Jenny Floravita's Elegant Reverse Painted Glass Chandeliers

Vineyard Table Glass Art

2010-12-06T16:49:00.000-08:00

"Vineyard Romance", a reverse hand painted glass table piece . Jenny Floravita's Hand Painted Chandeliers can be purchased through Jenny Floravita's website http://www.floravitalights.com

I've been holding onto these two works of reverse painted glass art from my Vineyard Romance Series for a little while. The reason partly lies in the fact that I'm still trying to determine if these will have illumination behind them. As they sit on one of my art tables in my painting drying room I'm caught by the beauty that is so natural when the sunlight shines through.

For me, the joy is in the creation process.

To see more reverse painted glass chandeliers and art by Jenny Floravita, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com and www.floravita.com

Plumeria Breeze Hand Painted Chandelier

2010-11-29T18:45:00.000-08:00

"Plumeria Breeze", a hand-painted glass chandelier that includes elegant hand forged iron fixture and is ready to install. Jenny Floravita's Hand Painted Chandeliers can be purchased through Jenny Floravita's website http://www.floravitalights.com

This is my newest 24" glass hand painted chandelier. I wanted to create a "plumeria flower only" piece but of course I couldn't resist adding the Hawaiian liwi. On my first trip to the Hawaiian islands I kept smelling this incredible fragrance. I was staying in a resort on Ka'anapali Beach in Maui with my parents. Finally I asked what flower was creating his heavenly sent and of course it was plumeria. It's funny to think all these years later that I didn't know about plumerias which is also my favorite inspiration in perfumes.

Plumeria Breeze is quite exotic and I took full advantage of the fact that plumerias come in many colors though I stayed with the rounded flower shape that you see most often in the Hawaiian Islands as opposed to the pointer varieties.

I've allowed sections of blue sky to peek out at the top of the glass which help to add a bit of color variety to the sunset colors that dominate this chandelier. This is truly a beautiful hand painted chandelier! It's one of my best, not to mention most unique chandelier yet.

To see more reverse painted glass chandeliers and art by Jenny Floravita, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com and www.floravita.com

Rose Painted Glass Wall Sconce

2010-11-25T12:02:00.000-08:00

"Romance of the Rose", a reverse hand painted glass wall sconce that includes electrical and hanging hardware. Jenny Floravita's Hand Painted Chandeliers can be purchased through Jenny Floravita's website http://www.floravitalights.com

I've been meaning to create some beautiful reverse painted glass wall sconces for a while. I made the glass sconce shapes some time ago but have been busy with chandeliers. The above rose themed sconce has soft romantic colors and this is what the artistry looks like in it's natural light.

When the sconce is installed and the light is behind the glass the piece looks a bit warmer as the light adds a new element to the sconce. I will show this in another post soon.

To see more reverse painted glass chandeliers and art by Jenny Floravita, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com and www.floravita.com

Beautiful Peacock inspred Reverse Painted Glass Chandelier

2010-11-15T11:56:00.000-08:00

"Peacock", a 24" diameter reverse hand painted glass chandelier that includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy. Jenny Floravita's Hand Painted Chandeliers can be purchased through Jenny Floravita's website http://www.floravitalights.com

This lovely reverse painted glass chandelier bowl was sold before it was dry so I never had a proper chance to photograph it from different angles. This is the only shot but it had some lovely color blends and flower petals. The peacock was from one of my zillions of photographs from my travels and I saw this particular bird in Kauai.

This piece also had orchids and birds of paradise and at the time that it sold it was my newest reverse painted glass chandelier. All of my work is done by hand, by me.

To see more reverse painted glass chandeliers and art by Jenny Floravita, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com and www.floravita.com

Beautiful Commissioned Hand Painted Glass Chandelier

2010-11-11T12:51:00.000-08:00

"Iris Floral", an 18" diameter reverse hand painted glass chandelier that includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy. This was a commissioned piece. Jenny Floravita's Hand Painted Chandeliers can be purchased through Jenny Floravita's website http://www.floravitalights.com

I really don't get a chance to thank my clients enough for the opportunities to create their custom painted glass chandeliers. It's an honor to work on each piece. Iris Floral was in particular an extra special chandelier to create.

I first met my client a few years ago at an art show and she had purchased a unique little oil painting of a Santa Barbara scene. Through the years I have sold hundreds of paintings and if that seems like a lot it's only because I am an artist and it's my profession to create and exhibit paintings. Any successful artist will tell you the same. To get back to my point, even though I've sold so many works I almost always remember every single client and our conversations. Sometimes when I see my collectors I hold back what I remember as people don't expect you to retain so much information.

Art is very personal and when there is a connection, I do listen. It helps me to release my new works and understand the new homes that they will go to. A hand painted chandelier or an oil painting, it doesn't matter as I put part of my life's energy into each piece.

Commissions are especially important. The painting process is different and I paint slower and refer to details through out the entire process. I really try to understand the piece in it's context before my brush ever even hits the glass.

Part of what makes this hand painted glass chandelier so special is because it's part of a new beginning for my friend. All of the elements were carefully selected. We used iris flowers from her fabulous backyard. the butterflies were special and if you were to see her yard, you'd know why the butterflies frequent. We added parrots and a palm tree (which I am known for painting in my traditional oil and watercolors) as a symbol of paradise. The lavender and rose colors are meant to compliment her room color.

This was a smaller hand painted chandelier and thus a lot of focus was put into it to make sure all of the details and special elements made it to the glass. May this painted chandelier bring much deserved joy!

To see more reverse painted glass chandeliers and art by Jenny Floravita, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com and www.floravita.com

New Reverse Painted Glass Chandelier

2010-10-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

"Crysanthamum Abundance", a 24" diameter reverse hand painted glass chandelier that includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy. 24" in height plus chain length. Jenny Floravita's Hand Painted Chandeliers can be purchased through Jenny Floravita's website http://www.floravitalights.com

It's been a while since my last blog. The Indian Summer has closed here in California and I'm ready to get back into my studio to create more chandeliers. Through the summer and fall most of my new pieces are typically commissions. My new reverse painted glass chandelier pictured above is a new original that is available through my studio.

