I am a Vintage lover and a mixed media glass artist.
Back when I was a kid, morphing back & forth between my San Francisco Bay Area life and my grandparent’s cattle ranch in the Cascade Mountains, I was immersed into the contrast between my Mom’s new Danish modern furniture and the cowboy ruggedness of the old 1800’s ranch. I was living in two different worlds; rough goes to polished, rustic meets refined. And I was loving it…
During the 1970’s, I studied color theory & interior design at the Rudolph Schaeffer School of Design in San Francisco. I also moved into a 50 year old redwood cottage on 3 1/2 forested acres, and discovered that the soft natural light inside those rustic rooms was a perfect setting for the rich glow of stained glass. So, I decided to find a class and learn how to make leaded glass windows. As I gained more experience, I realized my style of design was best suited to the Tiffany copper foil technique which allows me greater freedom for more intricate work.
In the early 80s, I left California and moved to Sedona, AZ. I would spend the next 25 years there, designing and creating architectural stained glass windows for private homes, restaurants and hotels in Northern Arizona. I also started making collage and assemblage glass art, mixing vintage and found objects with more traditional elements.
These days I’m living in California’s gold country, making art and buying & selling cool old stuff. I’m still loving the contrast, mixing it up as The Vintaquarian.
Gia Swango
Flickr.com/photos/TheVintaquarian
Vintage sensibilities for a modern world…
