Glenmark Glass Design

GLENYS FENTIMAN ARTIST STATEMENT:
Glenys Fentiman is a Mosaic Artist working mainly with Stained Glass. She also incorporates ceramics, gold and silver leaf, paints, crystals and metallic elements.
The texture and reflectivity of glass gives life to each piece. As the ambient light changes, and the viewing aspect alters, the artwork’s beauty acquires a different character.
Glenys creates two- and three – dimensional pieces, varying in size depending on the subject. Her subjects are abstracts, landscapes and most recently her own style in portraiture. Some pieces, such as her Lazy Susan line, are functional as well as beautiful.
Depending on the substrates used, many are suitable for outdoor display.
The colours and textures in and of glass are often an inspiration in themselves. Glenys has produced whole pieces from the ideas generated by just one element.
Her work can be grouped into its various series, which currently are:

Abstract
Magic Carpet
Argentum
Panels
Glass Girls

ABSTRACT:
Glenys often begins these works with just a single line which evolves into the completed piece. Challenges arise if she wants to use a particular colour but it is just not available in glass. Unlike a painter who can blend colours to achieve the desired result, glass has a limited palette of colours. Sometimes the design takes an entirely new direction because of this.
Of course, it’s not just about colour – the design also uses texture and flow to create a pleasing balance.

MAGIC CARPET:
A highly diverse series incorporating elements such as stained glass, bevels, millefiori, reverse painting, gold and silver leaf, crystals, glass tiles, faceted glass, glass beads, metal elements and, most recently, images under glass.
Glenys is able to use her amazing cutting skills to create seemingly impossible intricate glass shapes and designs.
The creative process involved in this series is highly challenging. Starting the design in one corner of the piece, she allows it to develop from there using some or all of the elements at her disposal.
Each piece is unique, and can be personalised using images or text set under glass segments, for example a photo or a favourite saying.



MAGIC CARPET:
A highly diverse series incorporating elements such as stained glass, bevels, millefiori, reverse painting, gold and silver leaf, crystals, glass tiles, faceted glass, glass beads, metal elements and, most recently, images under glass.
Glenys is able to use her amazing cutting skills to create seemingly impossible intricate glass shapes and designs.
The creative process involved in this series is highly challenging. Starting the design in one corner of the piece, she allows it to develop from there using some or all of the elements at her disposal.
Each piece is unique, and can be personalised using images or text set under glass segments, for example a photo or a favourite saying.

PANELS:
Generally abstract in design, these can be displayed either indoors or outdoors in a protected position, ie not directly exposed to sun/rain.
The most spectacular to date is “Headland to Hinterland”, a stylised landscape of the vista from Caloundra to the Glasshouse Mountains.


GLASS GIRLS:
It’s all about the hair! With a very limited palette of coloured glass to work with, particularly in skin tones, I decided that photo – realistic portraits were not my “thing”.
I have developed my own stylised designs, and made each girl’s hair the most striking element of the piece. My first two (“Amber” and “Beatrice”) were so much fun to create I’ve decided to make them Number 1 and 2 in a series with each piece named for a letter of the alphabet. “Celeste” is next!
Each girl in the series will be unique in shape, size and colouring.