Autumn 2019

41 Jul19285 Stone & Glass is a glass blowing studio and gallery offering unique, custom and one of kind artworks and glass blowing classes. A true family-run business, Carol Rogers and her husband, James Stone have curated Stone & Glass into a treasure among California’s talented art community. Following their recent success in LUXlife’s 2019 Family & Visitor Attraction Awards, we spoke to Carol to find out more. “Our goal is to design and create art that will touch your inner spirit and bring you peace, love and happiness.” - Carol Rogers on Stone & Glass’s lasting appeal and ethos In this world of swift technological development, there’s a simple delight to be found in an expert practicing their craft in a way that no machine can mimic. This has remained the cornerstone of Stone & Glass’s success as people from all over the state, and across the country, visit their workshop to watch a true master at work. To start the interview, Carol spends some time discussing the expertise of her husband, James Stone, Stone & Glass’s resident expert glass artisan. “James Stone is an Ocean Conservation Mixed Media Sculpture Artist. He primarily creates sea creatures and marine-themed sculptures that portray the beauty of the ocean’s diverse flora and fauna. His message of eco-awareness leaps from the forged aluminium and sculpted glass pieces, serving as a warning that fish and other sea life are disappearing at historically unprecedented rates due to over-fishing and environmental change. James, ultimately, hopes his work creates a dialogue. Here, James offers more insight into his work: “I want to ignite a spark inside each and every viewer, helping people to understand how their everyday choices effect the environment we live in and to think about how their seafood choices and their everyday lifestyle actions and purchases have a direct effect on our shared world.” Even in the world of glass-blowing, James is perhaps best known for his use of colour, and his unique process of casting glass hot out of the furnace and directly into the sculpted metal. His one-of-a-kind technique forges metal and hot cast glass with painted accents – an effective technique that has served to differentiate and amaze in equal measure. Here, Carol takes a moment to discuss James’s work in more detail: “Not only does James design commissioned work for individual clients, but also restaurants, museums and corporate businesses; from sets of tumblers/ drinking glasses to massive vases, bowls, lighting fixtures and sculptures. Additionally, James has made a name for himself conducting glassblowing classes to artists of all ages – children to adults. Whether you are curious or a dedicated learner, we have a class for you. Many of our glass blowing experiences are designed with a specific outcome and created for those who have always wanted to try glass blowing, while others are designed for those that would like to pursue the craft and art of glass. “We are avid supporters of the local arts and culture community and mentor emerging artists.” Despite their runaway success, it would be remiss to skip over the challenges that face Stone & Glass today and as they move forward into the future. “Our operating costs are rising. Glass blowing is an energy-intense operation, and we see regular increases in our fuel and energy costs. On top of that, sand, the major ingredient in glass is now in limited supply and increased regulation on raw glass manufacturers is driving up costs. Finally, as glass-blowing can be seen as a rather niche craft, it is hard to find good glass-blowing assistants and teachers. It takes many years to develop the skills to be versatile enough to operate in our environment.” Yet, Carol remains eternally optimistic, seeing no end of opportunities among the challenges that plague all artists in an atmosphere that seems unable to quench their creative spark. Ultimately, Stone & Glass isn’t going anywhere, and they will continue to be one of Escondido’s mainstays. “We have recently acquired equipment to allow us to offer off-site glass blowing demonstrations and workshops.” This is a business with a very bright future ahead of it. Company: Stone & Glass Name: Carol Rogers, General Manager/Owner Address: 629 W Grand Ave, Escondido, California 92025, United States Website: www.stoneandglass.com Telephone: +1 760-294-7447 Stone and Glass : An Artisanal Treasure in Escondido