Artwork copyright Richard La Londe. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission.

Bol'ero #1, 1990

Richard La Londe
American (born 1950)

Location: Washington State Arts Commission, Olympia

About the Artwork

Artist Richard La Londe created this glass hankerchief bowl using a glass fusing technique. He layered a design of crushed glass onto each side of a sheet of clear glass. He then fired each side in a kiln, before forming it using a mold. It is part of his "Bol'ero" series of vibrantly colored and intricately patterned vessels. The artist's travels to Greece, Turkey, Mexico, and Guatemala inspired his designs.

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

About the Artist

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.