About Glass Art

Glass art encompasses an enormous range and variety of ways to use glass to create art objects.  Stained glass is considered to be the use of foiling techniques and lead came to join pieces of glass into images.  Mosaic glass is the use of glass pieces to form images which are cemented onto a surface and then grouted to provide a finished art image or utilitarian object.  Fused glass and slumping is the process of joining pieces of glass in many varied ways, fused together and sometimes slumped into 3 dimensional shapes.

Our Glass Art Club Staff

Susan Auster

President

When Susan moved to the Saddlebrooke community in 2018, she was delighted to find so many clubs that offer classes in areas that she was interested in pursuing. Susan  loves watercolor painting, creating decorative cards, gardening and stained glass. Being that her husband Paul and her had done stained glass crafting for over 25 years, they were excited to find such an active stained glass club. It was exciting to get involved in a group of people that are so passionate about the art. This club has helped me to brush up on my skills and challenged me to explore other ways of make beautiful glass projects.

Ginger Riffel

Vice President

After retiring in Colorado, my husband and I moved to SaddleBrooke in the fall of 1997. Immediately I began looking at the art clubs. My classes were in drawing, colored pencils, pastels and watercolors. I have continued painting watercolors for over 20 years.

Several years ago, I joined the Glass Art Club and have met many gifted and very friendly members. It is now my main art medium.

Beth Longman

Secretary

Beth retired at the end of 2017 and moved to SaddleBrooke in mid-2018.  Originally from Minneapolis, Beth spent 16 years in the Palm Springs area before retirement, but much prefers the cooler high desert area in Tucson.  Always having enjoyed the beauty of stained glass, she decided to give it a try at SaddleBrooke and continues to explore and learn the world of glass art. 

Suz Weston

Treasurer

Born in Boulder, Colorado. Daughter of an Annapolis grad who pursued higher
education in multiple places, she moved 21 times (including two years in Karachi,
Pakistan and a year in Wiesbaden, Germany) until finally settling in SaddleBrooke with
her husband Sam.
Suz taught first grade for four years (one of them in Germany), then joined the Air Force
as a Fuels Officer. She spent her active-duty years in Montgomery, Alabama. She then
joined the Reserves in New Orleans where she got a certificate in computer
programming. She moved to Colorado Springs as a program manager with United
Technologies and joined the Reserves. Then back to Tucson, where she taught
elementary Special Education and joined the Luke AFB Reserves, later transferring to
the Tucson ANG. She retired from the Guard as a Lieutenant Colonel.
After meeting and marrying Sam, she moved to Silver City NM. They went to Fort
Walton Beach Florida for 15 years, where they enjoyed their sailboat. On to Billings
Montana (too cold), back to FWB (too little to do), and now to SaddleBrooke! For good!

Esther Olson

Director of Education

Esther came to SaddleBrooke from Texas where she operated a Glass Store.  She has experience in many aspects of Glass Arts and finds sharing her experiences most gratifying.

Classes we offer

See the Classes Tab for all the current and future classes that are being offered

Foiled Glass

Stepping Stones

Leaded Glass

Fused Glass

Slumped Glass

Mosaic with Glass

The Workshop

The Workshop is located in the Turquoise Room of theMountain View Arts and Crafts Center.  We share the room with two or three other clubs and have scheduled use of the room on Mondays 8AM to Noon and on Thursdays 8AM to 4PM

Our goal is to provide anyone interested in glass work with a creative environment, surrounded by others who pursue the same objectives and are willing to share their experiences.  The development of social ties has proven to be of immeasurable assistance in the learning of the art of glass

“Everything you can imagine is real”

 Pablo Picasso