Monday, November 23, 2015

Spotlight: Glass Orchids


For my 13th birthday I asked for an oil painting set and was lucky enough to receive it; unlike the drum set requested a few years later. Art instead of music; that was probably a kind twist of fate because now I create objects of beauty instead of who knows what horrors of sound that might have been inflicted on others.

Time and chance are funny things. I received that oil painting set on my birthday which was celebrated in Maine during the family vacation. Now, more years later than I’m going to divulge, I am an adult creating art objects in Maine.

I am the first one in my family to obtain a 4 year college degree. I was pre-med, then changed to fine arts, then had to get a job and eventually wound up as a computer programmer until finally landing back here in the arts. I went from Wall Street to Rural Route and have never been happier. I do not regret a thing. Everything I experienced and learned helps me today. The little girl who would not look you in the eye has become a woman who can teach a class and work a trade show.

What drives my creativity? Why do I do what I do? Where did I study and what awards have I won? These are the things I’m supposed to tell you in a bio but I probably won’t. Creativity is innate in each of us; sometimes it finds an outlet in cooking, building, singing or in fishing. For me it is in creating with color and light. I began as a painter working in oils. Along the way while working on Wall Street I discovered fused glass and bought myself a little kit to play with. Being type ‘A’ (and yes I’ve been tested), has brought me where I am today… a barn full of equipment and glass.

Warm glass is an amazing medium to work with; the technology is growing and what was once unobtainable financially is now as easy to get as a toaster. New techniques are unfolding all the time and ancient techniques can be revisited. Glass is an ancient magical material with endless possibilities and dichroic glass is a newish material impossible without 20th century technology.

Nature offers boundless inspiration in form and color. She stills the mind and soothes the soul and if you are lucky will whisper in your ear and play the muse. If red and purple can be beautiful in a flower then they can work in jewelry and that is my yardstick. I look to my garden, the fields and forests for inspiration. The combination of ancient techniques, modern technology and the artistry of nature is where my passion blooms.

I am honored and humbled that so many find my creations pleasing enough to spend their hard earned money to take them home. Without you those creations would not exist.

~Love and Light, Nancy

Nancy Tang, Artisan
Glass Orchids

Visit Glass Orchids online at their web site and find them on Facebook.

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