For the fifteenth year in a row, the Palo Alto Art Center hosted the Great Glass Pumpkin Patch. Over thirty glass artisans displayed 8,000 hand-blown glass pumpkins.
It's always overwhelming at first when faced with the deluge of pumpkins.
It was just as difficult as choosing a favorite in a candy store.
In the end, my personal favorites were the opaque green gourds by Leonoff Art Glass featured at the top of this post. With their big, plump, rotund shapes and the satin sheen finish, they looked like they were harvested at their peak.
This translucent, smooth gourd was also by Nick Leonoff:
Nick Leonoff's art is currently on exhibit at the Masaoka Glass Design Center in Carmel Valley, California through November 20, 2010.
There were other treasures. Ken and Ingrid Hanson combined their Swedish and Italian aesthetics to produce this blue iridescent wonder:
They also produced some medium and small-sized pumpkins...
...and these were just born:
The Hansons also made wonderful pumpkin teapots:
Gathering Glass Studio created this unusual matte-finish blue gourd with green speckles...
...and this black and white op art:
Gryphus Glass Company brought green to a whole new level:
The huge clear pumpkin by Avolie Glass was big enough to carry Cinderella to the ball:
The mice could go in this one:
There were others with unusual "rinds", like this orange and black one by Jon Love Art Glass. I wish I thought of trying to buy this one for my friend Stephanie, who is a Princeton Tiger.
I was out of town the day of the sale, so it wasn't an option. Just as well, because it would have been difficult to part with it, given that it happens to be dressed in the team colors of the awesome San Francisco Giants.
Speaking of the Giants, just one more win and we go to the World Series! Good luck to Jonathan Sanchez tonight! Go Giants!
34 comments:
wow - the glass artists must be working on this most of the year! I was thinking, they're all out on the grass -keep our fingers crossed for dry weather!
Omg, such a feast of gorgeous glass pumpkins, I thinked the ones you picked are fabulous and I love the iridescent blue
ones as well. Mind blowing!
Hi Dutchbaby,
Thank you for posting some great pics of the Great Glass Pumpkin Patch 2010! This event has been going on at the Palo Alto Art Center for 15 years and it always seems to get better each year. I hope to meet you at the Patch next year!
Take care,
-Mark
Exec. Dir.
Bay Area Glass Institute (bagi.org)
Oh my... I need to go to that!
Well, this is my first introduction to glass pumpkins, Dutchbaby. I must be leading a sheltered life. Thanks for this little cultural boost and all of the beautiful photographs.
Unbelievable works of art.
Giants just won. But you know that.
Now let's beat the Texas Rangers.
You picked some real beauties to photograph. I think the blue iridescent wonder is my favorite, and the blue gourd a close second. Blue blue blue.
What wonderful pictures; I can say with certainty that I wouldn't know which one to choose. There are clearly some very talented glass artists in your part of the world.
You make me want to travel there next year just to snap one up. They are all so very unique! I especially love the blue one and all the baby ones. Wow!
What a great event. I remember the one from last year and this year there are so many I like. I really like the blue iridescent one but many of the green ones too. If I went to this exhibit I know I would buy at least one and now I should try to get rid of stuff around our house. I love to look at them, thank you so much for showing them.
Beautiful and I love them all. Definitely would be difficult to choose. Fun to see the pumpkin teapots too! This looks like it was lots of fun.
Impressionnante collection de citrouilles !!
I want to go there, looks like that was one fun day...love all of those unique and gorgeous pumpkins!!
these are FABULOUS!
I have NEVER seen anything like this display in my life. I would have to buy a pumpkin teapot if I ever visited this place.
It amazes me that I have never seen or heard of this glass Pumpkin Patch in my life, DB! The way you have presented it means I'll never forget it.
Congratulations on your 3-1 edge now in the World Series. You should feel proud!
I don't know how anyone could ever choose just one...I want them all!! Gorgeous.
Dear jeannette,
This is the biggest event of the year for them. They also have smaller shows during Christmas and Easter.
Dear CC,
Yes, the iridescent blue ones are gorgeous too.
Dear Mark,
Thank you for putting together this incredible show year after year. I agree that it is more spectacular every year. Next year I will look for you and introduce myself.
Dear Sherri,
Yes you do! Call me next year; we'll go together1
Dear George,
I know you thought your life was missing something. Now you know there's a whole world glass pumpkins.
Dear California Girl,
Isn't it great that the Giants won the whole shabang?
I'm sorry it's taken so long to respond to your messages; I've been ill these last few weeks.
Dear Ruth,
Yes, yes! Some blue, blue, blue ones for your studio!
Dear Sue A,
So great to see you come over from Flickr to the Blogosphere. I see your blog is off to a wonderful start; it's great to see your creations accompanied with your words. Welcome to Dutchbaby!
Dear lisaschaos,
Yes, come on down! We will have a blogger field trip.
Dear Vagabonde,
I know what you mean about having to get rid of stuff before you buy more. I have limited myself to only one box for Halloween/Autumn decorations, which means that I have to get rid of some things because I bought two new glass pumpkins this year.
Dear Marilyn,
Yes, they had more pumpkin tea pots this year and I thought of you when I saw them.
Dear lorilaire,
Merci! Bienvenue sur mon blog!
Dear tammymcchesney,
Sure, come on down! Looks like the group is building.
Dear margie,
Aren't they fun?
Dear Kala,
Good thing there are several teapots this year or you would have to arm-wrestle Marilyn for one.
Dear Ginnie,
Can you believe the Giants did it finally? They haven't won since 1954, when they were still the New York Giants. I can say that I've been waiting all my life for this, since that was the year of my birth.
Dear Susan,
That just means you have to choose several :)
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