An Ocean Wave Mandala; celebrates a friend at the shore

Wave Mandala by Wayne Stratz

A friend and colleague of  twenty and half years asks me to stop by the classroom she works within; and tells me of a friend, who had offered up a home at the shore. A home at the shore, which allowed for vacations from Pennsylvania. She wanted something to thank them with and I am lucky that she thought of me.

She told me to think of the town and the ocean. The first design featured the name of the town, but didn't quite work. I am grateful it didn't work, now that I see what emerged when I removed the lettering and explored wave motion.

A few days ago, a student stopped by my room. He handed me a card and told me that my friend had wanted me to see it it. It was a note of gratitude my friend had received from the recipient of the Wave Mandala. Gratitude for the gift, for the willingness of my friend to accept the offer to stay at the shore house, and for the friendship they had with each other.

Two decades ago I was a new teacher at the school. And my friend, was not only a colleague who assisted in another classroom, but also the mother of a student in my room.

As I write this I am wondering of her initial thoughts of me. Parents place a lot of trust in us teachers, and clients place trust in us to make a gift that will express their emotions. My friend has experienced both sides of this trust.

My birds of 2015: birds of glass by Wayne Stratz

 

 Only two have not found new homes and they remain in my critter section of my etsy shop along with a couple butterflies and a funky turtle. A few were commissions. The male and female cardinal, although I had started the female cardinal when someone asked if I had ever created a cardinal, but the male cardinal was a commission from the start, as was the hummingbird. I remember the day a hummingbird visited a Hosta bloom, raising their favor in my garden. A couple birds were revisited designs: The Blue Jay and the Goldfinch both chosen for the patterns created by their plumage The Blue Jay was a chance to celebrate a corvid, a rare one with color. The Goldfinch that rare bird that passes up on bird feeders to eat seeds from a variety of my flowers. At the end of the summer opening the front door always meant a burst of gold flying from the sunflowers. And the Great Blue Heron and the American Kestrel were birds I loved that were new designs. I still see herons on a regular basis, in fact one flew over my car as we drove to Margaret's sisters on Christmas. Kestrels are a bird that I saw all the time in the late 70's and early 80's. I hear their numbers are dropping and I can say I rarely see them though I have not moved out of their range.

I ended the year creating two more heron mosaics when asked by a friend for one of them. A Wood Duck has been simmering in my mind for months. Maybe this will be the year.

What is your favorite bird?

Going Forth: What does one take from a Silent Retreat?

The second Ignatian Star: a design from Silence by Wayne Stratz

The Jesuits are glad to have us there for a time to be in silence, but they are joyful when we leave. It is then that the awakening of silence grows. No matter what the silence brings: days of wresting with God, a week of rest and rejuvenation, insight into who you truly are, hope to make the right decision, and/or a stained glass design. 

In 2013 I drew a design of an asymmetrical seven-pointed star. Each point consisting of three pieces of glass, which gives me that number I love, 21. It sat for nearly a full year before I made use of it. I remember feeling pressure of going on a retreat without having used a design from the previous. Feeling moved, I chose Three types of Youghiogheny Glass and this emerged:

The original take on the Ignatian Star by Wayne Stratz feauturing three varieties of Youghiogheny Glass

Retreats are where prayers are formed. Truth learned. Journeys begin. They are not vacations from everyday life. Everyday life can fuel what happens on a retreat. What do I truly desire from this life I am given? What pain needs to be released? How can hope remain?

They live on in you like a design drawn on an old wooden desk. The best work will resurface:

Ignatian Star: a design worth revisiting by Wayne Stratz

PS ... I do remember the moment in time the first one sold. It was in my living room and it was to friends, who had come to our open studio in 2014. To purchase an Ignatian Star: Go this this section of my shop which is where they reside

Blue Butterfly Thoughts

Blue Butterfly by Wayne Stratz with the row homes of Lansdale, PA

When I go about creating a blue wing, I walk to my tower of glass, go to the blues and choose one, two, or in this case three that delight my eye.

When a butterfly creates a blue wing, it requires a bit more precision. Scales grow forth, each one from an individual cell and thus a colorless membrane is covered. To get blue light to reach my eyes, the wavelength of light entering my eye must be in the range from 400 to 480 nm. The slits in the scales of the Blue Morpho are 200 nm apart. One inch contains 25,400,000 nm. Like I said, I don't need that precision because the glass already appears blue.


