Jackie Ballard - Glassblowing

"I began working with glass in the fall of 1980. The day I walked into my first glass shop was magical -- and it still is. Glass is a medium that encompasses the elements of air, fire, earth and water. Hot glass is like working with 2000° honey. One can never master glass; it always remains a challenge.

"Glassblowing is an art that continues to excite and inspire me. I take pride in knowing that my work is enjoyed by people around the world for its design and beauty.

"You asked for earth; I give you frozen music composed with deep feeling and flowing movements to create my earth, my reality, to sit gently in your hands, to be a part of your environment.

"Touch, feel, see how the illuminating rays of light vividly play with your mind, knowing you can hold air, fire, earth and water."

Jackie is an award winning and highly distinguished master glass blower. She received her degree from New York State in a four-year apprenticeship through William Glasser. She has more than 22 years experience blowing glass and has provided instruction to novices and intermediate glass blowers of all ages. Jackie is also the only instructor offering courses in hot glass through the ArtsCenter of St. Petersburg, Florida.

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Pat Hess - Woodturning

My love for wood started many years ago. Wood resonates a variety of colors; textures and odors depending on what part of the world the trees grow in. Mother Nature gives us a true gift of art in our daily views of our trees and forests. We can openly see the exterior beauty of our trees. As a woodturner, I can expose the interior beauty of the same trees once they can no longer stand on their own. A woodturner discovers the hidden treasures inside the trees as the wood spins around on the lathe and the gouge cuts and shapes to create the new beauty to behold. When I turn the wood I allow Mother Nature to dictate what will be created by the way she reveals the beauty inside. In essences, the woodturner enhances the natural beauty created by Mother Nature.

My driving force is a passion to create beautiful wood pieces to save our trees forever inside our homes when they can no longer stand outside our homes…

I became a self-taught artist over 20 years ago painting landscapes and seascapes in oils. Woodworking has been a part of my life for over 40 years. Woodturning was added to my woodshop in 2005 when I bought my first lathe. Since then I became a self-taught woodturner and have evolved into owning 4 lathes and selling my work. In 2005, I joined the American Association of Woodturrners an international non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of woodturners with over 13,000 members currently. In 2005, I also joined the Tri-County Woodturners Club in Lutz, FL, which has been a chapter of AAW for the last 10 years. I am currently the Vice-President and we have over 90 members meeting monthly to share our woodturning experiences. I look forward to passing on the knowledge and techniques of this very old art form.

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Linda Ward White

My passion is hot glass! After winning an online auction and paying $100.00 for a really fantastic mermaid bead, I just knew, I can do this! I searched all over for instructors (back then there were very few out there) and flew to the artist who had made the 100.00 bead!
I majored in fine art and my mom swears I started doing art while still in the crib! (Ask me about the mosaic.)

I have experimented in a huge array of art mediums and love taking all kinds of workshops/classes. I have been doing lampworking since the late 1990’s and have experimented with blown glass & borosilica (hard glass). I started with clay at the Arts Center in St. Petersburg back in the early1970’s... I was employed for 18 years as a computer graphic artist & computer graphic trainer for corporate America. This allowed me to live out one of my dreams which was going to Venice, Italy and visiting Murano! Currently I am teaching lampworking (glass bead making) and clay classes.

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Anthony F. Bodtmann (Tony)

I have been a woodworker for the past 24 years, but I have always been an artist. For me, woodworking is just another way of expressing myself. I began carving drums some 16 years ago, because I wanted to incorporate my love for music with my desire to carve wood. It is very satisfying to be able to produce a piece of visual art that can also be played as an instrument. My carving is bold and primitive and is the perfect contrast to my more technical side, which likes to be very precise.

“There is a great inner peace that comes from making your own drum and playing it, so please join me on this amazing journey.”

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Steven Schramek

Since 1996, when on a trip to Hawaii, visiting and artist friend, Steve Schramek got the stained glass bug and has not stopped since. After returning to his birthplace in St. Petersburg, Florida, he began working in traditional foil-and-solder and lead-came methods of stained glass. Steve's focus changed to fused glass in 2000 after visiting a local art show.

Steve is a member of the Arts Center, the Professional Association of Visual Artists, the Art Pros, the Dunedin Fine Arts Center, Sun Tan Arts Center and the Florida Craftsman Gallery. His work can be found in numerous galleries and gift shops throughout the Tampa Bay area.

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