Year in Review

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What a year, huh?

I had just taken part in a gallery show of my art glass panels when everything shut down. My studio closed to visitors, and Third Fridays at 78th Street Studios were suspended. I had a few commissions and took on lots of repair and restoration work, which worked out well as I was only onsite for removals and installs. Basically, I worked the days away in the safety and solitude of my little studio hermitage. Everyone seemed to be focused on home improvement through the summer, so I had plenty to do.

As things progressed, Third Fridays came back with limited attendance. It was nice to have feedback and interactions with people in the studio again. Things were starting to feel kind of normal again, which I suppose is how we got back to where we are today.

With COVID numbers spiking, we’re going into a Holiday Shopping Season that needs to be different than any we’ve seen before. This is not a year for jam-packed Bazaar weekends and Blow-out Open House Events. Instead, we are online. When we do meet in-person, our visits are spread out and scheduled.

A number of businesses at 78th Street Studios are offering Weekend hours through the end of the year to accommodate shoppers without the crowds associated with previous years’ events. So don’t be discouraged - plan a visit, be it online or in person. I’ll be available at the studio for visits if you’d like to come in to pick out a Barcode Block or a small hanging panel. You can go to my online store and have your item shipped or arrange a parking lot pick-up.

Supporting local working artists may be more important this year than ever. We are flexible and innovative, so if there’s something that’d make things easier for you, let me know. Local delivery? Stay late for an after-hours studio visit? We can work it out. Call or text 440-225-2937 or email info@brucebuchanandesign.com
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My hours through the end of the year are listed further down. Hope to see you in person or online. Thanks everybody for your support in the past and for your continued patronage. Buy Local! Buy Art! Support Small Business!

Stairwell Suite for a Restored Century Home

All of my projects are different. Thank goodness. Different situations call for different solutions. Sometimes you start with a blank slate, and other times you are granted a clue as to what should be. Sometimes things zoom along, and other times there are hang-ups and hiccups. The process is always enjoyable for me, taking ideas and making them into tangible physical things that will last for generations. 
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This project, a total “to-the-studs” renovation of a Cleveland century home, started with a few remaining bits of a suite of stained glass windows from the stairwell landing. 

Above: The majority of the glass was missing, including the entire center section. From the existing glass, I sketched up a riff on the old design.

I matched some of the old glass and took the opportunity to change out the gold background with a lighter, quieter option. The old green circles would be re-used in the new windows along with rows of teal and deep blue, a favorite of the homeowners. In the center panel I hoped to use a medallion of a really exuberant colorful glass that would dazzle the eyes and pull all of the colors of the design together. 
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The renovation project took quite a while, and the glass was about the last thing to be installed, so I had plenty of time to overthink things. Some of the glass I wanted was unavailable, and the dimensions of the side panels changed along the way. Adjustments were made, and new solutions found. In that time, I also happened upon the gorgeous piece of glass for the center medallion - at an estate sale of all places. It was the right thing at the right time. 
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The design of the windows is appropriate to the age of the house I think, but also feels fresh and light, and in harmony with the openness of the newly renovated home.

​Photos by Bruce Buchanan.

I designed and built this window for a client who was building a Mid-century, Retro-style bar in their Ohio City home.

Their first bit of direction was to take inspiration from the artist Kandinsky. Knowing this, I visited their home to assess the project and saw their amazing collection of art, the plans for the super-cool bar, and some great wallpaper they planned to use.

Clearly they were not afraid of making a statement. So I forged ahead, designing something we termed “pleasantly janky” and modern for the space. The design incorporates textured and colored translucent and opalescent glass to hold the light and obscure the view.

The panel’s bold presence cannot be denied, but it plays well with the other art in the space and feels right at home. ​

People often comment on how different my projects are from one another. My latest commission piece bears that out. The client wanted something blue and flow-y for the master bath. Having met with her and gotten a sense of her vibe, I sketched up a plan. It was unlike anything I’d done before, but felt like it’d be fun to work on.

When she trusted me to do what I do, I couldn’t have been happier. The result is a window that sings. The curvy framework is a balance of looseness and structure where color and light intermingle. The shapes evoke a sense of flowing water and bubbles, but aren’t literal. It is my hope that one could wander visually through the dynamic design - over and over, ever amused. ​
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The windows are constructed of multiple pieces of clear glass within a lead framework like traditional leaded windows. Here, though, the leads are carved and cut to taper and have irregularities like a branch does. (I’ve seen too many “spaghetti trees” where the line weight doesn’t vary. I knew I could craft something better.)

The result is a quiet, dimensional branch silhouette on a clear ground. Seems like it couldn’t be simpler, but it’s because of the nuance and attention to detail that the windows have a gravity and elegance befitting their new home. ​