Now if I actually worked from scratch, some cobolt or copper would come in handy to make glass blue.

and this... see all my current animals, blue and not blue at my etsy shop

a few nights in the studio with Vijay Iyer going solo

Vijay Iyer Solo CD cover with a jazz doodled bookmark for a friend's daughter

It was 2014 when Margaret and I walked into the Hatch Center in Rochester. It had become one of our favorite venues in no time at all. Solo jazz piano in a state of the art (acoustically magical) setting. Vijay Iyer was the local boy that evening and his family and friends were there in good number. We squeezed in and found two seats.

Vijay Iyer inspired design, funky view to get violet shine. Design, Craft, and Photo by Wayne Stratz

We had learned of his music in 2010 when Solo hit many a best of the year list. So we sat and waited. Joy.

I drew a few cards to hand out at one night while listening to Solo. As I drew I thought of a friend at work. I know her voice well, especially the sound of it at 3:00 when students are called to buses. But the voice is not there this summer, so I asked for her address

Vijay Iyer inspired design, view with Dogwood. Design, Craft, and Photo by Wayne Stratz

The next night, I played Solo and I took pencil (and lots of erasure) to paper. I wanted a new design. I started over on a new sheet and went on and on as the music flowed. Solo. And before the music ended I stopped. Pencil and erasure were dropped. 

Glass was chosen and all was set before I hit play. Then it became together through solder. But my time in the studio was not over. When chatting with my friend, a thought came upon me. Why not draw a bookmark for her daughter. So once again Vijay Iyer filled my studio.

Vijay Iyer inspired design, funky view with Blue Sky and Dogwood Tree. Design, Craft, and Photo by Wayne Stratz

A Year of Birds starts with a Blue Jay

Blue Jay stained glass mosaic designed and created by Wayne Stratz

In the midst of 2014 a few things came together to inspire me to focus on my passion for birds in 2015.

1. On my silent retreat I read a book of essays on birds.
2. I finally bought a bird feeder.
3. I ended the year with making a white-breasted nuthatch

White-breasted nuthatch stained glass suncatcher designed and created by Wayne Stratz

So I hope to be productive in the studio. The Blue Jay returned. The Goldfinch design needs to be grouted; and a brand new celebration of female cardinals has been designed.

And I hope to see 100 species by graduation.

See all my animals for sale here

 

 

 

Jazz doodling with glass ~> inspired by Melissa Aldana

At the 2014 Rochester jazz fest we wanted to see Melissa Aldana, but the line was excessively long. So we moved on. Eventually we ordered her CD. it played as I chose glass, grinded glass, and then soldered it together with no set pattern.

Check out all my glass jazz doodles

 

 

Jazz Catchers: four glass doodles for Marian McPartland

Glass art inspired by Marian McPartland's jazz by Wayne Stratz

Jazz doodling has become a fun way to use up the smaller scraps of glass I save in my studio. See more of my jazz catchers here and explore the music of Marian McPartland here.

I created these at least a year ago. Ms McPartland was still alive. I also created them to exhibit at a local bakery, which sadly closed. The owner eventually brought them over to our house. I finally got photos and posted them on etsy. So in tribute to the amazing jazz and food which brought them to life. Here they are:

Glass art inspired by Marian McPartland's jazz by Wayne Stratz

Glass art inspired by Marian McPartland's jazz by Wayne Stratz

Glass art inspired by Marian McPartland's jazz by Wayne Stratz

 

Going old school in the studio ~> Miles Davis and starflowers

This afternoon I went to the way of my listening to music in my youth. Sure you have to flip the dang thing over... And clear off the top of the stereo to plop the LP onto the record player, but hey I have lots of LPs so what am I to do.

 

And what am I doing in the studio ~> I am working on my second batch of four new starflower designs.

Here is the first batch.

Four starflowers designed and created by Wayne Stratz

 

 

In Awe ~ Stained Glass and Sunrises at the Jesuit Center

When I said I wanted to continue to experience awe in my studio as I prayed in August and ever since, this is what I meant: please God, let the beauty of your light streaming through glass always amaze me. And, God never let me lose the amazement that friends and folk I have never met have trust in me to create unseen pieces of art for them.

I placed this piece in my room on the evening I entered silence in August. The plan was to give it to my spiritual director. But plans change if you allow them. The glass did not want to be in my room, so I moved it out to where folk wait to see their spiritual director. It faces east. It dug the sunrise.

Then an idea came to mind and I created a rather large and complex doodle for my spiritual director. On my last day, I handed the stained glass to a Jesuit and suggested a place it could hang. Today I got a post card from the Jesuit. They have decided otherwise, it will hang on the first floor, facing west. He invited me to come see it. That will happen. I dig sunsets too.

 

A lunchtime moment in my classroom

Yesterday a student came in to my classroom. He had reached a level hat gav him the privilege to come to horticulture. His first words affirmed that it is quite the different place. One day it will be another's place to teach. For now, it is mine. And for that I am grateful.