Crysanthemums are the featured flower. This piece has some really nice color blends and is completely full with flowers, thus the abundance! Thank you for viewing my newest reverse painted glass chandelier and feel free to contact me if you have questions.

To see more reverse painted glass chandeliers and art by Jenny Floravita, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com and www.floravita.com

Time to re-organize the studio for my reverse hand painted glass chandeliers et all

2010-07-31T12:28:00.000-07:00

"Flower Fiesta", a 24" diameter reverse hand painted glass chandelier that includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy. 24" in height plus chain length. Jenny Floravita's Hand Painted Chandeliers can be purchased through Jenny Floravita's website http://www.floravitalights.com

Warm, romantic colors and exotic flowers make the reverse hand painted glass chandelier titled Flower Fiesta a beautiful piece to behold and one of my most romantic pieces to date. When I paint, I put myself on an island in my mind but lately I've been faced with a tsunami reality that my working house needs to be re-adjusted a bit.

Eight years ago I moved from Santa Cruz, the college town that I love so much to live where my family is to better help my career as an artist thrive. It worked. And I also found the love of my life, who happened to be a best friend of my brother. I live in a small town an hour north of San Francisco, half an hour north of Walnut Creek...more than an hour below Sacramento. My town lies on the Delta that thrives with wind surfers, jet skiers, sailing enthusiasts, fishermen and the occasional humpback whale that gets off course.

By modern standards my house is very large and I'm embarrassed to admit that I got momentarily lost upstairs when originally viewing a model of this home. The size makes my home a perfect studio space for a working artist. The proximity to the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area has made it a wonderful location as I'm not far from some very good art festivals and a huge hub of affluent people. Buying this house has been one of my best lifetime decisions.
The downside is that my house has allowed me to sprawl with my ever growing creative tools...everywhere. As my husband says, "art stuff, art stuff, art shop, art shop, everywhere!!!". He's correct. I work in more than three mediums: watercolor, oil, glass...and iron, too and each has it's own plethora of equipment which occupies spots all over my house now. It's hard to do all at once and also run the business of showing my art to all of you. Very hard. And I'm thought of as a very professional artist and most who know me will tell you that I manage a lot.

My office has unfinished glass, glass tools, some iron working tools plus all of my office equipment. My husband has referred to my desk as my 'command center'. Two of my upstairs bedrooms have huge canvasses, ready to be painted on and unfinished irons and packing materials. I need to consolidate those to one room. Then we could have a guest room!

Our upstairs living room is my main paintings space though I do paint on the outside front porch in the summer months and occasionally in the downstairs kitchen, too. Hey, it's a large space with no furniture. Our house has practically no furniture! It does keep the space open. Our larger downstairs formal living room is my gallery where I exhibit my paintings for client visits. I also used to teach piano so this has my baby grand. Our third living space also has paintings that should move to the main gallery. Easy.

Now the garage: we're planning a side building to house my iron working equipment, kiln, welder...stuff like that so that some things can move out of the garage.

The bottom line is that when you make a living as an artist and you work in more than one medium or you work in a medium that has a lot of components then you need to be organized in your workspace. To create my hand painted chandeliers requires a lot of equipment and effort.

And yet when clients come to visit they have no idea of my little feung shui because my house looks very professional, it's just that after living here for the better part of the last decade through a growing art career it's now time to re-organize. And this is why most industrial artists have industrial spaces...

My husband is now clearing the mulch on the other side of my office wall...for our new mini industrial workshop...to be built in the near future...

To see more reverse painted glass chandeliers and art by Jenny Floravita, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com and www.floravita.com

Peacock hand painted glass chandelier

2010-07-28T10:18:00.000-07:00

"Peacock Mystery", a 24" diameter reverse hand painted glass chandelier that includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy. 24" in height plus chain length. Jenny Floravita's Hand Painted Chandeliers can be purchased through Jenny Floravita's website http://www.floravitalights.com

I loved this glass chandelier painting and unfortunately I sold it before I had a good chance to get photographs. In fact, this piece sold slightly wet. There is a beautiful peacock at the top. This was a bird that I saw at a favorite garden on Kauai. They are such a majestic bird and I hear them calling on a nearby ranch on my evening walks. I paint the flowers that I observe in my travels and in my own garden. This is the time of year where my own tropical garden flourishes and we grow many of the flowers that I paint. My lotus flowers in the pond were blooming just two weeks ago.

This reverse hand painted glass chandelier has orchids, ginger, shell ginger, bird of paradise, hibiscus and more. I am always inspired by the flowers of the islands.

To see more reverse painted glass chandeliers and art by Jenny Floravita, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com and www.floravita.com

Summer Abundance, one of four new hand painted glass chandeliers by Jenny Floravita

2010-07-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

"Summer Abundance", a 24" diameter reverse hand painted glass chandelier that includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy. 24" in height plus chain length. Jenny Floravita's Hand Painted Chandeliers can be purchased through Jenny Floravita's website http://www.floravitalights.com

This week I've added three new chandeliers to my website and I'll be releasing four new images onto my Facebook page facebook.com/Jenny.Floravita.Painted.Chandeliers.andArt

I'm half way through my California art festival season and it's been fun and exciting. Actually, I'm enjoying a couple weeks off from my weekend shows, regenerating and creating new works for my last big burst of 2010 shows which run from August through mid-October. So much to do with so little time!

Any artist who exhibits in art festivals knows how much work, energy and resource goes into each festival and that quality time is needed in between to create fresh new works of art. The above chandelier painting is titled Summer Abundance and I'm really enjoying my current theme of multi-colored chandeliers in my exotic flowers.

