Presents an illustrated overview of contemporary studio-glass. Full-color reproductions of works by noted American artists and distinguished European artists are accompanied by detailed discussions of each artist's career and glassforming techniques.

They’re the very best in contemporary glass beadmaking, 1000 dazzling and unique examples by an international array of artists. This color survey has it all: the beads come single or in multiples, in jewelry or sculptural pieces, flameworked and kilnformed; and their diversity and beauty are amazing. Julia Skop’s intriguing Secret Surprise showcases clear glass beads with millefiori slices at the ends. Bruce St. John crafts his beads out of diachroic glass, then fuses and coldworks them at the lapidary well after completion. Nebula Black Necklace, from Rene Roberts, features an organic-looking focal bead adorned with fine metal leaf, glass shards, and a subtle dot decoration. An artist’s comment and detail image accompany many of the photos. A Selection of the Crafters Choice Book Club.

The Masters series offers crafters an engaging and up-to-date survey of the finest contemporary work by approximately 40 leading artists. Beadweaving takes the spotlight here with each designer showcasing his or her work. Photos throughout.

For five thousand years, artisans have worked in glass to create forms that serve and delight. But only recently have artists turned their hands and minds to this traditionally utilitarian and decorative material. Clearly Inspired: Contemporary Glass and Its Origins contrasts the work of contemporary glass artists with examples of earlier glass that have inspired them to rediscover or reinvent forgotten techniques. Transforming an ancient craft into a contemporary art, they honor the past while making visual statements that are very much of our time.

* First book devoted to world-renowned stained-glass artist Rowan LeCompte, best known for his work in Washington National Cathedral* Stunning and richly illustrated, with over 150 windows in over 50 churches and buildings throughout the US, LeCompte was one of the world's most sought-after masters of stained glassRowan LeCompte (1925-2014) was a world-renowned stained-glass artist best known for his work in Washington National Cathedral that spanned an unprecedented 70 years of artistic commission. Rowan LeCompte: Master of Stained Glass celebrates LeCompte's artistic inspiration, distinctive technique, and unique perspective on a medieval decorative art, which he transformed into a fine art for modern times. The book traces his fascinating trajectory, from a determined teenager to a charming octogenarian with a clear vision of what stained glass can do within and beyond cathedral walls. More than an artist biography, this book illuminates the essence of human nature and its balance of light and darkness. Growing up in Baltimore, young Rowan LeCompte was fascinated by color and light, collecting colored glass fragments that his older brother - Stuart, a scientist - had discarded from his lab at Johns Hopkins. A visit to the Washington National Cathedral at age 14 would prove transformative for LeCompte, who later described the day as his "second birthday." At age 15, LeCompte knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life: combine his love of architecture and painting through the study of stained glass. Just a year later, he earned his first commission in the National Cathedral: the very place that forged his destiny. Rowan LeCompte's seven decades of work not only fulfilled his teen ambition beyond expectations - it changed the art of stained glass itself. Rowan LeCompte: Master of Stained Glass takes readers behind-the-scenes of LeCompte's process, hearing from the artist first-hand about his unexpected inspirations - and rejected ideas - for color and design, and illustrating his work from the first 'cartoon' storyboards of windows, to painting the finishing touches on some of his best-known work. This beautiful 4-color photo art book tells of the complete history of Rowan's life, incorporating brilliant full-color photos of many of the windows which highlight the details of the imagination and innovation of this modern artist working in an ancient medium. It was his single-minded determination to create works that make the world a more beautiful place that will mark Rowan LeCompte as a great master for years to come. Rowan LeCompte: Master of Stained Glass is a companion to Peter Swanson's two films about Rowan. One of these films, Let There Be Light, documented LeCompte's final commission for the Washington National Cathedral's centennial celebration. The film won the Best of Festival award at Washington, D.C.'s Independent Film Festival.

Glass is one of the world's oldest materials for art and, in America, one of the newest. In the United States in the last 30 years, glass has emerged as a vital component of America's visual arts. Glass, basically sand melted to a liquid with the consistency of honey, can be blown into fragile bubbles, cast into sculptural architectural components, fused, painted, carved, and engraved, to name only a few techniques in the glass artist's vocabulary. This survey includes recent examples of art in glass by 13 artists selected from more than a thousand in the United States. They follow no single trend or tradition but draw freely from the world and its visual history. Whether their art takes inspiration from Egyptian canopic jars, medieval stained-glass windows, or Venetian glass techniques, American artists working in glass use the world for their sketchbooks and are masters of their art.