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Cherrie La Porte
www.cherrielaporte.com
Artist Name: Cherrie La Porte
Title of Piece # 1: Glass Kelp
Media: mosaic glass surfboard with fused and stained glass
Dimensions: 6’H x 21”W x 3”D
Retail Price: $5,500 + tax
Artist’s Statement: Inspired by the iconic shape, the recycled surfboard gave me a platform to represent an array of colorful and beautiful glass remnants that merged together to give a new purpose in the realm of glass sculpture. Most of the glass used was broken shards of blown glass that were fused flat to be incorporated in something new…the mosaic sculpture. The leaves were created out of the colors available from the scrap glass and shaped into an abstract kelp image.
Title of Piece # 2: Glass Eucalyptus Leaf
Media: glass surfboard with fused and stained glass
Dimensions: 7’H x 2’W x 6”D
Retail Price: $5,200 + tax
Artist’s Statement: This surfboard shape was iconic of the ambiguous eucalyptus leaf so common to our community. The leaves take form with colors I had available in scrap blown glass pieces that were then fused flat and incorporated into mosaic. The sculpture looks best hanging in a tree to give it a subtle unexpected appearance.
Title of Piece # 3: Dichroic Light Pod
Media: dichroic glass soldered with architectural glass and blown glass finals
Dimensions: 2 1/2’H x 1’W
Retail Price: $1,200 + tax
Artist’s Statement: Dichroic glass hanging pod is a large kinetic suncatcher soldered with lead, stained glass, and dichroic glass with added blown glass finals. This kinetic hanging pod is meant to dazzle and enchant your senses when the colors are thrown as sunlight hits the glass. The pod seems to forever change colors in different lighting making for an entertaining and unusual garden sculpture.
Title of Piece # 4 and # 5: Geo Dichroic Glass Suncatcher
Media: Dichroic, bevels, and architectural glass
Dimensions: 20" x 6"
Retail Price: $395 each + tax
Artist’s Statement: Dichroic glass hanging sun catcher is designed by soldered lead to dichroic glass, beveled and architectural glass into an unusual hanging form. The sun catcher seems to forever change colors in different lighting making for an entertaining and unusual garden sculpture.
Artist Bio: Cherrie La Porte has been working as a glass artist professionally for over 15 years. She designs glass jewelry and sculpture in an abstract contemporary style giving attention to bold colors, eclectic forms, and texture that inspires the imagination and is appealing to the eye. She was first introduced to the art of stained glass in 1980 at Foss High School in Tacoma, WA, which she pursued as a hobby. After many career changes she returned to glass expanding her technique to include fused art glass and blown glass. She started a glass gift collection called Play of Colors which was a success while she made the transition to an art career with a focus of fused art glass, blown glass, outdoor garden art, and bronze sculpture. Most of her skills have been self-taught, with a few private workshops and art classes at Palomar College. Her current focus is her fused glass jewelry collection in which she creates a wide range of glass necklaces. She feels jewelry is part of our personal story. It is her intention to enhance the beauty and personal style of the wearer and to add to their personal story. She enjoys using fused glass as a way to express oneself. She also teaches fused glass jewelry making at her studio.
On a larger scale, her artwork has evolved by blending glass and metal creatively into sculptures infused with her own personal style full of color and boldness. Large glass garden panels and dichroic glass mobiles and mosaic sculpture have been her signature pieces over the years adding dazzle to any garden. She also works with her husband, Garry Cohen, who is a professional glass artist and educator, in their hot shop assisting him in making many blown glass creations. Together they have created “Glass Ranch” at their residence in Escondido by Lake Hodges with a hot shop, a fused glass studio, a sculpture garden, and a glass gallery. The landscape, with a view of Lake Hodges, is designed with the concept of many spaces and is an art showcase created by the couple with paths that lead you to interesting art giving visitors a chance to become inspired with ideas for their own environment. Their creations are on exhibit year round with many pieces never being exposed to other galleries or gift shops. They offer two Open Glass Ranch Studio tours annually. Cherrie and Garry make art their life and encourage others in their pursuit of an aesthetically balanced life. They invite guests and collectors to come and visit their live working artist couple’s environment.
Photo: Rachel Cobb |
