A Physicist, A Science Teacher, and a Glass Artist

I bounded up the steps to the bright, sunny and colorful showroom of Art Glass Creations in Highlands, North Carolina. I was eager to interview the interesting owners of this creative glass art business. How do a retired PhD Physicist and schoolteacher from Jamestown, New York, come to be glass artists in Highlands, North Carolina?

Duane and Marcia Faulkner were high school sweethearts who both went to college at Buffalo State University in New York, married after graduation, and then traveled all over the northern and middle United States for school and work. He earned his graduate Ph. D. degree in Physics from the University of Iowa and worked as President of Guardian Building Products for over 30 years. She worked as a teacher of Home Economics and Science and later on, owned a successful gift and gourmet shop. Together they raised a son and a daughter through all the moves as his job dictated, until they landed in Greenville, South Carolina. As they considered retirement, they began searching for their retirement home, community and business. They loved their community in Greenville, but it was just too hot during the summer. That’s when their exploring led them to Highlands, North Carolina, where, in 2006, they purchased a home in the Highlands Falls area. Now, during the cold months of the year, December through March, they live in a beautiful home in Greenville, South Carolina and, during the hot South Carolina summer and fall months of April through November, they escape to the North Carolina Smoky Mountains.

The “Where should we live when we retire?’ part of their question had been answered, but not the “What will we do?” part. It was during one summer’s stay in Highlands when their answer began to appear. As a result of an auction fundraiser for the Highlands Playhouse, they attended a dinner in the home of local glass artist, Dwight Bryant, owner / artist of Bryant Art Glass Studio. The dinner proved to be the beginning of a close friendship between the three. When Dwight began to make comments about closing the business so he could retire to the artsy community of Asheville, North Carolina, Duane and Marcia convinced him to teach them the business and sell it to them as it would be the perfect retirement job/hobby for them. So Dwight, Duane and Marcia spent an intense week together in the studio and workshop with Dwight teaching, and Duane and Marcia absorbing all they could about this new venture and artistry.

Art Glass Creations began operation in 2012. At first they worked together in the glass workshop to create the glass pieces for sale in the showroom, but now, they have settled into a more specific roles as best suited for their skills and personality. Duane primarily does the glasswork and Marcia lends her love-of-people skills to running the showroom. Because of his scientific mind plus his computer acumen, Duane primarily does the glasswork design and creation in the on-site workshop.  He has discovered that he is quite an artist at heart, and finds great satisfaction in designing, making and then holding in his hands the final product of beautiful glass art. Marcia is the social member of this partnership. She has found that meeting and getting to know the customers who walk through the showroom door very rewarding and satisfying. She keeps a map of the United States near the front door so their customers/guests can put a pushpin on their hometown. I was quite amazed and interested to see from how far and wide their customers have come.

All of Art Glass Creation’s glasswork is made from fused COE90 fusible glass. To start the creation process, Duane first hand cuts two pieces of flat glass into exactly the same size and shape. He determines the size and shape of cut glass based on his vision and design for his final product. Next, he places one of his custom designed stencils onto one of the cut pieces of glass. (Duane designs his stencils on the computer and prints them out with a special stencil printer). Once the stencil is in place, he sifts colored frit (ground glass) over the stencil. When the stencil is carefully lifted, the desired design is on the flat piece of glass. The matching piece of flat glass is then placed on top of the glass with the design on it. The whole glass “sandwich” is carefully laid on a ceramic mold inside the kiln and is slowly heated up to about 1500 degrees for several hours. As the glass heats up, it becomes molten and fluid, so the pieces of flat glass and frit fuse together into one piece of thick glass. As the molten glass fuses, it also slumps into the shape of the mold. After several hours of heating up to 1500 degrees, then holding at 1500 degrees, the kiln begins to slowly cool down. This slow cooling, or annealing, process is very important to insure a strong and crack-free final product. Once the piece is cool enough to handle, it is run through the dishwasher to remove all dust and fiberglass from the kiln and to test its “dishwasher safeness” before going to the showroom for purchase.

The designs Duane creates are magnificent and unique. Most of the stencils are from his own imagination. He uses birds and other animals in his designs and often draws upon patterns and shapes in nature for inspiration. One fascinating and intriguing design that Duane uses was learned as a trade secret from the former owner, Dwight. All I can tell you is that he uses old-fashioned, hand made  doilies to create mesmerizing patterns on the glass without damaging the doilies.

A stop into Art Glass Creations in Highlands, North Carolina, is sure to be a trip highlight. While you are making your glass art selections, be sure to meet the owners, Duane and Marcia. Theirs is an interesting story you will surely want to hear more about and they will most definitely want to hear your story. Be sure to put a pushpin on their map to show your hometown. I’m sure you will come in as a customer, but you will leave as a friend.