McMerry McMow to One and All

It's an old fashioned Florida Christmas at McMow. Stop by to see the Dixie Avenue windows - Always something special for the Holiday Season. Windows designed and executed by Dreamweavers Marilyn and Taylor.

December Pattern of the Month

This beautiful wreath and the one below were crafted from the same pattern. This is our Pattern of the Month and we will be offering this pattern free to all our guests at the McMow Holiday Workshop. With only 16 pieces, this is an excellent beginner project anyone can be proud to display at the holidays. McMow has a huge selection of art glass to choose from as well as all the supllies and tools.

The Coastal Star finds Enchantment and Inspiration at McMow

...Posted by Scott Simmons on December 1, 2010.
Click the title above to visit the Coastal Star website.

Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts to Enchant and Inspire.

It’s not the snow, it’s not the frost.
And it’s not even the holly.
It’s the spirit that makes the holidays merry in Florida.
We have surf and sand and palm trees galore.
And tropically themed gifts for the ones you adore.
Savor and shop, and avoid all the malls.
And keep local merchants in mind when decking your halls.

by Scott Simmons

Who doesn’t love sea turtles? And who doesn’t love music? This work, covered in stained glass mosaic, combines both, and — get this — it even is playable. Crafted by Chenille Creations, this guitar is sure to get someone on your gift list marching to the tropical beat of a different strummer. Sea turtle-themed mosaic guitar, $2500. McMow Art Glass, where we found this sea turtle-encrusted beauty, also has fun fused-glass sea turtle pendants created by artist Debra Hawthorne. that are priced at around $50.

Photos by Tim Stepien

McMow Art Glass,
701 North Dixie Highway. (561) 585-9011

"Where there be light, Let there be McMow"

McMow Holiday Workshop Tuesday December 14th

Don't Forget!!! The Annual McMow Holiday Workshop will be Tuesday, December 14th, 6pm to 9pm at the McMow Studio Gallery where you can see new and gorgeous works by the Dreamweavers at McMow. These are details from the spectacular mermaid window on display now in the Dixie Hwy windows at McMow.

photos by Taylor Materio

Nativity Window for St. Therese

This beautiful window was designed and built by the Dreamweavers at McMow Art Glass for St. Therese Church. This window uses all the tools of the glass arts with carefully selected stained glass, exquisite hand painted details and subtle shading hand stipled and fired to perfection.

Save the Date

Tuesday, December 14th from 6 to 9 pm at the McMow Art Glass Studio and Gallery.

Annual Holiday Workshop with special special values on supplies, glass, tools and really amazing values in our spectacular gallery of beautiful art glass pieces.

Plan now to attend this annual workshop event. Finish up those special Holiday pieces and join with all our local glass artists as we celebrate the season together.


Watch for more announcements about this special event and remember
Save the Date
Tuesday, December 14th

Come Join Us!

The Art Glass Society will meet on Saturday, August 28th at 9:00 am at McMow Art Glass to work on a collaborative project we will be donating to Quantum House in West Palm Beach.

We will be making mosiac stepping stones for their new garden, and we would like to get 5 or 6 stones made on that Saturday morning. Never worked in mosiac? No worries!! Jim and Pat are going to lend their expertise to everyone who is willing to learn! So, if you are available to join us that day, it should be great fun - and all for a wonderful cause!

We will have just about all of the supplies we need EXCEPT for scrap glass. Please bring your own scrap glass to donate to this project. McMow is generously giving us the space to work, molds for the stones, and the tools we need to work. All we need to do is show up with glass!

