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 DECEMBER
2004
Conference Center
Building A
Glass artist Rick Strini pulls a long metal rod out of his
fiery glass kiln. A huge, colorful blob of molten glass at
the end of the rod glows red hot. Strini deftly applies a
metal tool to one edge of the blob and pulls out a lovely
twist of glass that looks like striped candy, or perhaps the
petal of an orchid from outer space.
Working with hot glass is one of the many steps Strini takes
to craft his beautiful glass creations. In early December,
he returns to Fort Mason Center to fill the Conference Center’s
Golden Gate Room with glittering treasures for a holiday art
glass exhibit and sale.
Shining displays of frilled bowls in turquoise, fuchsia, cobalt,
and emerald, striped with ruby, amber, and lemon, evoke fantasies
of coral reefs and tropical lagoons. Iridescent pieces resemble
exotic blooms accented with gold, copper, pearl, and bright
blurs of color. The glass takes many forms, including goblets,
vases, stemware, lamps, and lighting fixtures.
Every piece is original and Strini doesn’t use molds
to shape the glass into objects and vessels. He is one of
very few artisans who knows how to produce the highly valued
luster glass made famous by the Tiffany glass company in the
early 20th century.
Strini started working with glass more than 40 years ago,
building a kiln at his San Jose, CA home in the early 1960s
while still in his teens. His shimmering work resides in collections
at the Smithsonian, Corning Glass Museum, New York’s
Metropolitan Museum of Art, and San Francisco’s de Young
Museum.
Start your own art glass collection this holiday season at
the Strini Art Glass exhibit and sale. Rick Strini introduces
new work and gives demonstrations at the event. See
December 4 and www.striniartglass.com
for details.
– Claudia Willen
Photo: Jovanne Reilly
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