Imaging hope to bring peace

Why

 

Creating Hope, one image ~

 

Becky Eldredge, the person who inspired the sunflower

I do not need 1000's of more followers, what I need to do is make wonderful connections with a few of the ones I have on twitter. Becky Eldredge seemed like a fine person to get connected with. I had fanned her page on Facebook, followed her on Twitter, and read her thoughts at her website.

Then one day she sent out a tweet asking for prayer requests. I asked for some directed towards my students. She asked about my job. A connection had been made. Yes, it is across state lines and we may never meet, but I will keep an eye out for chances. My hope is that she leads a retreat at the Jesuit Center. She does things like that. My hope is that I will one day read the book she is writing.

Yes, it is ours. She recently wrote to me responding to the word collaboration. She mentioned synergy. People saw this as one of MY best pieces, but truth be told, it would not be in this world without Becky.

First ~ she desired a piece of art celebrating sunflowers

Second ~ she shared some photos she had taken of sunflowers and when I fell in love with a flower emerging into fullness... we realized that we both love the word, unfolding

Third ~ she wrote to me about why sunflowers are important to her.

Fourth ~ she agreed with me that the design should emerge while I was on a retreat and patiently waited for that retreat to come along. I took Becky's photo and words on that retreat.

If it is one of my best pieces, it is because of the spiritual connection between plant and human, which led to this photo.

Thanks, for helping me to be a better artist.

 

The Sunflower Commission ~ watching a glass flower emerge

That is on its second day in low light, high light is at the bottom...

finding the greens, by the end 7 types if glass were called upon...

adding the petals, looking yellow but actually yellow-orange...

Needing something special for the center, orange, amber, green all in one piece, took me to my stash of Youghiogheny...

foiling a sunflower...

Into the light ...

 

The Sunflower Commission is about to unfold

A few weeks ago I put out a cry for help. I was packing for a time at the Jesuit Center. It wasn't the choice of clothes or mug (that is for Michelle) that was causing me angst. It was the intensity of the commissions, which I was hoping to design.

The client, who hoped to bring peace to grieving parents, came by for the mandala he commissioned. The blue behind the symbol of the lost child caught his eye. May it truly bring peace.

Margaret has grouted the Celtic Tree wedding present. I think we did something amazing together and may it be a blessing to the two lives that will unfold together.

And now the sunflower. I first tried to hand the commission to Margaret, who has made mandalas inspired by the colors of various sunflowers. But as you can see the client wrote, "made by your hand," and then went on to share her connections. I took that note with me and read it prior to designing the suncather with the hope that I could capture what clearly is her totem plant.

The post card was sent to the Jesuit Center by Michelle. It came late, but it showed up here in Lansdale. Jesuits are kind that way (I owe the man a thank you). Michelle's card is in my studio as a reminder of all those who prayed for me.

My client also digs Jesuits and she believes our lives unfold like a sunflower. This is no typical sunflower. It is like us. Beautiful, but only emerging into our full splendor.

Three commissions that awed me. That took me to the hope that I could create them in the midst of prayer.

 

Where did Wisdom emerge from?

Do you know that Nutmeg Designs has a blog, a collaboration between Mosaic Woman and myself. That is where the story of Wisdom was told.

 

Wisdom of Hafiz and in glass

I am thinking about how art emerges while I am on retreats, as I work on a piece designed at the Jesuit Center months ago. This past weekend I entered silence and left with five designs for commissions. While there I read some poems by Hafiz over and over. This one spoke to me as I tried to be still ~

Just

sit there right now.

Don't do a thing. Just rest.

For your

separation from God

is the hardest work in this world.

Let me bring you trays of food and something

that you like to

drink.

You can use my soft words

as a cushion

for your

head.

Posted with Blogsy

Wordlessly celebrating my second glass cello

 

Posted with Blogsy

S is for Serenity ~ the A to Z of One Word Messages

Would I have ever chosen serenity? It wasn't likely. Nothing against it, but it was not in my idea list. It is a word I almost never use. Do you? 

But my friend, Robin chose it as her word for 2013 and commissioned a stained glass piece, not a mosaic as we do most words these days.

Today is Earth Day and I was celebrating success stories with my students.  Rivers cleaned.  Birds returned. And an Iraqi man who returned to a country he had fled many years ago, to find the wetlands he loved drained. When he spoke of being a young boy on his father's boat, he used the word serenity. Then he dreamed.

My mind listened and then roamed. Maybe this is a calling to return to nature paths I love and the flowing water that soothes my soul. 

 Serenity.

Where would you go to find it? 

This is where Azzam Alwash's dream led...