originalstrokes

928 Orange Avenue • Coronado, CA

tel. 619.435.0212 / fax. 619.435.0327

Open Monday-Saturday 10-6

Sunday 12-5

Or by appointment

Mark Sigafoos

On the evening of October 6th, Rock Island Gallery hosted a special exhibition of hand-blown glass by Mark Sigafoos. If you missed the show, perhaps you have strolled through the lobby of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, marveling at the hand-blown glass flowers that adorn the massive lobby ceiling. Mark was a member of the artistic team that crafted this masterpiece, and his amazing skill and creativity is reflected in every piece of glass that bears his signature.

Hand-blown glass begins its life in a form somewhat similar to beach sand but much more refined. It is placed into a crucible in a 2400 degree furnace where it melts down into a molten liquid. A five-foot long stainless steel blowpipe is then used to gather a small amount of molten glass. The molten glass is colorless so color is added by rolling it through small pieces of colored glass or a part of a solid color bar which then adheres to the molten glass.

The piece (which is on the end of the five-foot long blowpipe) is then placed into the "glory hole". A "glory hole" is an area of the furnace which is used to re-heat the glass as it is being worked on. It is important to keep the piece at a consistent temperature, so it must be inserted into the "glory hole" often. This melts the color chips into the molten glass to form one mass of colored glass.

The colored molten glass is now shaped by blowing into the blowpipe and expanding the mass. After the piece is blown to the desired size, it must be transferred to another pipe for further shaping. This is a very crucial part of the glassblowing process - the point of contact and the break-off point need to be at the correct temperature. Ninety percent of the re-work is due to unsuccessful transfers.

After a successful transfer to the new pipe, the glass can be further opened and manipulated into various shapes. When the desired shape has been obtained, the piece is placed into an annealer where it slowly cools for eight hours. This final step adds strength to the piece.

The Art of Daniella Foletto

Daniella Foletto's "Prehistoric Collection" has deep roots indeed, dating back to the Paleolithic cave art in the Dordogne region of Southwestern France, where more than 100 ancient caves have been discovered. As a young girl, Ms. Foletto visited the famous Lascaux cave, and marveled at the limestone walls covered with paintings of prehistoric animals. The visual impact of her visit to Lascaux stayed with Daniella for years.

After a successful movie and television career where she co-starred with such leading men as Richard Burton, David Niven, Rossano Brazzi, and Jack Palance, Foletto rededicated herself to the arts. Daniella's oil paintings reflect her many passions, including wildlife in the "African Collection"; family roots in "Venetian Love Letters" and "Tuscany"; and the raw beauty of Tahiti and Moorea in "South Pacific". Her latest collection visits the endless flower fields of Giverny, France in "Floral Fields".

But, it was her visit to Lascaux, many years ago that inspired Foletto to share her vision of prehistoric art with the world. First, she recreated the heavy texture of limestone cave walls on her canvas, and then used earthly colors to paint the ancient herds of horses, deer, and aurochs. The paintings of the "Prehistoric Collection" embody a style and energy never before seen on canvas.

Ms. Foletto's inspiration for this dramatic collection is best described in her own words… "As an artist and painter, I am thankful for our ancestors who expressed, in such a natural way, their love and appreciation of life. Crawling in the dark on their hands and knees, deep under the ground, they found the cave walls, where, with the help of a small hand carved limestone lamp, they painted, not for glory, not for fame, but for the simple pleasure to create and tell their story".

Artist Night at The Rock:

Mark Sigafoos

The Art of Daniella Foletto