Over
a decade ago, Sheryl Ellinwood learned to blow glass on a dare. Today
her glass is featured in galleries and private collections throughout the
U.S. In 1994, after earning her Masters degree in both glass and sculpture,
Ms. Ellinwood established ellinwood studios. This private studio is
located on the shore of Lake Red Rock in Central Iowa. Recognized
for originality of design and commitment to quality, glass from ellinwood
studios has received many awards, among which are the Labino Glass
Award from the Toledo Museum of Art and the Glass Art Society's Award
for Excellence.
Ellinwood's work falls into three categories: blown glass using the traditional hot glass furnace, fused glass, and sculptural works.
Her blown glass is made one-at-a-time using age-old methods of
glassblowing. These methods use temperatures in excess of 2300 degrees
to transform sand into molten glass. This molten glass is then gathered
onto a blowpipe and skillfully formed into the desired shape. Because
Ms. Ellinwood designs and creates each piece herself, only a limited
number of pieces are produced each year. This insures the quality
and authenticity of each piece, making every piece from ellinwood
studios not only extraordinary, but truly a piece of glass art.
Iowa Artisans Gallery carries a wide array of Ellinwood's work. Please ask for pieces currently available. Others may be special ordered.
Frequently asked questions, in the artist's own words:
Just what is DICHROIC GLASS?
(And why is it so expensive?)
Dichroic glass is characterized by its ability to reflect light of one color while transmitting light of another. HUH? The color changes depending upon the angle from which it is viewed. The colors are intense, metallic and gorgeous!
Dichroic glass is produced by depositing multiple thin layers of metal oxides onto glass. Inside a vacuum chamber (similar to the vacuum in outer space), these oxides are vaporized by a high voltage electron beam and deposited onto the surface of the glass. This surface creates a filter that selectively transmits and reflects specific wavelengths of light, thus creating the different colors.
Both the difficulty of the process and cost of the oxides makes dichroic glass extremely expensive. There is nothing else like it!