To see more reverse painted glass chandeliers and art by Jenny Floravita, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com and www.floravita.com

Make custom lighting a priority in your home re-model

2010-06-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

"Urban Paradise", a 24" diameter reverse hand painted glass chandelier that includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy. Jenny Floravita's Hand Painted Chandeliers can be purchased through Jenny Floravita's website http://www.floravitalights.com

Too many times people consider custom lighting last on their wish list for their home re-model. Yet lighting is an incredibly important aspect of a home or business space. Lighting helps sets the ambiance and helps to define the space. When considering lighting, you should look at multiple light sources for a room depending on the function of the room and the mood that you wish to create.

My beautiful reverse painted glass chandeliers bring opulence into a room. They add bursts of color to an unexpected area and they help to make a room truly unique. And though this form of lighting does give off good light to dine by it is an ambient source. If you need a room to be really bright, you will want to have at least one other light source. Having multiple light sources in a room also gives you flexibility in changing the mood.

Lighting adds warmth and comfort to a room when done correctly. Lighting can also make a room feel very modern or formal. I cannot emphasize enough how much lighting effects the overall effect of a room.

Often I will meet people who fall in love with my hand painted chandeliers and lighting is the last consideration for their renovation project. Custom lighting does cost a little bit more but the quality will be superior. Make custom lighting a priority in your home re-model, not an afterthought.

To see more reverse painted glass chandeliers and art by Jenny Floravita, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com and www.floravita.com

Why do my reverse painted glass lamp shades cost what they...well, cost?

2010-06-08T12:29:00.000-07:00

Side view of a commissioned chandelier, a 38" diameter reverse painted glass chandelier that includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy. Jenny Floravita's Hand Painted Chandeliers can be purchased through Jenny Floravita's website http://www.floravitalights.com

Last weekend I had an interesting experience though sad to say not an unusual experience for an artist. I was offered 45% of my asking price for one of my chandeliers and the potential collectors, who are from a very wealthy area in the San Francisco Bay Area, were extremely firm on that being their highest price. Of course I couldn't accept...because of my standards and also because that would have almost been the price of what it really costs me to make and sell my beautiful reverse hand painted glass lamp shades and chandeliers.

In this particular case mentioned above I think that the wife really wanted the chandelier but the husband felt overloaded on the expense of their house renovation. And let's face it, high-end lighting is not for everyone. My work has value and you will receive a superior product that is also very unique. An art form like this must be a priority in a home re-model as opposed to a last thought because of the expense and yet my chandeliers are offered at a very good price for all that goes into them.

So let me humbly offer some education on high-quality custom lighting.

Custom Lighting 101: when lighting is made here in the US by lighting artists there is a difference in quality. The glass for my reverse hand painted chandeliers is superior to "glass" that you receive with store bought products that come from overseas. My glass is a special architectural grade glass that is hand cut and kiln bent and the resulting bowl is actually 1/4" thick. A kiln is a giant oven that you put the cut glass into to bend it into a particular shape, in my case my glass bowls or sconces, whatever shape I need to create.

The bowls are then hand frosted and prepared for the painting process. My special painting technique is a collaboration of my 30 years as an artist. Ok, I've been painting seriously since I was 15...but my artistic training started at age 4 and by the time I was 11 I was studying with a private instructor. The painting technique that I use on my reverse hand painted glass lamp shades appears to be 3-dimensional because of my brush strokes. I've worked for many years to develop my artistry and I've been selling my fine art professionally since the mid-90s. A lot of time, thought and artistry goes into my painting technique and sometimes I paint very slowly and this is especially true of commissions. Commissions in general take a lot more time.

And an artist can only create so many works of art each year. I am not a factory and I do not employ others to paint my chandeliers and yet I can still handle large projects when given adequate time because of my excellent time management skills and professionalism.

My work is not common. Everyone who sees my work does know this.

Then there is my iron fixture. These are not cheap home depot or department store fixtures. I hate to say it but those often stylish fixtures are made with cheap materials and are often behind in code. My fixtures are made from steel that is cut, bent, forged and welded by hand. These are custom hand made fixtures and they are very lovely. The chandelier is then wired up with the best quality electrical materials. My husband is a professional licensed electrician and my work is to top standards.

With my current prices, I cannot sell through many galleries and be profitable. In most cases I literally cannot sell through galleries and not lose money if a chandelier requires shipping to the gallery. This is because my prices cannot absorb the cut and any extra costs at that point. My point here is that I do not have a huge mark-up on my real costs in creating each and every hand painted glass chandelier and lamp.

It is important to know what kind of work goes into my chandeliers and this helps to show collectors why the chandeliers are more expensive than store bought fixtures and yet my chandeliers are at such a good price for the fine art form that they are. And you also consider that the artistry in my work is exquisite. I am overall a very humble artist but there are times where I feel that I really need to point out why my work is worth my asking price and more. My talent for this art form will make me a very well known artist in a number of years and I already have a strong national following. Right now I am saying to the world that I am worth my asking prices for my chandeliers...and more.

My style is unique. Very unique. I am known for my exotic flowers and my special color palates and blends...for all of the thousands of brush strokes and small touches that go into each reverse painted glass lamp chandelier shade and I have worked to distinguish myself in this forgotten art form.

In summary, when you buy artisan made lamps by reputable artisans in the USA, you receive more and the quality is superior. Thank you for allowing me to share a bit more of the complete process in the making of my custom illuminated works of art. It is much appreciated!

To see more reverse painted glass chandeliers and art by Jenny Floravita, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com and www.floravita.com

Work Ethic and Artists

2010-05-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

Side view of 'Summer in Maui', a 24" diameter reverse painted glass chandelier that includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy. Jenny Floravita's Hand Painted Chandeliers can be purchased through Jenny Floravita's website http://www.floravitalights.com

I'd like to dispel the age old myth that all artists are flaky, temperamental and work only when inspiration hits. The truth is that most professional artists today work extremely hard and those that have become successful including myself, are also very reliable. My close network of professional artists all have extremely high work ethics. And let's face it, I think everybody these days needs to have a high work ethic to succeed...and I think that most people also realize this is especially true of experienced artists.

