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 ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Hurricane Art
Metal, Inc., owned by Holly Olinger, designer, and Pat “Boo” Toms,
studio assistant, is a mixed media design studio specializing in production
lines and limited editions available to American craft galleries. The
primary materials used are metals such as steel, aluminum, or copper
and a unique form of cast glass called“dalle de verre”.
The form or function of the piece is generally created in metal and
then the artwork is embellished with glass. A wide range of techniques
is used to bring out the beauty of the glass including fire polishing,
fusing, casting, slumping over relief molds, and sand carving. Many
of the techniques we use to incorporate the glass in our designs are
experimental and unique to our studio.
The products we design in steel generally contain both “Arts
and Crafts” and subtle southwestern influences. Steel is the
metal of choice for creating sturdy furniture and garden sculpture.
Our aluminum line has numerous whimsical designs with a lineage born
of cartoons. We also create elegant, contemporary aluminum home accents
such as mirrors and fine art wall pieces. There are usually playful
and sometimes hidden meanings in the work – the color of the
glass as well as the components of the design are integral to the implied
meanings of the piece. Most of our one-of-a-kind sculptures incorporate
found industrial and mechanical objects from automobiles, farm implements
and tools.
Finding new ways to have the work seen by a larger audience
is an important studio goal. In 2005 we began partnering with galleries
and corporate customers to create products in the aluminum line that
have custom skylines or images of local landmarks. If you have an idea
for a custom design for corporate gifts, community fundraisers, or
a gallery promotion, please contact us.
We are proud to say that our
work has been the recipient of jury awards at regional art fairs. A
fun loving and a fearlessly experimental approach lead us to constantly
create new designs, learn new techniques, and improve the quality of
the products we sell to our gallery partners and patrons at the art
fairs we attend. It is the goal of Hurricane Art Metal to bring color
and joy to your home and garden.
ABOUT DALLE DE VERRE
From the Pharaohs of Egypt
to the Emperors of Rome, ancients delighted in the beauty and
mystery of cast glass. One modern version is Dalle de Verre
which means slabs or flagstones of glass. Typically over an
inch thick, dalles have color intensity unachievable in regular stained
glass. Dalle de verre was developed in France in the 1930’s. First
introduced in the U.S. during the 1939 World Fair, dalles are commonly
used in architectural applications. By using a specially designed anvil
shaped hammer, the dalles are broken up and then the edges are purposefully
chipped (this is called faceting). The broken pieces are laid up in huge
mosaics that are bonded with a resin grout medium. A 4’ x 4’ section
of dalle mosaic can weight as much as 300 pounds. The glass artist and
architect must work closely to create construction details that will
support the massive artwork. Due to the thickness of the glass combined
with the facets, a dalle mosaic has a fiery intensity which must be seen
to be appreciated. They found great favor in European church settings,
but because of the intense skill and high labor costs to create the mosaics,
they are not seen regularly in the United States. The Pro Football Hall
of Fame in Canton, OH and the New York Hall of Science both have delightful
large mosaics included in their design.
Hurricane Art Metal, Inc. / 3155 Buck Island Road
/ Charlottesville, VA 22902
434-971-7669 /
info@HurricaneArtMetal.com
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© 2005 Hurricane Art Metal, Inc.
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