My Visit to Tsunami Glassworks

Happy Canada Day Everyone!!

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our Canadian culture than by sharing my trip to an emerging superstar in the Canadian glassblowing industry.

Although my butt hurt for 2 days afterword, the drive to Windsor was worth it.

I was on a mission after all: to see my client’s chandelier.

The wife and husband team of Eva Milinkovic and Kris Gene have had their studio Tsunami Glassworks for 5 years now and besides being written up in numerous art/design publications from all over the world, they have collected a very impressive array of clients from The Ritz Carlton to Toronto Thompson Hotel.   And they were recently mentioned in Nesting Newbies as one of the hottest trends.  And I couldn’t agree more.  Read more here.

When I arrived, I was greeted by Eva and Heidi’s Chupa Chups tree!  Yummy!

Once in the gallery, it was difficult to fix my eyes on one thing because there were so many beautiful pieces that I’ve only seen pictures of before.  I had to stop myself from touching them!

Then Eva gave me a tour of their big airy studio.

Kris and Heidi working on a mold.

The new sandblasting room that Kris is building.

Pieces waiting to be polished – Heidi and Eva inspecting a piece.

Cooling from a night in the kiln.

Tools of the trade.

And finally Kris and Eva showed me the chandelier.

Partially installed so that I could see the mounting plate and how the raindrops were going to be fitted.  The raindrops were beautiful and sparkled amber in the sunlight.  Exactly what I wanted to happen.

Some final touches; like the powder coating of the base and polishing of the raindrops and then it will be ready for shipping to Vancouver.

Thank you Kris and Eva for making an absolutely beautiful sculpture!

I can’t wait to get it installed!

Cheers!

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Cool Product – Tsunami Glassworks

Years ago, after trying a couple of times and being on a waiting list, I was lucky to get into the weekend glassblowing seminar at Harbourfront.  If you’ve ever visited Harbourfront on a weekend, The Craft Studio is usually bustling with activity.  When I finally got a chance to stand in front of the “Glory Hole”, I found it to be exhilarating, exciting and extremely difficult!  This is a craft that cannot be done alone folks.  I have an immense amount of appreciation for this craft.  So, whenever I come across anything glass-blown, I stop and say a silent prayer for the amazing item that was formed.

And at this year’s Interior Design Show, I was struck into silence when I saw the Tsunami booth.  Brilliantly named, Tsunami Glassworks, is owned by Eva and Kriston.  A husband and wife team, who create the most amazing glass sculptures, vases, tiles and more.  Operating for 5 years now, their studio, is located in Windsor , Ontario so they can be centrally located between, Toronto, Chicago and Detroit.   They sell their items in retail stores in Toronto and the US and they also have sent pieces to the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Puerto Rico.   Besides retail, they have many commissions with designers and architects.

The Studio and Retail Gallery

They’ve just completed a commission with the Ritz Carlton Presentation Centre, see below.

These are some of my faves:

I love this Cascade Chandelier from their blog and Mocoloco:

Tsunami Glassworks’ Cascade chandelier is made of reclaimed window glass that has been etched with information from financial spreadsheets. Shown as part of the Assets & Values show in Toronto, Cascade is a timely reminder of how precarious our financial situation can be if not handled with care. by sabine7

Check out their website and find a retailer near you.

And check out their BLOG, FACEBOOK and TWITTER for new and exciting works.

Cheers!

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