“A Glass Act”: Nicholson Blown Glass; and Artistry in Wood

THE FOOTHILLS ABOUND WITH TALENTED artists: painters, sculptors, photographers, jewelers and more. Their work is displayed at galleries and on studio tours, including the Autumn Art Studios Tour in Placer County and Fall Colors Open Studios Art Tour in Nevada County.

Participants include Rick and Janet Nicholson of Nicholson Blown Glass in Auburn—part of the Autumn Art Studios Tour since its inception.

Originally from Hawaii and Ohio, respectively, veteran artists Rick and Janet settled in Auburn 30 years ago, focusing on glassblowing. The husband-and-wife team form molten glass, heated at 1,500 degrees, into nature-inspired, freehand artwork.

Their studio, a picturesque promontory on Bell Rd., is an array of reflections, from the brilliant colored glass to a variety of wall and ceiling installations, vases and bowls.

Gift ideas are plentiful. You can find wine stoppers, tumblers, perfume bottles, ornaments that have been displayed at the White House and many other unique, one-of-a-kind items. New creations include glass pumpkins for Halloween and shorebirds that stand on hand-forged metal legs.

The Nicholson’s works have been installed at Shangri-La Hotels in Shanghai and Beijing, China; the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Naples, Florida; and the Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) lobby in New York.

Select exhibitions have included the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento; the Maui Art Glass Expo in Wailea; and the L.A. International Airport.

You can visit the Nicholson Blown Glass studio on November 9-11 during the 19th annual Autumn Art Studios Tour.

In addition, you can visit during the Nicholson Blown Glass Holiday Open Studio to watch live demonstrations and complete your shopping.

The studio is open Thanksgiving weekend, November 23-25, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and weekends leading up to Christmas, December 1-2; 8-9; 15-16; 22-23, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Call for an appointment if you can’t make one of the open studio dates.

5555 Bell Rd., Auburn 530-823-1631
NicholsonBlownGlass.com

Artistry in Wood
Along with blown-glass chandeliers, handmade furniture and woodwork can illuminate your home. Some of the area’s finest woodworking artists include Tom Beebe of Truckee and Don Augstein of Grass Valley.

Tom’s award-winning work ranges from subtle to bold and from traditional to contemporary, including furniture, functional art and mixed media.

Tom’s art is on display at the Vista Gallery at 7081 N. Lake Blvd. in Lake Tahoe and at his Truckee studio.
TruckeeWoodworking.com

Don builds custom furnishings that are individual and functional, often blending beautiful woods, metal and color. His work is on display at the Art Works Gallery at 113 Mill St, Grass Valley.
ArtWorksGalleryCo-op.com

Visit our magazine’s website at SierraCulture.com for links to artist registries for PlacerArts and Nevada County Arts.