Hope to see many of you on Saturday, August 28th! To find out more about Quantum House, and the wonderful service they provide, click on the title of this post to visit their website www.quantumhouse.org

If you have any questions, please email ArtGlassSociety@gmail.com

Art Glass Society of Southeast Florida

"To promote a community of glass artists who are dedicated to raising the visibility and stature of the medium of art glass in all forms"

McMow Daily Times is pleased to offer our readers the Art Glass Society of Southeast Florida Newsletter. To receive more news and information from the Art Glass Society in your email, as well as notices of upcoming meetings, special events and demonstrations, please contact artglasssociety@gmail.com

The basic concept for the formation of the Art Glass Society of Southeast Florida is to provide an outlet for glass artists of ALL mediums to come together to network, share ideas, and to expand their knowledge of glass art. The monthly meetings will give us an opportunity to discuss interesting topics related to the glass arts, see live demonstrations, get educational tips, and network with each other. As we grow, we can look forward to guest speakers, workshops, and other special events.

Glass Society News To Date...

February 2nd-Introductory Meeting. We discussed a mission statement, and the basic concept for the group. People from many different areas of art glass world were represented. Several artists had pieces of their work on hand - lovely to see!

March 2nd-Second Meeting. Phil Materio, owner of McMow, held an "Overview of Glass Cutting" live demonstration. He also gave a demo of the table foiler. It's wonderful to have such a large, great space for demos. Jim McClean volunteered to be the Treasurer, and is an experienced treasurer. Thanks, Jim!

April 6th-Third Meeting. We watched an incredible video on the glass artist Paul Stankard - The Private World of Paul J. Stankard, Nature in Glass. It was just amazing to see his work in action! They are all botanical works, and even have hidden 'root people' entwined underneath. Fabulous! We were even able to see one of his paperweights in person, as he gave one as a gift to Phil and Shannon for some work they did for him (wow, nice gift)! Check out the links section if you are interested in seeing Paul Stankard's work. Again, members showed their interesting and eclectic assortment of beautiful glass work.

May 6th-Fourth Meeting. Phil spoke to the group about Blenko glass (see links). This is an unusual glass that has been made for many years by the Blenko family. We watched a video about the very different way that this glass is made, and saw a few samples that Phil had from his 'secret stash'. Annual dues were discussed and decided upon. They will be $30, payable at the next meeting, June 4th. As we are in the process of setting up our non-profit status and have no checking account at this time, please pay your membership dues with cash. You will be issued a receipt (and a membership card) with your payment!

Suggestions, Offers For Help, and Comments...
If you have any ideas or suggestions, please feel free to email them to this address Art Glass Society. Remember...this club will be only as successful as the work that we ALL put into into it - especially in the beginning.

The Art Glass Society holds meetings on the first Tuesday of every month at McMow Art Glass in Lake Worth, FL from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. McMow is located at 701 N. Dixie Hwy. and they can be reached @ 561-585-9011.

McMow Supports Neighborhood Identification Program

This beautiful stained glass window was created and donated to the Tropical Ridge Neighborhood Association by McMow Art Glass. The window, measuring 32 1/4" wide by 18 1/4" high features cut stained glass in shades of pink, green and lavender with clear glass bevels. The piece is lead camed and comes ready for hanging. The retail value of the window is $530.

The winning raffle ticket will be drawn at the November 1st Tropical Ridge Neighborhood meeting. Tickets are $5 each and all proceeds will go to support the Tropical Ridge Neighborhood Association Banner Program. Raffle tickets are available at:

McMow Art Glass
701 North Dixie Hwy

A Family Recipe Cafe
1500 Lucerne Avenue
(the Lake Worth Towers)

Versace Mansion: A Look Inside The Villa By Barton G

The following article by Melanie Nayer was posted online and forwarded to me by a Dreamweaver fan and lover of all things Versace. From 1993 until Mr. Versace's death in 1997, the Dreamweavers at McMow Art Glass served as the exclusive suppliers for all the art glass on the property. Every stained glass, carved glass and flashed glass window was created and/or restored by McMow and each was embellished with gold leaf by the McMow team of Dreamweavers. The photos in the slide show below also came from the online article. Enjoy.

