 501(c)3 non-profit glass arts program, opened in 1994. It provides classes and individualized instruction for more than 500 students each year, and no students are refused based on past behavior, grades, disabilities, or artistic talent. This video won a Telly award back in June for being one of the finest video productions created for the web. I encourage you to watch it and find out why.

On a recent company field trip to St. Petersburg, Florida, a group of Delphi Glass employees attended a glassblowing demonstration at a local Hot Shop. With music pumping in the background, the group watched as the glassblower gathered, rolled, twirled and twisted a glob of molten glass. He shaped it with conviction and intensity. He performed a calculated dance from the furnace, to the rod, to the steel table. And only moments later, the lava evolved into a striking vessel. From a furnace - to a queens dowry. That is the magic of glass. After the demonstration, the group wandered into the Hot Shops Glass Studio still mesmerized from the lively performance. The space sparkled with bottles, bowls, pitchers, jewelry and more. Had the group not just witnessed the demonstration, they might have overlooked these vessels. But now the bowls and plates were more than just colorful glass shapes. They represented an artist. A man with a compulsion, and a vision, and an ability to create something incredible from nothing at all. At Delphi, were inspired by art like this every day. This glassblower is one of many who make a living teaching, creating and selling glass art. And b

Kim Heenan has always been a creative person, but when she found glass, she fell in love. "I've done crafts for years, but when I found glass, it just consumed me," she said. She took her first glass class at Delphi Glass many years ago and has since become proficient in stained glass, fusing and mosaics. She never imagined she'd one day be working for Delphi, surrounded by the glass, books and tools that inspired her. For a little over a year, Kim has been working in Delphi's warehouse in quality control. She also creates custom art glass projects for friends and family and sells her work through her website . Recently, a writer for Greater Lansing Woman's Magazine spotted some of Kim's projects in a gallery in Old Town. The magazine decided to feature Kim in its monthly edition. At Delphi, we couldn't be more proud of Kim. She is just one of many Delphi employees who are also artists - we are so fortunate to have such a talented staff! Are you interested in taking a class at Delphi? Check out our latest class schedule.

Brazos Glassworks of Bryan, Texas is hosting a Glass Art Show and Competition in conjunction with Historic Downtown Bryan's October Art Step and the Texas Reds Steak and Wine Festival. The competition features glass art created by local artists and area students. Works in stained glass, fused/kiln worked glass, mosaics, cold-worked glass, blown and flameworked glass, beads and jewelry are acceptable. Owners Barbara Peevey and Debbie Jasek hope the show will raise awareness of the art form and the number of glass artists in the Bryan-College Station area.

We recently asked our Facebook fans to send us photos of glass art from their gardens . We received some especially interesting photos from glass artist Mark Hall. Impressed as we were, we realized that Mark's talent goes far beyond the confines of his garden. He is self-taught and has mastered German leading techniques, hand beveling, mirroring and sandblasting among other techniques. He fine-tuned hisskills while studying abroad in Germany at Derix Glass Studio,at Pilchuck School of Glass in Washington, andwith The Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass in New York. He and his wife, Leslie, now work together at Hallmark Glass. How did you get started in glass? In 1976 my brother informed me he'd started a business, and I was his partner. Surprised, I asked, What's our business? He responded, Stained glass . I knew nothing about it, so I learned how to make a window on our first commission. Why glass? My brother decided this for me, and my interest in the field has kept me on track. How have your other interests/hobbies/career influenced your glass designs? First of all my focus became glass, most other hobbies fell by the wayside. Now I don't fish

Thank you to everyone who entered Delphi's first-ever Christmas in July Contest . We had more than 125 amazing entries in stained glass, mosaics, flameworking, jewelry and fusing. A team of Delphi experts and artists chose the winners after much deliberation. Winners will receive a Delphi Gift card as well as the opportunity to be featured in a Delphi publication. Thanks for another great contest! View a complete list of winners here. Pictured: Second Place overall winner. This large panel by Cara DiMassimo depicts a lone polar bear exploring a snowy ice flow. It is created using Bullseye 90 COE glass.

