These two photos are obviously the same piece  The photo to the left was shot in daylight.  The photo below at night.

This is the first time I have combined my fused glass with my stained glass.  The fused glass is transparent during the day and iridescent at night.

Please email me if you would like a one of a kind piece of art like this.  Let’s work together to create a one of a kind piece of art for you.  Email me at ronsussman@aol.com and let’s start planning.

More Fun with Stained Glass !

Here are two sets of coasters in (your guessed it!)  Maize and Blue.

You must check out my other fused glass art work several posts below.

There are bowls, necklaces, pendants and earrings.  Wouldn’t you love to gift your special someone with a matching pair of earrings and necklace?

Let’s work together on a special, one-of-a-kind piece just for you!

Just drop me a note at ronsussman@aol.com.

This is Matan’s Menorah.  He and I made it just in time for Chanukah.  The picture on the left shows the raw materials.  The glass is reminiscent of Jerusalem Stone.  The picture above shows Matan using the glue gun to assemble his Menorah.  But by far the most important and authentic materials of this menorah are the shards of pottery which date from the time of the Maccabees!!  I collected them at an archeological dig I participated in 3 years ago.  They were waiting in my studio for just this moment.  The 8 candles – plus the shamash, represent the 8 days of Chanukah.  The 12 shards of pottery represent the 12 Tribes.

Matan will be lighting his own menorah this Chanukah, and God willing, for many years to come!

Frank Lloyd Wright has been gone 52 years, but his inspiration will live forever.

Friends of mine had visited a Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit and were so moved by his genus, they wanted to bring it to their home.  Thus, they commissioned me to create two stained glass doors in FLW style.

Artists can only replicate Wright’s style; he was the master.  Nonetheless, I like the way these doors came out.  It also makes me think, after we are long gone, will we be remembered by the works we leave behind?

What is it that you hope the generations to come will remember about you?

What fun it is to create beautiful useful objects in fused glass!  Here are five glass plates I just created.  I am very much enjoying creating useful, beautiful objects with fused glass. 

Do any of these designs look familiar?  They should!  Carol Finerman chose these four from a dozen or so sketches as the designs for the new High Holiday Torah Mantles at Beth Israel.

To get the true beauty though, you need to see these up close and in person.  The workmanship, the choice of materials and the dedication of Carol and her team added so much to our celebrations this holiday season.  Kol Hakavod!

I’ve been experimenting with Fused Glass – trying to see what works and what doesn’t.  I’ve learned something about glass from every piece I made.

Below are sets of matching earrings and necklaces and pendants.

Coming Soon:  Ron’s Glass Fused Glass Mezuzot, Tallit Clips and Magain David.

When you’re looking for that perfect wedding gift, birthday gift, Bar Mitzvah gift…

Think Ron’s Glass!

After seeing the Tigers play live at Comerica – I’m sure nothing will stop them in 2011.

What a perfect symbol of support for the “Boys” this glass would be in your family room, den or office!

Interested?  Email me to get in line for this beautiful artwork.

ronsussman@aol.com

Eliav Blumenthal Horowitz is the newest member of Beth Israel Congregation.

This mosaic is reminiscent of Jerusalem stone, the many arches in the city, and the clear blue skies.

Eliav’s name in Hebrew is cut from golden mirror glass.

Yerushalayim Shel Zahav  –  Jerusalem of Gold!

It’s for sale.  Interested?  Let me know at    ronsussman@aol.com

I had created this design for a piece more than 4 years ago.

A friend (and former purchaser) saw my previous work and thought how appropriate it would be as a gift for her brother-in-law who was to be ordained as a monk in the Anamchara Fellowship, a religious community within the Episcopal Church  As a novice monk, he is expected to select the name of an early Celtic monk .  The following is a quote from the program:  “I will be given the name Brother John Brendan. I chose Brendan to honor St. Brendan, an early Celtic monk who journeyed establishing churches and monasteries. Brendan is associated with the sea and seafarers. Legend has that Brendan, at the age of 80, gathered a group of monks with him and set out on a voyage into the Atlantic and may have traveled as far as North America in their search for the “Promised Land”. He reminds me to trust God as I navigate the storms of life trusting as he did in faith to carry him through.  The symbol of Brother John Brendan is an anchor.

Congratulations to  John Filkins as he dons the robes of his order.

Try as you might  –  THIS piece is NOT for sale!  The only way you can have this gorgeous glass hanging in your living room or den is to purchase a raffle ticket for the Beth Israel Fundraiser taking place on June 12th.

For details – call the Beth Israel office at 734-665-9897.

And good luck!

Sometimes I talk to the glass – and sometimes the glass talks to me. This glass suggested A Primordial Soup, a theory which suggests that Life began in a warm ocean from a combination of chemicals. But I saw something preceding even the beginning of Life.

