Art Can be a Part of Community Support

Inspiration, innovation, design, practical and aesthetically pleasing is the combination of ingredients used at Castle Designer Glass when transforming glass into art. From the commencing of a project to the very end we value most the support we provide our clients and friends through our artists and staff. Come to us with an idea and we will transform it into a reality, come to us without an idea and we will help you choose what you need for your commercial, residential, retail, business or community environment. Sherbrooke Community Center not only supports quality of life and growth of each individual their support reaches the community as a whole. Their effort to strive providing each resident with companionship, opportunities to give and receive care is endless and continuous throughout their years of their existence. Changes have taken place at Sherbrooke Community Center since 1960; in their third stage of construction they have included a living environment for 103 residents plus a chapel, auditorium, community day program space, a gift shop and coffee kiosk, a child day care, and therapy areas. Castle Designer Glass is proud to be in support of Sherbrooke Community Center by contributing materials, resources and time to one of their splendid projects. The Community Center with talented artists (who have taken art to a new level) will be using materials for the creation of a mosaic that will hang in its chapel.

The Hidden Benefits of Art in Your Environment

I bet that the room you are presently standing in has everything from functional to practical; perhaps something is missing? Is there any art in the room that is pleasing or catches your eye? If you don’t already know… a piece of art in your home, chalet, business office, restaurant or school can provide some hidden benefits. It is stated that pieces of art displayed around your environment gives you a sense of culture, relaxation, improves cognitive functions, and even improves one's self-esteem. In an office environment a piece of art provides a cozy welcome to customers and clients; it can help also communicate your company’s brand values; but most importantly it can provide life to dead spaces and energize colleagues and employees. If you are a mom, “Introducing your child to art can play a pivotal role in your child's development. Art can help develop a child's creativity, imagination, cognitive skills, problem-solving abilities, fine motor skills, and much more.” Furthermore, it can help your child with their boredom and your stress levels. For example, your little one can channel their energy by painting a picture instead of bouncing up and down and all around. If you are new to the world of art, don’t stress art comes in many forms from paintings to sculptures and even figurines. Choose a piece of art that can blend nicely with the colors, the textures and the decor already in place; this is always a great way to start. If you wish to try using art that is unique, why not use glass and art at the same time. Castle Designer Glass provides unique freestanding glass art that can be a great piece for any room at home, business, etc. Glass art is only limited by the size of the kiln, allowing for large free-standing pieces (often displayed with custom made stands to hold them upright). Any variety of texture, paint, and frosting is applied to create the desired effects, and large pieces such as these serve well as room dividers and conversation pieces. They are best seen in person for their sheer scale and impressiveness. Visit our examples of freestanding glass art already made at http://www.castledesignerglass.com/category/22-glass-art-freestanding-other.html

When Lightning Creates Glass

If you haven’t already seen the movie “Sweet Home Alabama” you missed out on some beautiful glass sculptures. Sculptures are made naturally when lightning hits the sand making the sand hot enough; transforming glass in the natural shape of lightning forms. When lightning hits sand we will see a shape of fragile rock called fulgurite being created. The University of Florida’s Dr. Vladimir A. Rakov stated that, “there are two phenomena that are responsible for making natural glass on Earth: meteorites and lightning.” Glass that is made as a result of the collision of a meteorite with the Earth's surface is called meteoritic glass or tektite. Glass (a glassy object, to be exact) that is made as a result of a cloud-to-ground lightning discharge is called a fulgurite (from the Latin "fulgur" which means lightning). Fulgurites come in a great variety of forms and can be viewed as “nature's own works of art.” Although this is fascinating, I would not suggest you try it yourself using a rod, a bucket and pure composites such as silca, quarts and carbon, as it is very dangerous and not the easiest way to making glass or beautiful glass items for your home. The architectural glass used in your home comes in different shapes and sizes. If you are in need of a change maybe using glass for your stairs, balconies and decks could be the answer. Today, glass is the hottest trend to take hold of the industry. Glass is often used as railings on stairs, balconies, and decks for its tough components because it is easy-to-maintain and makes any space seem larger. At Castle Designer Glass, we can custom design and install any style of glass railing in your space. Combinations of texture, paint, and frosting can be used to create a design to match your unique application. If you’d like a custom quote; visit us at http://www.castledesignerglass.com/category/11-glass-railings.html

