Vivian Kapusta & Debbie Hungle & Michelle Mason

Theme / concept        Translucence

Vivian Kapusta

Fibre Art Piece:           Sheer Beauty

When I chose my cousin as my partner, the challenge was to find common ground.  Debbie and her partner, Michelle, work in fused glass. We decided on ‘translucence’ as our theme. My project is in layered sheers to represent the transparency of glass. Our focus is butterflies& flowers.

Debbie Hungle  and  Michelle Mason           

Fused Glass:                Ethereality

Glass butterflies being painted with ground glass pigments.

 Vivian has long since inspired us to bring quilting into our fused glass designs, so we were excited for the opportunity to create an art piece alongside her. While the theme of ‘translucence’ might seem to be a simple one for glass artists, our challenge was to find ways to create textures in our glass to mirror those of fabric. Fusing the background glass onto textured papers and fiberglass fabrics helped in this effect. To create the rich details in the butterflies, they were painted with a powdered glass emulsion, fused then slumped or molded to create a three dimensional effect. We added texture to our flower by using ground glass frit and gently slumping in a ceramic mold. We feel that together silk fabric and translucent glass can capture the ethereal beauty of nature.

Vivian Kapusta & Debbie Hungle & Michelle Mason

Project complete!

Sheer Beauty by Vivian Kapusta

Project complete!

The process:
Finally, a project that has been nurtured in my mind is becoming a reality!

My cousin Deb and I have talked about our plan over time and busy lives have been a problem.

However, I now have my project in motion ... a layered fibre piece that is sufficiently along to enable Deb and Michelle to work on their project ... a fused glass plate.

This little piece was the inspiration for colour and theme.

This is my sketch ... not biologically correct, but loosely based on a Blue Swallow Tail.

This pink poppy will be the base for the flower ... but, in a peachy tone.

This is my butterfly, a thread painting on layers of Solvy stabilizer. 12 inches by 14.

The rough plan for the layers of sheer ... 

So ... back to the studio!
You can see more of my work on:

http://www.fibreartnetwork.com/artists-gallery.php?artist=51

http://vivian-institches.blogspot.com/

And you can see the glass work by Deb and Michelle on:

http://www.madaboutglass.com/main.php

A little about me and my cousin!

Hi! I'm Vivian Kapusta.

I'm organizing the "Together' show for the La Conner Quilt and Textile Museum. It will open with QuiltFest at the end of September and close at the end of December. www.laconnerquilts.com/

We are pairing a fibre artist together with an artist who works in another medium. The two artists will collaborate on the theme. They may work together on one piece or each may produce their own piece ... the work must link together in some way. It needs to share a common style, idea, theme, colour scheme, or ???

9 months from now ... our work will be on display.

You can see what keeps me busy on my blog: http://vivian-institches.blogspot.com/

My partner is my cousin Debbie Hungle and she will be working with her friend and business partner Michelle Mason. Our theme/concept is transparency.

Debbie has always worked with arts & crafts in one way or another. For years, she taught soapstone carving in schools around the lower mainland. As a stay-at-home mom, she and her friend Michelle have worked together for years. They now specialize in fused glassware that is 'slumped' in a kiln. A hobby has grown into a thriving business! They sell to many giftware stores. You may recognize something you have seen, or even something you have bought!

You can learn more: http://www.madaboutglass.com/main.php

Check out their unique glassware: http://www.madaboutglass.com/gallery/galleryhome.php