Sometimes the best experiences traveling are the ones you don't plan. Signs or people or landscapes just beckon to you and somehow, you take a moment to listen. This was my experience visiting the Saltmarsh studio/cafe and gallery near the Merri River in Warrnambool. We had gone to Thunder Point lookout to view the waves and passed this little place coming back. Maybe it was the flash of colorful glass in the window, or the OPEN sign, or just a fleeting wish to warm up for a few moments. We shyly entered, and were the only ones there besides the smiling barista behind her counter stacked with baked goods. I ordered a flat white and we sank down into a fluffy cushioned sofa seat in the middle of the room. We were surrounded by a wall of shiny, vivid glass artpieces made by the owner, Glenistair Hancock. After the coffee was served, he came over to chat, asking where we were from and noting that there is a special kind of glass in Portland, Oregon and that there was lots of great glass art there (who knew?). As we continued talking, he stopped sweeping the floor and came over and sat with us, discussing the best places to see in Melbourne. He was very friendly, very genuine and clearly loved meeting people. The building is made of mostly recycled materials and built by him and his wife, Tina. We didn't get a glass -blowing demonstration, but his pieces are created right there in a 1000 degree furnace in the studio part of the building. I got up and admired the handmade vases, bowls, figures, and jewelry and regreted I didn't have an extra $160 to spare on glass art. I always admired my grandma's collection of glass art paperweights, and the famous Tiffany glass windows, vases and lamps. Soon, the cafe was full of locals and we were ready to move on. It was a wonderful start to our final day on the coast.
2 comments:
Actually, I knew about Portland's art glass scene. My brother is wildly enthusiastic about it (he does quite a bit of fusing) and a friend of mine works for Ouroboros Glass, which produces all sorts of wonderful materials for glass artists. I have worked minimally with fusion myself, and am completely mad about dichroic glass, which is a sparkling, irridescent marvel. I've always wanted to learn the art of glassblowing, it is such a beautiful process. Or torchwork, to create pretty little baubles and such.
Very cool! I'd love to learn more about it. I'm planning to visit some glass galleries around Melbourne.
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