I personally work and paint almost every day. When I exhibit in festivals, then 2-5 days of my life can be consumed with each show and the surrounding preparations. Occasionally I'll just take a day off and often on these days I'll read magazines, enjoy my backyard, go for a walk down by Marsh Creek. As there is always so much to do, I let these particular days tell me that it's time for a rest and that usually happens on a Monday or Tuesday after a show, depending on how many loose ends there are to tie up but a need for a rest could also happen later in the week.

This past Monday (after my Open Studio show) was absolutely crazy for me from the moment I looked at messages on my studio phone until the end of the evening so a day off was out of the question. And there's always more to do...it's just that an artist must determine when their day is done and a lot of that has to do with how they manage their deadlines.

The bottom line is if an artist is unreliable and doesn't have a strong work ethic, then they definitely won't last in the business of fine art for very long...and it is a business, we are here to serve you and to create custom works of fine art that will add joy to your life.

You may be wondering how to know if an artist is top-notch? Look at their experience, contact them and talk to them and let them tell you about their work and successes. If your friends own works from a particular artist, then you can inquire about their experiences.

The above image is of my reverse painted chandelier titled 'Summer in Maui'. As always, thanks for reading my blog and feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Hope this information sheds some light on what it is like to be a professional artist.

To see more reverse painted glass chandeliers and art by Jenny Floravita, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com and www.floravita.com

What inapires my hand Painted Chandeliers? What is my creation process?

2010-05-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

Bottom view of 'Orchid Symphony', a 24" diameter reverse painted glass chandelier that includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy. Jenny Floravita's Hand Painted Chandeliers can be purchased through Jenny Floravita's website http://www.floravitalights.com

Inspiration is personal to every artist. Some days I will simply stand at my easel and begin to paint by layering and splashing colors onto my glass canvas. The patterns and values of the colors then inspire the flowers that emerge in my glass hand painted chandeliers.

Recently I had a studio show where I invited a dear sculptor friend who shows in galleries and her process of sculpting is sometimes not so different from my process of painting on glass. She explained to clients that her woods dictate the forms of the sculpture and sometimes add surprises, like an unplanned form the emerges that she hadn't envisioned...it was simply there all along within the wood. When I paint completely freely with my chandeliers, this also happens.

But sometimes, my inspiration comes directly from a very specific exotic flower or a combination of colors. When I am in the creation process for my reverse painted chandeliers, sometimes I end up mixing sections of colors that may be the inspiring starting point for my very next chandelier.

Mixing colors is endlessly fascinating to me and it is my ability to mix colors well that creates my unique voice in this art form. My color mixing is what creates my soft romantic hues and dramatic moods. When I was in my early teens, I knew that I would be a professional artist. I worked then as a watercolorist. There was nothing so fascinating to me as the fist sections of wet fluid color that spilled from my brush onto my Arches watercolor paper. Those first splashes of color set the inspiration to move me through the difficult sections of my paintings towards completion. And I always looked forward to the next painting for the same reason. This makes me a colorist by nature.

These are two very different creation processes that both work well for me as a contemporary glass artist. The starting points are very different yet both creative processes share the same elements at some point.

Inspiration and the creative process, as both are needed in order to create an art piece that is successful, is something that is very abstract to most and...well, God given in the same way that everyone is given their special talents. There is not a day that I paint on glass that I am not grateful that I was born with the talent for this marvelous art form. And I feel like I could write forever about what it is exactly that fuels an artist forward in their form. Creativity is a very interesting process in itself.

Hope that my explanation helps to shed some light on how I choose to paint what it is that I paint. Thank you for looking at a picture of one of my newest hand painted chandeliers!

To see more reverse painted glass chandeliers and art by Jenny Floravita, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com and www.floravita.com

See Jenny's Painted Chandeliers at her annual spring Open Studio

2010-05-20T12:37:00.000-07:00

Side view of 'Orchid Symphony', a 24" diameter reverse painted glass chandelier that includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy. Chandeliers can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

I'd like to give a big THUMBS UP to Jack Gaughan and his organizers for doing such an awesome job on this years 2010 East Contra Costa County Artists' Open Studio Tour. I'm certain that this will be the best year ever.

For those of you who live in the San Francisco Bay Area and are willing to drive only a few extra minutes, you can come visit my studio and others and enjoy some wine, chocolates, good art and sunshine. There are 62 artists on the studio this year and if you start at my studio, you can pick up your free 18-page full-color catalog with samples and maps of the other artists' works. The group works very hard on this event!

I will me hosing the fabulous sculptor, Crystal Lockwood, who often uses Hawaiian woods for her beautiful figurative pieces.

When? THIS WEEKEND, Sat & Sun, May 22 & 23, 10am-6pm. Call me at the number on my website if you need directions or have questions. I look forward to talking with you and explaining my creative process, techniques and inspirations.

Next Show: Jenny Floravita's Spring Open Studio, May 22 & 23, 10am to 6pm...see my website for more details.

To see more, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com
and www.floravita.com

Blessed to be a painter and contemporary glass artist

2010-05-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

Side view of Sunflower Summer, a 24" diameter reverse painted glass chandelier that includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy. Chandeliers can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

You've probably read this theme a lot if you follow my Mini Master painting blog but most of the time I wake up and feel excited about my work. This happens almost every day with the rare day in which I'm just not inspired and that usually means that it's time to take a break. Today this feeling came over me as I sat down to paint some of my glass nightlights, which is something that I have to be in the mood to do. Painted glass nightlights = lots of work...considering what little I charge for them. Creating beautiful little works of contemporary painted glass art is rewarding but I have to be in a mood that will tolerate working small in scale.

