Artwork copyright Richard La Londe. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Richard La Londe. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Richard La Londe. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Richard La Londe. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Beginnings, Season Tree, and Elements and Beyond, 2006

Richard La Londe
(American, born 1950)

Location: Evergreen Elementary School, Shelton

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Beginnings, Season Tree, and Elements and Beyond is a triptych of house-shaped, fused glass panels by artist Richard La Londe. The artwork shows the passage of time, growth, and the cycles of life. La Londe also believes that you, the viewer, can interpret the imagery based on your own life experiences.

Each panel contains distinct imagery. Beginnings shows the sun at the top center with planets and space ships radiating around it. The earth is just below the sun, and a river is in the bottom right corner. Season Tree shows the moon in different phases across the top. The tree in the center shows the four seasons in its leaves and surroundings. Elements and Beyond represents the four elements of fire, air, water, and earth.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Shelton School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Glass artist Richard La Londe creates elaborate glass murals that are pictorial narratives full of symbolism and color. He is also known for his glass handkerchief vessels.

La Londe grew up in Vancouver, Southwestern Washington. In 1972, he graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with a degree in Geology. He immediately started making art and worked odd jobs. La Londe is a pioneer in the fused glass movement. He was one of the initial artists in the 1980s to work and experiment with Bullseye Glass Company's colored glass for fusing. He has taught glass fusing at the Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Northwestern Washington, as well as around the United States and Canada. Today, La Londe lives on Whidbey Island in Northern Puget Sound, Western Washington. His work has been exhibited and commissioned internationally.

Describing his technique, La Londe notes: “I outline the design on a clear piece of glass by applying a thin line of powdered glass that is suspended in a gum medium. Then I lay crushed colored glass into the outlined areas in a manner similar to sand painting. This is fused in a kiln, cooled, flipped over, and fused a second time producing depth.” The basics of this fused glass technique dates back to ancient Egypt, 3,500 years ago.