From Genesis Chapter One: “When God began to create Heaven and Earth the earth was unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep…

Genesis 1:3-4 … and then there was light …. ….and God saw that the light was good …

Genesis 1: 11-12 . . . . God said, “Let the Earth sprout vegetation.  And the Earth brought forth vegetation bearing plants of every kind.”

And There Was Light - Va Y’hi Ohr

In this piece I continue the theme of creation and God’s design
for the origins of our living planet.  The green glass is a symbol of the abundance of Earth’s bounty.

The giving of the 10 Commandments at Sinai initiated the process of forming Israel’s spiritual identity and is illustrated by the Tablets of the Law.

The two Magan David represent the forging of Israel’s national identity and creativity of the people of Israel.

Then God said: Y’HI OHR — “LET THERE BE LIGHT” and there was Light.

Light symbolizes human-kind’s commitment to clarity, rather than mystery — to openness over secrecy — to study rather than blind faith.

Congratulations

Andrew and Jennifer!

Congratulations

Courtney and Joe!

I designed and created these pieces in honor of these two new married couples.

In both these pieces the red and blue glass intersect in a beautiful violet.

Just the way we want these two lives to intersect and mix.

Mazal Tov!  Rivky and Yaakov!

My cousin Rivky just married Yaakov Litkey.  Therefore the ‘Reish‘ for Rivky, the ‘Yod‘ for Yaakov – and the ‘Lamed” for Litkey!

Do you know someone getting married

and you are looking for the perfect wedding gift?

Look no further than Ron’s Glass!

Wright created leaded glass designs for doors, skylights, back-lit ceiling panels, table lamps, and wall sconces as well as for windows.

I have decided to use the Ghinko in my homage to Wright.  The Ghinko is unique to the plant world in that it has remained virtually unchanged for over 270 million years.  What better symbol for life in the past, the present and the future?

This piece was created in honor of Isaac Scobey-Thal’s Bar Mitzvah.  The design takes the Samech for Scobey and interlocks it with the Taf for Thal.  I chose two different pieces of complimentary blue glass, and the background is a deeply grained clear glass that maximizes the light and acts as a crystal.

To the left you can see how this piece of art looks in the Scobey-Thal kitchen nook.

Enjoy!

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This Masterpiece is proudly displayed in the dining room of Matt Kaplan and Caroline Helton.  It represents one of the Seven Species.

The Seven Species are seven types of fruits and grains enumerated in the Hebrew Bible as being special products of the Land of Israel.  Jewish tradition teaches that the pomegranate is a symbol for righteousness, because it is said to have 613 seeds which corresponds with the 613 mitzvot or commandments of the Torah.   The pomegranate is one of the few images which appear on ancient coins of Judea as a holy symbol, and today many Torah scrolls are stored while not in use with a pair of decorative hollow silver “pomegranates” (rimmonim) placed over the two upper scroll handles. Some Jewish scholars believe that it was the pomegranate that was the forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden.

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This is a commission I received for a wedding present.

The couple had created a Ketuvah and these were the two photographs I worked from to create a one-of-a-kind piece honoring the couple.

Ketubah, from the root katav, to write, is the name for both the written contract itself and for the amount the husband is obliged to settle on his wife. The main purpose of the ketubah is to prevent a husband divorcing his wife against her will, which, in Talmudic times, he had the right to do.

Here is the piece with a detail of one of the dancers.   L’Chaim!!

]]> http://ronsglass.wordpress.com/2010/07/11/535/feed/ 0 ronsglass Ketuvah 1 Ketuvah 2 Ketuvah Glass for Blog Ketuvah Detail http://ronsglass.wordpress.com/2010/07/11/go-blue-go-green/ http://ronsglass.wordpress.com/2010/07/11/go-blue-go-green/#comments Sun, 11 Jul 2010 23:13:28 +0000 ronsglass http://ronsglass.wordpress.com/?p=515 ]]>

The moment I published my Block “M” on my Facebook page there was a clamor for an MSU Block “S”.  So, Sparty fans, here you go.  Let’s have a little wager:  How many comments will I get referencing the “M”  –  and how many for the “S”?

Express your “true blue” or “true green” pride!

The Block M measures  14″ X  12 1/2″.   The Block S measures  10″ X  14″.   I can replicate either of these in a size of your choosing.   Anyone out there looking for an Eastern Michigan Block “E”?   I can do that too!

You may have heard of the Dearborn Animal Shelter in the news recently.  They were the people who took in over 40 dogs found in a single home in Detroit.  This piece was commissioned by Cheryl Good of Ann Arbor for a window in the shelter.

This piece measures  16 inches  X  27 inches.

On the left are two pieces, obviously from the same pattern, but each Magen David conveys a different mood.  They make beautiful additions to the windows alongside your front door.  They are available individually or in a set.  Please feel free to comment and to pass this link on to a friend.

These pieces measure 10 inches by 17 inches.