Anyway, this feeling reminds me that I am blessed to be living a creative life that many people envy. Sure, most of the time as a working artist I don't make a bizillion dollars, especially in this economy but I still do well enough...and sometimes I even "do" fantastic in terms of my sales.

Living the life of a working artist is not for everyone, that's for sure! Most people could never tolerate the uncertainty and vast challenges of the business. It can be tough to gauge the market sometimes and just putting yourself in the right spot at the right time can feel impossible at times and then there are times where everything just works and you're not sure why...actually I'm always certain it's the accumulation of my hard work and devotion.

It's these feelings that reinforce the fact that I work every day as an artist because that is what I was born to do.

See more images of Sunflower Summer on http://www.floravitalights.com or on my Facebook page.

To see more, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com
and www.floravita.com

Having control over a reverse painted glass chandelier in terms of the painting process

2010-05-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

Bottom detail of Sunflower Summer, a 24" diameter reverse painted glass chandelier that includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy. Chandeliers can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

Recently I misunderstood a client question about the painting process of my reverse painted glass chandeliers. It had been a very long day, I had just come from blacksmithing and everything about the smithy is just pain loud even with earplugs and on top of that it was later in the evening and I was very anxious to simply end my day and relax, have dinner.

So I'd like to clarify to you who read this blog what it means to 'have control' of the paint in terms of creating a chandelier that has all of the correct colors, tones, elements, etc...for a custom commission.

First, when I paint freely on original concepts, meaning that I'm not trying to duplicate a chandelier or parts of a chandelier for a commission, I paint with a freedom that allows me to express my artistry through the paint in wonderful ways. I make thousands of split-second decisions about color, hue, brush strokes, shapes, composition, etc...everything that makes this art form so lovely lies in the control that I have over my brush and paint.

And make no mistake, I did say control with a capital "C" as I have been working intensely in this medium for a few years now.

Now when I paint a chandelier with special requests, make no mistake, I have total control with a capital "T" over my brushes, paint colors, hues, etc... The actual painting process for me is slower because I'm working withing constraints and that is partly the definition of a commission. I've painted countless complex commissions this way.

Every chandelier is original in it's own way because they are hand painted by me, a human artist. There is variation in everything but overall, I achieve the intended goals.

Just wanted to clarify this concept of control because I do know that this art form has a lot of mystery that surrounds the actual artistry of my reverse painted glass chandeliers and for good reason! It's not very easy to do and when I say that, I do mean from making the glass bowl to forging the irons and completing the piece as a whole.

Hope this info helps!

See more images of Sunflower Summer on http://www.floravitalights.com or on my Facebook page.

To see more, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com
and www.floravita.com

Creating Innovative Contemporary Glass Art

2010-05-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

Side detail of Sunflower Summer, a 24" diameter reverse painted glass chandelier that includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy. Chandeliers can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

Here is a side detail of one of my newest reverse painted glass chandeliers. As a contemporary glass artist I continually strive to push myself to new creative levels in the contemporary glass art market. Because commissions are a big part of what my business is about, I tend to spend a lot of time creating chandeliers with similar elements to previous pieces. There are many outstanding glass artists who fuse and blow beautiful shapes and they demand that other artists like myself also create only the most innovative works of contemporary glass art.

It occurred to me last week that the innovation of my 'original' ideals are what fuel my commissions. Sometimes only one in every 5 chandeliers is a new original, which is a good problem for a contemporary glass artist like myself. Work is always good and it's a pleasure to create a beautiful work of art for a collector.

So when I have the opportunity to simply create a new chandelier in which I can paint with total freedom, I cherish this time in my studio with my paints. This was the case with Sunflower Summer and I think that this piece really rocks! It's a definite must-see in person and it's quite frankly a very lovely reverse painted glass chandelier.

See more images of Sunflower Summer on http://www.floravitalights.com or on my Facebook page.

To see more, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com
and www.floravita.com

Come visit me at the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show

2010-01-06T16:03:00.000-08:00

Artist Jenny Floravita working in her studio on a 36" custom commission. Each hand painted glass chandelier includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy.

Floravita's Painted Illuminated-Glass Chandeliers to be at San Francisco Flower & Garden Show
Jenny Floravita loves painting on glass because of the expressive feeling that she is able to infuse into every flower petal, every leaf, bird and accent through her brush strokes. Flowers are an inspiration in her work and Floravita paints both tropical flowers and wildflowers in her glass chandeliers and paintings. Floravita often refers to her chandeliers as her 'illuminated painted glass gardens'. She uses her hand slumped glass as her canvas and the resulting illuminated paintings are like a glimpse into another world.

Born in the Bay Area, Jenny Floravita has been a painter all of her life. Her career in fine art really blossomed after 2000 when she decided to take a leap of faith and switch from graphic design to pursue her fine art. Floravita began her career in fine art as a watercolor painter. Life as an artist is a constant transition and through the years she has gone back and forth between oils and watercolors, painting both flowers and island scenes. She has been creating custom glass painted chandeliers for three years. The chandeliers compliment her exotic flower and island landscape paintings well.

Jenny Floravita's chandeliers and paintings are inspired by exotic gardens from her travels through warm lands. The San Francisco Flower & Garden Show is a perfect fit for her work as it brings flower and garden lovers from around the country to see amazing award winning gardens, prominent speakers and flower vendors.

Jenny Floravita's chandeliers start out as flat, architectural grade glass that is cut, slumped and then etched. Each chandelier is made by hand from the glass, to the irons. She wants people to realize that a tremendous amount of work goes into each chandelier as these are not simply fixtures from hardware stores. They are custom, hand-created works of art. Jenny can create just about any size chandelier as she works both smaller and large and she has shipped chandeliers successfully all over the country and beyond.

