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

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

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

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

**********
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

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.

**************

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

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.

**************

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

Reverse Painted Chandelier for Lake Tahoe Art Scene

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.

**************

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

New Illuminated Hand Made Painted Night Lights

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...

**************

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

Light of a San Francisco Bay Area Glass Artist

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.

**************

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

San Francisco Flower and Garden Show

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

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