Artist, Tamara Johannes is a multi-media artist who has worked clay, metal, fiber & most recently warm glass. Originally, a hot glass beadmaker, she began experimenting with the art of fusing glass about 6 years ago as a way of combining torch work components into more complex glass jewelry, functional art, & sculpture. Using dichroic glass has become one of her trademarks.
Early work in fiber & clay were instrumental in forming a basis for work with glass. Many of Tamara's inspiration & designs have elements of her original quilt work & patterns. For Tamara, the mediums of fiber & glass have a common theme running through them; cutting many pieces of the material, designing the components & then fusing them with either heat or thread.
In 2002,Tamara was invited to create a handcrafted
glass ornament for the White House. The theme for the White
House Christmas tree in the Blue Room of the West Wing was
"All Creatures Great & Small." This tree included
handcrafted ornaments from well-known artists from every state.
Tamara's contribution was a glass "whistling swan"
ornament. This piece is now part of the National Archives.
Tam works in her downtown studio &
gallery in Anchorage, Alaska. The studio is a
playful environment filled with color & new pieces that
are created daily. She is an award winning artist
who has been invited to exhibit at many venues including:
The National Museum Store Association Show, Embellishment,
The National Bead Expo, and The Best of the Northwest.
Her work is currently being shown nationally in the Peabody
Essex Museum, The Worcester Art Museum, The University of
California Berkeley, The National Museum of Women in the
Arts Gallery & Christmas Catalog (Washington D.C.).
As of January 2009, the downtown gallery has been closed.
Tam has expanded her wholesale business & moved to a
larger workshop. Please see the "how to buy" link
for galleries that carry her work. Special events will also
be held throughout the year at the new space & retail
shows will be posted.
For the most up-to-date information on the Artist visit
her BLOG: http://tamjohannesdesign.blogspot.com/
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