Customize Glass in Your Home as You Would Customize Your Dream Glass Home

Presently, we see home design turn in a different direction where Glass Homes are becoming more and more popular. Glass homes are being built as well as being lived in by families around the world. My interest as well as my curiosity in glass homes has increased. Beyond adoring their aesthetical structure and architectural design, my interest and curiosity stems from their advantages over the more traditional home. Living in a glass home will provide you with all the sunlight you wish to receive. Vitamin D is essential to human health and your environment. Getting enough sun will ultimately allow you to avoid taking Vitamin D as a supplement. There are many health benefits in receiving balanced exposure to sunlight for example; helps the intestine absorb nutrients, regulates blood pressure, reduces stress and respiratory infections, aids in insulin secretion, helps fight depression, etc. James Muir states “natural light is the best light we can get. It varies through the day, and psychologically stops fatigue in many environments, and makes the internal environment much more interesting.” http://www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s1343223.htm Unless you are building a home from scratch, Glass homes offer a mass customization ideology rather than a mass production ideology. Glass homes are the future as they enable the homeowner to incorporate their unique wants and needs of sunlight and sustainability. Homes can incorporate solar design, natural cross- ventilation, minimal energy consumption, recycled & recyclable materials, stormwater detention, indoor-outdoor flow & so on in their glass home design. Depending on your needs and desires your customized glass home can align uniquely with the importance of your lifestyle. Glass homes provide you unlimited choice! Regardless, if your necessity is to maximize on privacy and sunlight like the Portuguese courtyard house or to engage with nature on many levels as does the insanely cool house located in Cape Town, South Africa (shown at http://www.trendir.com/house-design/) it can be constructed with the right architect. More importantly, Glass homes reflect modern uniqueness rather than the traditional ordinary. Castle designer Glass understands variety, choice and uniqueness. On one hand, if building a dream glasshouse today is not yet a reality you can on the other hand, incorporate different aspects of glass into your home emphasizing on characteristics of innovation and design. One of the many products we offer are backsplashes which are made using 6mm strengthened glass. Strengthened glass can be subjected to much more heat and impact than regular float glass. This unique custom glass is certainly a popular feature for a kitchen or bathroom. You no longer have to settle for the plain-color glass panels that most backsplash manufacturers supply. There is no limit to the design possibilities at Castle Designer Glass as there are no limits in building a Glass Home with the right architect.

Celebrating Glass at the London Olympics

I am really amazed at the amount of detail that the artists created the art featured in the Swansea Olympic Games art display http://bbc.in/Mb9wNd. From soccer and discus throwing to a spectacular piece that pays homage to the Games beginnings in Greece, the artists have captured the spirit and emotion of the competition. The exhibition will only open officially for a private viewing today by Gwyn L Williams, the Creative Programmer for Wales for London 2012 at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea but it is already getting worldwide attention for its creative use of glass. A jury of four judges whittled the exhibit down to thirty seven panels, after receiving over sixty entries. I would have hated to be one of the judges for that competition! Most of the glass art was created by students at the Swansea School of Glass, and painters from the British Society of Master Glass. I really think that the power of art is its ability to stimulate the senses and create conversation. Love it or hate it, everybody has to have an opinion on a piece of art! Glass art is unique because light can play a role in the interpretation of the piece. The world is full of great art. Whether its “Bent of Mind” by British artist Tony Cragg at the Nangang Software Park or John McEwen's Search Light, Star Light, Spot Light in Toronto, art is meant to be shared and enjoyed by everyone. In the spirit of the world's Olympic Games, art is the best way to promote the values of the games, Excellence, Respect and Friendship.

Why I Just Love Glass

My love for glass goes back many years ago, when I was visiting Europe and some other parts of the world. I was enamored with the beautiful glass art that I saw on my voyages. When I came back to lovely Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 2008, I started my business, wanting to share my passion for artistic glass work with others. So I purchased my first kiln, and decided to try it for myself. Today,four years later Castle Designer Glass has earned the reputation for creating custom designer glassworks that will get people talking about our customers, for the right reasons. We're well known for our innovative approach to glasswork, and we have most recently added the extremely practical and versatile glass whiteboards that can be installed in different interior spaces, including offices, board rooms, schools or hospitals. Our glass whiteboards come are manufactured in two ways 1) back painting the glass white or 2) sandblasting the glass. We also frame it with some shiny hardware to make it standout. Our glass whiteboards are highly functional and pleasing to the eye. I guess that the educational philosophy behind our the glass whiteboards is that the more students like their surroundings, the more they'll be motivated to learn. And cleaning is a snap, using mild detergents will keep your glass whiteboard stain free! Designer glass is a stunning way to add value and distinction to any space. It is a diverse material that can be used in door inserts, dining tables, countertops, wall décor and feature walls.