Her special painting technique in which flowers and leaves look as if they will pop right out of the glass allows her to paint with the same freedom that she feels when exploring a deserted island beach or a hidden wildflower garden. There is an amazing 3 dimensional effect to her glass paintings that captivates viewers and makes them feel as if they have a blooming flower garden that is contained right in the glass canvas that is ready to burst out at any moment. Floravita wants you to know that, "Every time you look at my illuminated painted glass gardens, you will see something new"!

Jenny Floravita will be an exhibitor at the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show at the San Mateo Event Center, March 24-28 and will be showing booth her custom painted glass chandeliers and her oil paintings. She is also proud to have one of her chandeliers in the main garden display. Look for one of her chandeliers in The Urban Oasis garden exhibit by Arthur Brito and Bryan Gordon. Meet the artist herself in Booth # 649. Preview her work at the below websites.

Chandeliers--> http://www.floravitalights.com

Paintings--> http://www.floravita.com

Facebook--> http://www.facebook.com/Jenny.Floravita.Painted.Chandeliers.andArt

Chandelier blog--> http://floravitalights.blogspot.com

Mini-Masters blog--> http://www.jennyfloravita.blogspot.com
follow on Twitter--> https://twitter.com/jennyfloravita

For more info on the 2010 March San Francisco Flower & Garden Show, visit: http://www.sfgardenshow.com

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Next show: San Francisco Flower and Garden Show, March 24-28, 2010 at the San Mateo Event Center, BOOTH # 649. More info here: http://www.sfgardenshow.com

To see more, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com
and www.floravita.com

Custom Hand Painted Glass Chandelier in Cabo San Lucas

2010-01-06T15:53:00.000-08:00

38"" diameter, hand painted glass chandelier included irons, electrical, chain and canopy,
based loosely on Rainforest Melody, chandeliers can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

I wanted to share with you how these chandeliers look when installed. This beautiful home in Cabo San Lucas has a 20' vault and a large central living space. The clients needed a larger chandelier to go over the dining table that would provide elegant ambient lighting.

This commission was based loosely off of a recent 24" original painted chandelier titled, Rainforest Melody. I kept many of the elements the same, including background colors. That helps to transition a smaller chandelier to a larger size and still keep the same look and feel of another piece. We added more orange color and more orchids to further customize the chandelier.

As you move around this chandelier, you begin to see the many different sides of the glass painting. From this angle, you see the warmer tones and this also provides a nice contrast against the stunning aquas of the sea.

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Upcoming Exhibit: San Francisco Flower and Garden Show, March 24-28, 2010 at the San Mateo Event Center, BOOTH # 649. More information about the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show can be found here: http://www.sfgardenshow.com

To see more, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com
and www.floravita.com

Drawing Inspiration from Steamship Travel in the Victorian Era

2009-11-25T17:31:00.001-08:00

24"" diameter, hand painted glass chandelier includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy
Rainforest Melody can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

This reverse painted glass chandelier almost has a Victorian feel to it. As a graphic designer, I have always admired the illustrations of exotic birds from the Victorian era. Travel by steamship was exciting and people were going to new lands. East met West often. This general time frame is an inspiration for many of my works with exotic birds, particularly parrots.

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Reverse Painted Chandelier for Lake Tahoe Art Scene

2009-11-21T11:33:00.001-08:00

32"" diameter detail, commissioned hand painted glass chandelier includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy
Hand Painted Glass Chandeliers can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

Tropical flowers are perhaps an unlikely subject for a home in Lake Tahoe but that is exactly what two of my clients wanted. This particular chandelier was inspired by a smaller piece that I had created and sold last winter. And since this client already owned one of my painted chandeliers, we decided to tailor this piece to have some colors that matched.

Birds of paradise, peacock feathers and iris flowers were a few of the requests. I followed the background color of the original piece that this painted chandelier was inspired by and that helped to keep the same "look and feel" that the client had seen in the inspirational piece. Of course, the end result had differences. The sheer size of this chandelier allowed for more room to paint flowers and the choice of some of the flowers made this piece different from the one that had inspired it.

Both the client and I were very happy with the end result.

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New Illuminated Hand Made Painted Night Lights

2009-11-20T12:29:00.000-08:00

Under Water Dreams, hand made, illuminated night light comes complete with UL night light fixture and bulb
Hand Painted Night Lights can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

I would like to share my newest project, which is a line of elegant painted glass night lights. These are hand made pieces. I cut, grind and slump the glass that is used as the canvas for these small illuminated painting creations. Each night light is hand painted by me and is unique as it's impossible to paint two totally alike.

Stay tuned for more art painted night lights to come...

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Light of a San Francisco Bay Area Glass Artist

2009-11-17T10:28:00.001-08:00

36" diameter, commissioned hand painted glass chandelier includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy
Hand Painted Glass Chandeliers can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

Painting on glass has really become an extension of my more traditional oil and watercolor flowers and I use this gift to allow myself a freedom that goes against my natural grain as a realist. And it is a gift in the greatest sense of the word. The main element in common between the three different mediums is my focus on light. I use "illumination in nature" as a theme in my work and it has helped to tie my bodies of work together. Nature and flowers are the main inspiration for my life's work and it is the sun that gives us the ability to live.

My path with illumination began sometime in the summer of 2006. I had begun to treat the element of light in my paintings differently. I had worked on and completed a series of coconut palm paintings that had an emphasis on light. These were successful, colorful oils that were filled with warmth. My relationship with the use of light in my paintings changed my work.

Most artists consider light in their works to be an essential component and yet we all treat it differently. I know that I think differently when I am painting on glass versus painting in oil or watercolor. However, the goal is the same: to capture the natural world as it baths in morning and evening rays.

