"Down On The Farm"

Breaking the soil!


Planting beans this year.

The land is plowed and planted now it's ready for spring rains. My farm is my inspiration for my art. The Dogwood trees that bloom at the edges of the fields, the wildlife, the leaves on the trees and the old ancestor feeling of belonging. There's a great sense of the Earth when you smell the freshly plowed fields, the smell of the spring rains and the farm that was built up by my Great Great Great Grandparents. The farmhouse by my Great Great Grandparents! Our food and open spaces come from farms. Still to this day their very few folks out there don't know this and or even care. OH! By the way did you know that farming is Ohio's Largest Industry?!"

A good crop 3ft.deep.

Ohio Jewelry and Metal Art Guild With Firstbook at Barnes and Noble

The gang is almost all here!

On May 15, 2009 the JMAG folks (Ohio Jewelry and Metals Art Guild) got our heads together and did up a nice showing of our jewelry work at Barnes and Noble to promote the First book program in Montrose, Ohio near Akron. Barnes and Noble donated a portion of the sales to children to could get their first book. The women pictured here set up tables and displayed their professional handmade jewelry. There was lampwork glass beads, silversmithing, stone setting, Viking Knit, and even some wonderful chain mail work too! We are a great together! Please see our website http://www.ohiojmag.com/ for more information.

The Log Cabin Gallery Spring Fantasy Show 2009

In the little town of Peninsula, Ohio there sits a little log cabin that over looks the Cuyahoga River. It's been restored and is now a gallery that's open for special days and by appointment only. Diane Seskes the owner has about 20 artist showing their work during special show. There's my enamels and lampwork beads, garden art, prints, lithographs, glass, wood, pottery, quilts, photography, fiber, mixed media, and more jewelry! Then there's a wonderful place to sit outside to watch the birds and see the gardens! The show hours are May 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, and 31. The address is 1671 Main Street in Peninsula, Ohio It's in the back of North Canal Street just west of downtown. Phone number 330-657-2670 Website http://www.thelogcabingallery.com/

Canal Fulton Glassworks

Canal Fulton Glassworks Studio and Gallery is housed in a restored home from the early 1800's next to the Ohio Eire Canal in canal Fulton, Ohio. I've found myself another gallery to sell my work in. Then I desided that it would be a great place to devote some time once a week working there! I've learned to make a glass furnace marble from a batch of copper red glass. Brian Graham (the glassworker there) mixes his own glass batches. His mom and dad are great folks who support Brain's endovers in glass. There are plans to have enameling, beadmaking and marble making classes there. I've been ask to teach some classes as that is what I'm good at! It's a great place to visit to watch marble making (call ahead to see when marbles are being made), feed the canal ducks, bus tours, to see the gallery with REALLY fine glass art, then you can walk through the near by town for lunch and see the canal boats at the visitors center! You can easily spend the whole day in this town! Lot's of history here! Their website is http://www.canalfultonglassworks.com/

Here are some photos to veiw-
Brain making a marble.

My first furance marble!



The gallery has fine glass for the wall, windows, and the table top!



As always glass jewelry too!

"1923 R32 BMW Engine"

Here's an example of one of my motorcycle drawings. I enjoy drawing in the winter when I'm unable to ride as much. For more examples please see my website http://www.rigadoonglass.com/ Please do not post or copy (I have a copyright on these) my drawings with out my permission.

Thank You.

I just found this on the VA. News leader's website! The photo below is just some of the photos posted!
http://www.newsleader.com/

Photos By:
Pat Jarrett/The News Leader
Amy Jean Nichols is refected in a mirror on her merchandise table Saturday.


A demo of Glass beadmaking on Saturday at The Virginia Hot Glass Festival.

Just got back from a motorcycle road trip from Staunton, VA. I took my work horse motorcycle that I have named "Boyfriend". The 6' table that you see in the photo below I didn't take this year instead I just rented one! (Less weight for the curves!) I named him "Boyfriend" because he takes me anyway I want to go and so much fun to run around with! I take this rig because I can haul all of my show gear to do "The Virginia Hot Glass Festival". It's a lovely ride through the mountains (large hills) of West Virginia and Virginia. It's full of hair pin curves on Rt. 250 for about 60 miles and the views are wonderful. The weather this year was sunny and in the temp. of about 85degrees! The Dogwood and Redbud trees were in full bloom! The festival is nothing but three floors of glass artist from all around! There's demos of hot glass blowing, marble and beadmaking! It's a site to behold! The show runs on the last weekend of April on Saturday and Sunday. The website for this festival is http://www.sunspots.com/. This is a must see festival!