Gail Christofferson Tess Healey Glass Artists Gail Christofferson and Tess Healy Share Their Thoughts on the Medium They Love By Ed Conn This month, TSN conducted a virtual interview with Tess Healy and Gail Christofferson, two glass artists who have made a wonderful impact on the Toledo artistic glass scene. When did glass become your preferred artistic medium? Tess: I found glass in college while getting a degree in digital art and immediately fell in love, though some days making animations is still my favorite thing to do. Especially on hot days. Gail: About 20 years ago I tried a stain glass class and fell in love with the tactical quality of glass. I started to use my scrap glass for mosaic projects and my mosaic journey began. I have worked my way to creating large-scale public mosaic murals from a very modest beginning of creating my own small pieces and teaching. I now focus on large-scale murals, many of them involving the community, and programs that bring art to at-risk teens. Can you tell our readers about your style of art? How would you describe your glass making technique? Tess: I like to make clean functional forms with sharp lines and fun colors. I’d like to describe my Page 8 technique as fast and methodical but realistically most of the time I get lost in the process and tend to nitpick the piece. Planning ahead and being prepared is the most important part. Gail: I would describe my mosaic style as relaxed or loose. I am not all about how perfect the mosaic pieces fit together, but more about the flow of the piece. My process begins with the illustration and installation parameters and then the purchase of the glass. The glass for each project has it’s own characteristics and may determine the direction the mural will take. Once in the studio, I find the design and the glass can begin to take shape, with each project having a unique angle of some kind. Of course if the community will have a hands-on part in creating the mural, I also take that into consideration. How do you bring your art to the public? Tess: Participation in local auctions and shows, thankfully many people thought up creative solutions to showing work this past year and I was able to participate in online galleries. Gail: I combine grant funded projects which typically address reducing the stigma of mental illness, working with at-risk teens and corporate and public art funded murals. I have built my art practice with strong relationships with my clients and making sure I create pieces that reach their goals and visions as well as my own. Does Toledo’s history of support of the artistic glass movement play any role in your living and working here? Tess: The city and communities support of local studios is always inspiring, I appreciate living in a city that celebrates local artists and small businesses. Who are your inspirations? Tess: Female glass artists. I am inspired by the talented Debra Buchanan, a local fine artist that I collaborate with on a regular basis and my husband, Bruce Works who runs a successful creative business as a commercial photographer. I am also inspired by the wealth of local talent we have right here in Toledo and the support the arts community provides to each other. Gail, You have done some amazing collaborative work with our Toledo Streets Vendors. Can you share your experience? Are there any planes for a future project? Gail: My Lovell grant projects have given me the opportunity to use the TSN vendors to prep glass and help even manage projects that address mental health. The vendors provided the labor I needed for the hand preparation of the glass. A typical mosaic mural can consist of thousands of pieces of glass and the time and labor to prepare the glass can be overwhelming for me on large projects. The experience with TSN vendors is one that will continue for me and for future projects. What a great workforce and such outstanding people that need the work and the encouragement to continue on their journey out of homelessness. Can you share your experience as an instructor for people blowing glass for the first time? Tess: I love introducing someone to glass for the first time, the nervous excitement that most people have is a fun reminder of how it was to start yourself. Describe your experience creating functional or decorative objects by hand, using a variety of methods and materials? Tess: Creating a glass piece is always a bit of a puzzle, from figuring out how to actually make it to how it will sit, proportions, and if you need to coldwork or glue anything on afterwards. Sometimes you can figure it out the first try but usually even if you think you’ve figured everything out beforehand you end up still needing to solve problems in the middle of making it. Walk me through how you cut, shape, fit, join, mold, or otherwise
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