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San Francisco Flower and Garden Show

2009-11-16T12:01:00.000-08:00

24" diameter, hand painted glass chandelier includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy
Hand Painted Glass Chandeliers can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

I am excited to announce that I will be exhibiting at the upcoming San Francisco Flower and Garden Show, March 24-28, 2010 at the San Mateo Event Center, BOOTH # 649. My elegant painted chandeliers in flower themes will be on display as will my tropical oil and watercolor flowers, which are inspired by the wonderful flowers that I see through my travels in the Hawaiian Islands.

More information about the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show can be found here: http://www.sfgardenshow.com

To see more, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com
and www.floravita.com

Owning a Hand Painted Glass Chandelier is Like Owning Fine Jewels

2009-11-15T16:46:00.000-08:00

36" diameter, custom commissioned chandelier includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy
Reverse Painted Glass Chandeliers can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

This is a piece that I've been meaning to post for a while. It was a 36" diameter chandelier that was commissioned and was shipped to Dallas, Texas. The general color theme is reds with accent colors of blues, magenta, green, purple and yellow. It had tropical birds, butterflies and hummingbirds...all requests made by the collectors who commissioned this custom chandelier.

This chandelier truly turned out to be a gem...kind of like owning a fine diamond ring.

To see more, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com
and www.floravita.com

custom hand painted glass chandelier

2009-10-29T11:30:00.001-07:00

24" diameter, includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy
Reverse Painted Glass Chandeliers can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

This piece is quite lovely in person and is full on the bottom but still has a very beautiful light quality. My vision for this piece is based on the most popular flowers of Hawaii, a theme that's been inspiring my last several painted chandeliers.

To see more, please visit my websites: www.floravitalights.com
and www.floravita.com

Wildflower Waltz, hand painted chandelier

2009-10-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

24" diameter, includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy
Reverse Painted Glass Chandeliers can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

It's been a very busy summer. Living the life of an artist is fully of excitement and new adventure, meeting new people and coming across new opportunities. With each new day there's new possibilities... With this theme of "new" in mind, here is one of my newest painted chandeliers!

To see more, please visit my website: www.floravita.com

Process of commissioned painted glass chandelier

2009-07-06T09:37:00.001-07:00

inside view of commissioned glass painting in progress, includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy
Reverse Painted Glass Chandeliers can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

The process of this commission piece started long before I ever picked up a brush. I had several emails and a couple phone calls with the client and they sent me colors of their room and imagery that included brightly colored flowers, birds and butterflies. I then slumped the glass to the size desired. This chandelier is large and measures almost 36" across. Glass shrinks in the kiln and it's a bit of a science in itself to slump larger pieces.

This is an interesting piece for me to work on because of it's particular challenges. The first challenge is that the client desires a chandelier with a predominate amount of reddish tones with several accent colors that will pop. The piece needs to have well-defined colors and I interpret this to mean that both the background colors need to be clear and the colors of the flowers and birds need to have contrast against the background. And the imagery in the chandelier needs to be dense.

And though this is just the first section of the painting, I've actually been contemplating this piece for quite a while. When it came time to start the painting, I choose to start with a section of the background red color and I also choose two brightly colored parrots that appeared several times in the imagery that the client sent. This would help me to anchor the piece because when I paint "for myself" I paint freely. With a commission, an artist works within a strict set of boundaries. I tend to paint very slowly with commissions. This one was quite tricky to start and already has several hours into it's process. The main problem with having colorful "dense" imagery is that is well defined in color is that your piece is at the risk of just being a very colorful piece. I need to maintain a certain reddish tone that will go well with the color of the room.

I would also like to add that it's iron fixture is also complete. I will just have to add the electrical.

As this piece progresses, it will be a challenge to keep the piece dense with colorful flowers, birds and butterflies and yet convey a feeling of "red". Over the next dozen hours, I will continue to move this piece into a dark-red zone...

Hope that made sense and if not, stay with me. Commissions are challenging on many levels and I promise you that this piece will turn out lovely in the end. You get to see the chandelier glass painting in progress with this post and I would like to add that reverse painted glass chandeliers are stunning when they are actually hung in a room. It is at this point that you get to fully appreciate how the piece was meant to be viewed.

To see more, please visit my website: www.floravita.com

custom hand painted glass chandelier for Jack & Betty

2009-06-02T15:33:00.000-07:00

commissioned glass painting, Partridge and the Pear Tree, includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy
Reverse Painted Glass Chandeliers can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

I love the challenge of making colors in my commissioned painted glass chandeliers work with my client's rooms. This piece is for a couple of dear friends who are also important figures in my local artist community. Betty's room has a very pale blue color, along with soft greens, yellows and rust colors. The couple collect pear and partridge themed sculptures and since that has been such a central theme in their decor, not to mention symbolic in their lives, it went without saying that their chandelier had to reflect the pear and partridge theme.

The challenge was also to create a piece that worked with the colors of their foyer, which are unusual and yet come off lovely. There is a single partridge bird on the other side and the white flowers were inspired by pear blossoms. The blue going around the right edge is exactly the color of the blue of their room. When I took this piece to them to view, it matched and complimented it's designated space beautifully.

I cannot wait to see this beautiful glass painted chandelier installed. It is titled, of course, Partridge and the Pear Tree. Happy 50th, Betty and Jack!

To see more, please visit my website: www.floravita.com

Contemporary Glass Painted Chandelier

2009-06-01T17:54:00.001-07:00

contemporary glass painting, Hibiscus Light detail, includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy
Reverse Painted Glass Chandeliers can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

So what does a fashion forward girl think of wearing steel toe shoes when she's doing iron work for her reverse painted glass chandeliers? Well, let me tell you it's not exactly a walk in the park when it's 90 degrees out!

My outfit when I bend iron and weld includes jeans (I bought my first pair of Wranglers just to bend), long sleeve 100% cotton shirts in black (the fabric is unfortunately thick), leather apron and of course, those elegant boots that I sport that look so cute on my husband. Trust me, when I'm finished, the first thing that comes off are the boots so that I can slip into my sandals!

