McElf GlassWorks

A Full Service Glass Art Studio

Studio Projects

Get Thee to a Nunnery!

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Have you spent any time in your life with a nun? (Well, I’m told I should be specific here: a Fransican nun?) Did you know they drive purple minivans? Listen to Beyonce? Go to the Beach? Drink a lot of coffee? Something I never expected to enjoy in my lifetime was a symbiotic relationship with a nun. It doesn’t definite them — it’s just a small part of what makes them who they are. Which is to say, amazing, supportive, funny, amazing, positive, amazing, strong women. We’ve done some traveling together now. We’ve been doing some teaching together. We’ve got… Read More »

The Implicit Challenge in Fine Plumage

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à la Peacock Materials: Glass, Copper, Silver, Lead, Zinc, Maple wood Framing by Against the Grain Studio Built in 2016 and now in a private residence in South Carolina.  Who doesn’t love the peacock? The first time I ever really considered these strange birds at any length was on a college trip to study in London.  I was awe-struck at the number of birds on royal property, and it was my very first time ever seeing white peacocks.  Not only was I struck by how oh-my-geese-over-the-top-ostentatious these birds were, I was shocked at their insolence.  “Not everything that glitters is… Read More »

Energy and Airplanes

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Life’s a funny ‘ol thing… This fall I started working on an awesome project.  It’s the best kind of project you can ever hope for because it comes with the best kind of customer.  No matter the project size, the right customer makes me as an artist want to hold onto a job for as long as humanly possible, because I don’t want to let them go.  (Due to insane, multiple family circumstances beyond my control, some of that has been going on anyway…) Let’s call this customer PBMC I did a simple drawing for PBMC over the summer.  The… Read More »

What I meant to say was…

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It’s been a whirlwind since our reception at Hilbert College, McGrath Library.  We’ve met lots of new people, coffee has followed, we got a little press, and drank a little more coffee with a few more new people… there are new projects on the horizon and we’re preparing some of the works in the show to head to the new homes they’re found. During the reception, I was asked to say a few words about the work in the show… and I had prepared!  Really!  I’d made notes and everything!  I was holding them in my hand even!  But somehow… Read More »

Stained Glass Exhibit at Hilbert College, McGrath Library in the Buffalo News

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Our reception at Hilbert College, McGrath Library on Tuesday night was such a treat!  We can’t say enough about how much we’re enjoying having our show in this location, how amazing the librarians are, and now, what an amazing selection of wine we had to choose from last night!  Truly, this library really knows how to celebrate the arts! Buffalo News came out and put up a photo gallery and story about the show — we’re so grateful to Gene Warner and Mark Mulville for spending so much time with us; it was truly a treat!  We thought they were… Read More »

Fibonauti Strikes Again…

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I designed this piece for my own home… and I’ve now built several of them… but somehow, they’ve never made it across the street and into my own windows!  Instead, the first one sold before I’d finished cementing it and the next 2 sold pre-production! It’s a simple but sort of technically challenging little window to build.  The design is based on the Fibonacci and the Nautilus both of which have come up in my work before.  In terms of cutting out the design, it requires a surprising amount of glass to complete because the pieces are so large and… Read More »

Announcing: New Work to be Unveiled at McGrath Library!

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McGrath Library at Hilbert College is pleased to feature the unique glasswork of McElf GlassWorks for their Spring 2016 Arts in the Library Program. McElf has had work featured in the most recent Jr. League Showhouse and in Fall 2015 was instrumental in the completion of the Ray of Light Mural at the entrance of Masten Park on Buffalo’s East Side. Brand new work will be unveiled at the reception! The show also features the forged ironwork and sculptural woodworking of Arc Iron Creations & Against the Grain Woodworking. Together, the three artists make custom pieces unlike anything else in… Read More »

Reflections on “Paintings”

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I recently completed a few pieces that are a pretty drastic left hand turn from my usual highway… the project started as my projects usually do: a client request for glass art to fit a specific place, to solve a unique problem.  Technically, the pieces seemed like the obvious answer, but I only needed to make one to fit the bill, and I suddenly found myself making a whole new series of works instead. These pieces are formed from the “bones” of experiments I’ve been conducting in my studio throughout the course of my entire glass-working experience.  Luckily, glass has… Read More »

Ray of Light: Installed.

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I arrived on site for the final day of installation… … and I mortared… … and I cleaned… … and then I packed my ladders back into truck… … and I almost forgot to take a picture before I left!  

Ray of Light Update: Almost Time for Installation!

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This will be the last update on construction from the studio.  We’re working basically around the clock to finish on time and stopped only long enough to eat and get this baby posted, then we’re right back to it!  We’ve tackled a lot of the prep work for installation: pre-fitting pieces over the seams and basically making giant packing tape band-aides to use on site.  We tried to continue our previous videos and put in lots of fun facts… but… back to it!  See you from Masten Park soon! And again, HUGE thank you to everyone who’s been supporting us… Read More »

Life's too short for decaf coffee or annoying emails.

What I can't promise is regular, weekly emails. What I can promise is sporadic, humorous updates with a serious amount of gorgeous glassy adventures inside. Occasionally, there might even be a chance to join me for a cup o' coffee. (The really caffeinated kind!)

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