Unique Touch of Glass
by Award Winning Artist
Jackie Russo

 

Jackie Russo is an award winning artist who exhibits her contemporary glass designs at some of the top 200 Art Festivals in the U.S.  Her art has sold in galleries and to commercial and private collectors in the U.S., Mexico, Italy, Japan and South Africa.

10 berry filled acres near Allegan, MI is home where Jackie lives with her husband, Frank.  Frank is her major support and helper. He  finishes the backs, works at shows, gives advice, runs errands and cooks great meals. Between them, Frank and Jackie have 5 children, 8 grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.

She has received numerous awards for her art.  Jackie’s art was featured on the cover of ‘Sunshine Artist Magazine” along with a two page story about her work.  She has also been featured in “The Craft’s Report” magazine, and “Grand Rapids Magazine”.  Articles about Jackie have appeared in the “Kalamazoo Gazette” and the “Holland Sentential.”  Her art was included in the “The Art Annual” 2003-2007 editions and on the CDs “Mosaic Art, An International Portfolio of Contemporary Mosaic Art and “Mosaic Art 2005”

In 1998 Jackie, who was a jewelry designer, took her first glass class and fell in love with the media.  Working on a large scale with an extensive palette of colors and textures fired her imagination and desire to create.  It wasn't long before Jackie turned her artistic talents from jewelry design to glass. 

Jackie's goal is to create objects of beauty that intrigue and uplift the observer while striking a chord within.  Line, color and texture are the tools she wields to create the desired effect.  Much of Jackie's work is symbolic and expresses her philosophy of life. She is highly influenced by nature, particularly water and sunsets and their themes are recurrent in her work. 

Although Jackie's art is often referred to as mosaics, they are not in the true sense of the word.  Jackie's work revolutionizes mosaic art by using larger pieces that are skillfully hand cut from a pattern she's designed. After cutting the glass, each piece is hand ground to smooth the edges and carefully positioned on a base which has been custom designed by Jackie and cut to shape. Small fused glass pieces Jackie creates are often used as jewels to enhance the design.  The glass pieces are then adhered and grouted the same way traditional mosaics are.

Jackie's work is functional as well as decorative and truly unique. Her first public showing was in the fall of 2001. She welcomes commissions and enjoys working with her clients to create unique pieces of art for their homes and businesses.

 

Memberships:

• Society of American Mosaic Artist www.americanmosaics.org 
  
• The Guild of Artist and Artisans www.theguild.org
• Mosaic Artist of Michigan
• Ohio Designer Craftsman www.ohiocraft.org