The piece on the right was commissioned for a tribute dinner for Ameinu – the Labor Zionist Alliance. The Hebrew word at the top is Tzedek which translates roughly as Justice, in particular Social Justice, a basic pillar of Ameinu.

This beautiful Tzedek With Star measures 11″ X 20″.

The four Magen David below represent the Four Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.

Are you involved with a tribute or are you looking for a one of a kind wedding or Bar Mitzva gift?

I’m looking forward to working with you!

Write me at Ronsussman@aol.com so we can plan together.

I was asked to create a piece using the colors of the Gay Pride Flag.  My first piece (the flag) is on the right.  I decided to modify the piece into a rainbow  (below)  –  but I see it more as a path leading to the future.  If you are interested in purchasing one of these pieces for a friend or partner, email me at ronsussman@aol.com.

The ‘path’ is 16″ X 11″.

The flag is 12.5″ square.

This is a special order Blue Hamsa and  it’s a one of a kind piece of art.  The client came to my studio and picked out each piece of glass for this creation.  Why don’t you drop by my studio so we can talk about what  I can create for you?   Email me at ronsussman@aol.com for an appointment.

I enjoy exploring the possibilities of the image of the Hamsa. In these pieces the shape of the doves is emphasized by the simple elegance of the glasses.

The bottom creation was commissioned by Ameinu Detroit as a gift for an honoree at their annual Tribute Dinner. I was pleased to have a part in honoring this years recipients. This design is a Hamsa – a symbol of good luck. If you are considering a gift for a special event with a one of a kind piece of art, please contact me at Ronsussman@Aol.com so we can begin designing your present.

This Hamsa measures 18″ X 18″ but I have used this same design several times, in various sizes.  It can be modified to suit your needs.

Are you interested in purchasing these pieces?

Or perhaps commissioning one for yourself? Send me a note at ronsussman@aol.com and we can work together on your one of a kind piece of art.

The Simple Hamsa measures 11 X 14 but the size can be modified to fit your needs.

Lady Justice depicts justice as a goddess equipped with three symbols: a sword symbolizing the court’s coercive power; a human scale weighing competing claims in each hand; and a blindfold indicating impartiality.

My depiction of the Scales of justice is a bit more cubist. Please feel free to comment. I’d love to hear your reaction.

The Scales of Justice measures 13 X 23.

Facebook is an amazing tool. Friends and students I knew from decades ago have searched, found me, and are surprised to see what I am doing these days. One of my student’s mothers is a cancer survivor. The student commissioned me to create a piece to commemorate the anniversary of her being cancer free. After several emails back and forth we came up with the simple design above.

Post script: After seeing the first Pink Ribbon, and ‘friend of old’ (rather than an ‘Old Friend’ asked me to commission the same design. The result is the photo of the second Pink Ribbon.

I am now working on my 4th Pink Ribbon with an order for a 5th!

……………………….

Everyone is familiar with the Pink Ribbon, but this is an Orange Ribbon – the ribbon for Leukemia.  What follows is an unabashed political statement.

An acquaintance of my mother-in-law lost his job and along with it, his family’s health insurance.  Subsequently his wife was diagnosed with Leukemia.  The family now faces hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills.  There is a fundraising auction this weekend with dozens of donated services and goods.  This is my small contribution to the effort.   What industrialized country would allow this family to enter bankruptcy in order to cover medical expenses?   Shame on Us!

The Pink Ribbon measures 12 X 14 but can be modified to suit your needs.

This piece drew the most interest at the Celebrate Israel event this weekend. Many people commented they could visualize this glass hanging in their dining room as the Shabbat candles were lit. The warmth from the flames of the agates, the animation of the design, the mellow cherry wood frame adds to the Sabbath atmosphere. Interested in this piece? Email me at ronsussman@aol.com and let me show you how it would look in your home.

Shabbat Candles measures 16 X 20.

The horizontal and diagonal planes, the looping vestibular canals, and the hope for a beautiful spring define this piece.

The Stroke of Insight measures 8″ X 10″ but the size can be modified to suit your needs.

To Joanna, the chickadee represents the toughness of a cold Michigan winter and the beauty of a Michigan spring. She asked for a chickadee in a blooming tree — this piece is the result. Interested in a one of a kind piece of art for your home, office, or as a gift?    Write me at Ronsussman@aol.com and let’s talk.

Joanna’s Chickadee measures 18″ X 12″.

This creation (along with the one below) were commissioned by Ameinu Detroit as gifts for the honorees at their annual Tribute Dinner. I was pleased to have a part in honoring this years recipients. This design is a Hamsa – a symbol of good luck. If you are considering a gift for a special event with a one of a kind piece of art, please contact me at Ronsussman@Aol.com so we can begin designing your present.

This Hamsa measures 18″ X 18″ but I have used this same design several times, in various sizes.  It can be modified to suit your needs.