I am often inspired by the glass work of our customers and Facebook fans. They are always thinking outside the box and using Delphi products in new and interesting ways. Recently we asked our fans to send us photos of glass art from their very own back yards. We received so many amazing projects, we decided to share a few here on our blog. Joleen Siebert, of Magic Gardens Stained Glass, created these two beautiful stained glass Koi fish panels (top left and at right). The larger panel is made up of 120 pieces of Spectrum , Kokomo and Bullseye glass. The smaller panel is made up of 40 pieces of Spectrum and scrap glass. It is framed in copper tubing. Both are foil construction. She designed these pieces from a spectrum pattern and adaptations of photos she found online. Mark Hall of Hallmark Glass created a whimsical birdbath (at left) using three layers of 5/16" thick boiler plate, with frit made from an old vodka bottle. Mark says he loves to create birdbaths and typically uses 1/4" plate glass rounds (cut out of the same sheet) with colored glass paint between the layers. He often uses crushed bottle chips in the center with mica flakes around the rim, so the

Fairytales, folklore and fantasy provide endless inspiration for garden art. With a little imagination and a few enchanting elements, you can turn your back yard into a magical playground for kids (and grown ups too!) In researching fairy tale garden art for this blog, I ran across many inspiring images and stories. One artist created a magical garden where stone mermaids rested near a cool stream and pixies perched on trees. Another artist added tiny wooden doors and windows to the base of the trees in her garden, much to the delight of the "wee folk." Besides wood and stone, glass is also a wonderful medium for creating magical details like toadstools , bird baths, wind chimes and more. Create a slumped fairy house to tuck in a shady spot, or a table-top fountain to sit under the sun. Fused flowers in brilliant colors provide year-round cheer to pots and planters. Here are some of our favorite glass Fairytale projects: Blooming Bird Bath Dragonfly Garden Stakes Slumped Fairy House Fused Flowers Fairy Wind Chimes For all garden project guides, click here. To see what other glass artists are making, visit our Artist Trend Gallery . View a

How did you get started in glass? Glass is a fascinating medium. I was living as an ex-pat in Denmark in 2001 when I had the luck of finding a fusing glass course. I fell in love with the technique immediately. I pursued further classes and a masters since, trying to achieve more. Im also a self learner, I love to study and work on my own. Since then I never stopped looking for ways to improve myself in this beautiful art. Why glass? The first time I went to Murano, Italy, back in 1986 I had the chance to visit glass studios and was astonished by the way the artists worked with the powders and heat. Due to its unique properties, glass continues to be an intriguing material that can reflect, transmit or absorb light. It creates a surprise element which brings eclectic interest to a space without becoming overbearing. In fusing, I add powders, strings , frits , metal or other inserts toslabs of glass toachieve an organic, but extraordinary design. I like to create pieces that are functional as well as decorative - bowls, platters and sculptures. They are fired to around 1500 F. The high temperatures melt the glass fragments incorporating them into a new form. In fus

Avoid the Heat with Delphi's Christmas in July Contest . It may be blazing outside, but Delphi is keeping it cool with $275 in Delphi gift cards up for grabs. In addition, the first, second and third place winners will also be featured in an upcoming Delphi Glass catalog. Simply upload your holiday-inspired project(s) to our Artist Gallery (make sure the Christmas in July box is checked) before July 30. Winners will be chosen by Delphi artists and experts. Good luck! For complete contest rules and the list of prizes, visit https://www.delphiglass.com/contest The Christmas in July contest correlates with our first-ever Christmas-in-July glass sale . So get a head start on your Christmas shopping and enter the contest! Need inspiration? Visit our Holiday Center.

When planning your Christmas creations for 2011, channel seasons past. High-quality products and traditional colors (various shades of red, green, gold and silver) characterized the upcoming holiday season, according to experts at the 2011/2012 Christmasworld trade fair in Frankfurt. Fortunately for glass artists, glass was the material of choice for tree ornaments at this years show. Fused, blown and stained glass ornaments will be more popular than ever! Click here for hand-picked Christmas glass. In addition to traditional ball-shaped ornaments, make note of these five standout trends: Nature The biggest source of inspiration for the 2011 Christmas season is nature. Natural materials like wood, bark, wicker, as well as milled wool and felt were mixed with glass, pearls and precious stones to achieve a beautiful but organic feel. Hearts Classic heart-shaped ornaments in delicate shades of rose, red, gold and silver were seen throughout Christmasworld. Stars The Christmas star is also huge for Christmas 2011. It symbolizes high hopes and ideals, which is perfectly in line with a renewed sense of optimism. Flowers/Birds Flowers and birds a