Kailua Village Artists
August 2023 at the Gallery
Volume 14, Issue 8
Featured Artist: Bill Jaeger
Recently, Bill Jaeger was asked for a single word that describes his art, process, or mindset while creating it. He responded “SUPERPOWER!” He then added, "That word resonates with me as I transform plain ol' glass into art, making it my superpower."
It's hard for anyone not to notice a stained glass suncatcher in the light. It's not surprising that stained glass adorned cathedrals as far back as the 13th century, BCE. Once the novice stained glass viewer gets past the feeling of awe, they might be impressed by how sturdily these pieces of glass are held together, and that the piece appears finished on both the front and the back.
Intermediate awareness of stained glass involves recognizing some of the technical requisites of the art - cutting glass into irregular, yet interlocking shapes that form an image, and soldering them together. Not nearly so intimidating if one is contemplating a simple design with a handful of pieces, but larger windows with hundreds of pieces?!? Bill learned the art of stained glass some 45 years ago. For the past twenty years, he's had the luxury to completely immerse himself in his art, stretching his creative abilities, and honing his superpower.
Contributors to this article:
Bill Jaeger, Tamisha Lee, Shannon Nakaya
A Couple More Words
Last month, we asked our artists to choose one word to describe their art and then explain why. We then presented some of their responses. Here are a couple more.
Tamisha Lee
My word is Challenge.
Glass is a very technical art, requiring a great deal of knowledge in the realms of material science, applied physics, and chemistry. Lots of new stuff for someone who used to teach history. Fortunately, I love learning and absorbing new information. The fact that I’ve been working in kiln formed glass for almost 20 years, and feel like there’s still much to learn excites me. I’ve only just scratched the surface of the treasure chest of information about glass.
So I choose the word Challenge because glass is always challenging me and I’m always challenging the glass. I often choose projects that are beyond my skill level because I love the challenge of trying to figure out HOW to do something in glass. It is a constant stretching of my skills and knowledge. And so much of the magic of glass happens in the darkness of the kiln, where heat and gravity can be controlled for a time to create three dimensional vessels or objets d'art from glass.
Shannon Nakaya, Origami Design and Sculpture
In a word:
Whimsical
I’ve spent decades doing serious. Through art, I’m exploring a more light-hearted approach to life.
Contributors to this article:
Tamisha Lee, Shannon Nakaya.
Guest Artist: Joseph Ster
A long time resident of the Big Island of Hawaii, Joseph Ster's life began in Yugoslavia in 1940. He has also lived in Argentina and California. Joseph was a research chemist until he decided to devote all of his time to art.
His decades of art exploration have included painting, pottery, woodworking, and of course, metalwork. He has painted with Maria Carmen Clavo and Vincent Farrell. At one point, he took up the sixteenth century Japanese style of
raku pottery. He then incorporated his metal techniques with the
raku pieces, giving them a look all their own. Of this, he says, "I transformed the clay and the clay transformed me."
For six decades, through various art media and explorations, metalwork has remained Joseph Ster's anchor. And we at KVA Gallery are privileged to display a collection of his wall pieces, candle-holders, and jewelry. Joseph's unique designs are mostly oceanic, plant, and/or animal in theme, reflecting how he is inspired by nature and organic shapes.
His metal art is sculpted from combinations of copper, brass, and steel. Gold leaf and acrylic coloring are also incorporated. The result is a unique and distinct style that speaks for itself and for him as its creator.
Contributors to this article:
Joseph Ster, Shannon Nakaya
If that's not enough, there's beveled glass
The most advanced and astute observers of stained glass will note that the true stained glass artist has mastered all these technical hurdles and additionally applies glass of different colors, textures, and lucency to create more sophisticated imagery. There's also beveled glass, which are clear prismed pieces, sometimes used as borders, or to highlight a central image. Because they are beveled on all edges, their size is more "fixed," requiring surrounding pieces to unobtrusively accommodate them.
For Bill, pieces using beveled glass are designed from the outside in and the inside out. He begins by creating a frame using pieces of beveled glass. He then wraps each piece in a copper foil tape, burnishing the foil down tightly to adhere it to the glass. That frame is then soldered together leaving a central opening. If the central image is also beveled, he will foil and solder that together. He then sets this central image inside his frame. From there, he configures the area around the image, choosing glass and creating appropriate breaks for solder lines. This is where color, texture, and lucency play large roles in the style and mood of each piece. Textured glass makes great ocean waves, wispy glass can give the feeling of a summer breeze. Master stained glass artists understand that style and artistry extend to, and in some cases, are defined by, the spaces in-between the central item and the frame. To finish, the glass is cut, ground if necessary, foiled and then the whole piece is soldered together.
Many stained glass artists rely on premade patterns, but Bill is his own designer. All of Bill’s work in the gallery are his own original designs.
During his month as featured artist, Jaeger will be presenting a variety of new works as demonstrations of his Superpower. These will include a vintage auto, 3 Dolphins, and a transom. Fans of his work will also be happy to see a full range of local favorites – nightlights, sun catchers, Honus, and other stained-glass panels as well.
To meet featured artist Bill Jaeger and see his latest work, come, and talk story with him at the gallery on Sunday, August 13, or Sunday, August 27, 2023. While working in the gallery, he will be demonstrating the stained-glass technique, copper foiling, which is used to create a panel.
New Art At The Gallery