The above piece is a detail from my painted glass chandelier, Hibiscus Light.

To see more, please visit my website: www.floravita.com

Hand Painted Glass Chandelier in Romantic Colors

2009-05-03T10:56:00.001-07:00

contemporary glass painting, Florals in Rustic Colors, includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy
Reverse Painted Glass Chandeliers can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

This is another view of one of my new hand painted glass chandeliers, titled Florals in Rustic Colors. This is a truly romantic piece and I'm looking forward to creating other works in similar colors.

You may wonder how artists juggle their work? I will tell you. As a full-time professional artist, I must divide my time up between completing commissions, creating new works for my shows and galleries, corresponding with clients and making sure all the busy work in my office is flowing along. And now each of those tasks must be divided up into several parts.

When I am creating new works for show, I must fist decide on if I will be creating new oil paintings, watercolors or glass painted chandeliers. Sometimes I am really being called to one medium and sometimes it's because I need more landscapes in oil or flowers in watercolor!

This week I will be both creating a new tropical oil landscape painting and finishing up a glass painted chandelier commission with pears, pear blossoms, pear leaves and a wild flower or two for two of my most favorite people who are both clients and dear friends and artists.

To see more, please visit my website: www.floravita.com

Reverse Painted Glass Chandelier in Rustic Colors

2009-05-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

glass painting, Florals in Rustic Colors, includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy
Reverse Painted Glass Chandelier Lamps can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

This beautiful reverse painted glass chandelier sold to a lovely couple in Southern California. The color theme was rustic and I loved the effects of the color blends. And it's the color blends that are the most exciting part of the painting process, for me as an artist. I love to experiment with color and see what happens!

Each piece is a new adventure. Tomorrow I will begin the painting process of a custom piece based on pears and partridges...more to come on that!

Thank you for viewing my newest reverse glass painted chandelier!

To see more, please visit my website at: www.floravita.com

Rain forest Reverse Painted Glass Chandelier

2009-04-27T15:59:00.001-07:00

glass painting, Rainforest Exotics, includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy
Reverse Painted Glass Chandelier Lamps can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

This reverse painted glass chandelier was a total pleasure to create! I really enjoy painting the pieces that have different colors going around the bowl. I experiment with different color combinations so each piece is unique.

This is a particularly exciting week because our pond will finally be one step closer to completion. We're having the rock waterfall created by a professional, who is known for large water installations. I'm so excited because my backyard has been in the works for years, with my husband Patrick toiling many long hours and days to create our tropical paridise.

Thank you for looking at one of my newest reverse glass painted chandeliers!

To see more, please visit my website at: www.floravita.com

18" Reverse Painted Glass Chandelier

2009-04-15T18:11:00.001-07:00

glass painting, Lotus Magic, includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy
Reverse Painted Glass Chandelier Lamps can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

Just got back from Waikiki. This is my second trip to the islands in two months. The last trip I stayed mostly in the North Shore of Oahu but this time my mother and I shopped and sunbathed in Waikiki and Honolulu.

I love to travel but it does take me away from my work. Sometimes it's necessary for business and I do create small paintings on these trips but my glass art is all done in focus here in my studio. And actually, I'm excited because I'm getting ready to create three new commission pieces.

The above piece is an example of a smaller, 18" diameter reverse painted chandelier and has beautiful floral highlight elements that are similar to art nouveau designs.

To see more, please visit my website at: www.floravita.com

Tropical Flower Painting

2009-04-05T10:25:00.001-07:00

glass painting, Peacock Floral, includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy
Reverse Painted Glass Chandelier Lamps can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

This reverse painted glass chandelier went to a very dear client. It's been one of my favorite works and continues to inspire my new pieces. So I want to say, "Thank you, Chris, for being such a supportive friend and collector". I hope you enjoy this piece!

Please visit my website at: www.floravita.com

Humming Bird Flight, painted glass chandelier

2009-04-04T11:44:00.000-07:00

glass painting, Humming Bird Flight, includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy
Reverse Painted Glass Chandelier Lamps can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

Painted glass chandeliers were very popular during the Victorian era and Philip Julius Handel started the Handel Company in 1876 in Connecticut. He is credited with making reverse painted lamp shades extremely popular. In their time, they were more affordable options to the popular Tiffany lamps. His business thrived through out the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods. Some of my inspiration comes from these highly collectible painted glass lamp shades.

Please visit my website at: www.floravita.com

Reverse Painted Glass Chandelier with tropical birds

2009-03-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

glass painting, Parrot Floral, includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy
Reverse Painted Glass Chandelier Lamps can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

Painted chandeliers are a wonderful way to illuminate a room. They bring such warmth with colors and imagery. This is the other side to Parrot Floral, which I sold a few months ago...still this piece inspires me to paint. And though each piece is different in colors, choice of flowers, birds and animals, I still study the works that I have done in the past and the parts that I felt worked particularly well.

In this piece, I loved the way the flowers form the background for the blue and yellow Macaw and how the piece transforms into cooler blues and violets on the other side. Even the tropical red flowers have a cooler feeling.

Please visit my website at: www.floravita.com

Reverse Painted Glass Chandelier Lamps

2009-03-16T16:24:00.000-07:00

glass painting, Parrot Florals, includes irons, electrical, chain and canopy
Reverse Painted Glass Chandelier Lamps can be purchased from the artist, Jenny Floravita

Reverse painted glass chandeliers are a passion of mine. Painting on glass has a long history and I'll explore that in this blog. The above piece is titled Parrot Floral and I sold this work in the fall of 2008.

It just occurred to me that the title of this piece is Parrot Florals but you cannot see the parrots from this angle! Part of the beauty of this kind of work is that as you move around the light, you see different elements and depending on the size of the piece, there are really multiple scenes to behold.

I will post other images of this particular piece later.

Please visit my website at: www.floravita.com