Eagle, Idaho - When we first considered artists to feature on The Artist Life, Edie Martin immediately came to mind. She's a dear aunt, but she happens to be an award-winning glass artist.
Last week we travelled to Idaho to spend time with family and also see more of Edie's work.
The magic happens in a studio consisting of work tables, sandblasting equipment, 3 kilns, work tables, well-organized shelves, and a killer view of the Boise River valley. It's a creative space any artist would die for.
Edie's work includes jewelry, Christmas ornaments, lamps, decorative plates, windows and more. Occasionally, she will have events where she invites clients into her studio where they can see her process and choose from the beautiful work she creates.
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Pictured above are Edie and our own, Linda Martin.
Edie is explaining how she works with dichroic glass to make the fused art candle lamps. Pieces are first created flat in a kiln firing by adding accents, inclusions, bits of dichroic glass, iridescent or other frit (ground glass), and other kinds of "bling" to fuse to the basic piece of art glass. They are fired a second time over a mold to form the desired shape. They are heated and cooled at a very controlled rate to maximize control over the shape and to anneal the glass properly for maximum durability. Each piece is unique and breathtaking.
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“I live for the moment when I lift a piece from my work table or remove it from the kiln and see it with the light coming through it for the first time as a finished art piece," said Edie. "Viewing the artwork during the process of being made does not begin to compare with seeing it when the light shines through it. The light brings the work to life.”
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Photos by Linda Martin and Nancy Moses |
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