From The Huffington Post, by Melanie Nayer
July 26, 2010 01:20 PM

How well do you understand the Versace style? Did you truly understand how he paired cheetah prints with paisley patterns and made it work? Sure, you understood that he was an icon and the envy of celebrities everywhere, but were you daring enough to wear Versace? And if you dared, did you do it right? Gianni Versace had a sense of style that set his creations apart from the rest and while you might be able to pick a Versace out in the crowd, it's likely you needed a fashion stylist to show you how to properly wear the genius wardrobe.

There's good news: you don't have to wear Versace to stay in what was once his multi-million dollar Miami mansion but I assure you, once you walk through the guarded doors of this palace you'll 'get' Versace. And you'll never be the same.

Gianni Versace's Miami mansion is the second-most photographed home in the U.S. Try as Michelle Obama might, the White House has nothing on Versace's style.



On July 15, 1997, the fashion world came to a screeching halt when Versace was shot dead outside his Miami home, but his legend lives on inside the white-washed walls on Ocean Drive. The Italian fashion mogul called 1116 Ocean Drive home for more than five years and hosted everyone from Elton John to Madonna at his lavish digs. While his legacy lives on among the accessories, fragrances, makeup and clothes, the home that Versace built remained closed to the majority of the public until now. When Barton G. Weiss took over the posh digs he turned the Versace-owned home into a hotel for those who defined the very meaning of glamour.

You don't need to own anything Versace to be able to recognize his look. The complex mix of fabrics and patterns were synonymous with Versace style. No one else could pair animal prints with bright pink cashmere and turquoise blue porcelain with gold-flecked and multi-jeweled crystal. You know a Versace when you spot it, and the same holds true for his 19,000-square-foot South Beach home - within seconds of walking through the iron gates, you know you're standing inside the brainchild of one of fashion's greatest minds.

I walked into the mansion at precisely 10 a.m. on a Sunday morning. The butler opened the steel gates and ushered me into the courtyard where the fountain in the middle streamed gold water (via gold thread in its spouts). I stood in awe as the realization of my whereabouts came into focus. The Versace handbag tucked safely in its dust bag in my closet suddenly had a whole new meaning.

The butler took my half-gulped latte and placed it perfectly in the center of a silver tray while she pointed the way toward the outdoor pool area. A quick left at the water fountain and we were standing face-to-gold in front of the Thousand Mosaic pool. Lined in 24k gold and serving as a focal point along the perfectly manicured lawn, the pool was nothing short of mesmerizing. I couldn't imagine swimming in it, and yet at the same time I wondered what it was like to float along the gold that trimmed the perimeter of the pool. The lounge chairs were all cushioned with Versace prints and while Ocean Drive was only steps away, you felt like you were in another world.

Guests can dine al fresco by the pool during the day and in the evening, the cuisine turns five-star in the 30-seat dining room. From the tiled walls to the Versace-original flatware and plates, you can almost see the visionary sitting in the corner enjoying a meal on the one-of-a-kind dishes and sipping wine from the jeweled cups that grace each table. Dinner menus are designed daily and the carefully cultivated wine list offers more than 100 labels selected from the world's finest vintners. After dinner drinks can be served in the Dining Room or outside in the courtyard under the stars.

I made my way up the first flight of stairs (my coffee approximately three steps behind me the entire way) and walked into the first suite - the Signature Suite, said to be where Versace's brother, Santo, stayed when he visited. The living room is true Versace - a plethora of colors, textures, patterns and technology merged to produce a stunning entrance. Zebra print sofas sit next to cheetah print lounge chairs, both accented with bright throw pillows in red, pink and orange.

The bedroom is what dreams are made of. Barton G. kept the same fabrics, color schemes and ambiance that was left over from the Versace days. A double-king bed serves as the focal point of the bedroom, flanked by original Versace drapes and linens. The custom created comforter is red silk with embroidered cheetahs, but the way it was cut explains the very definition of "design." Linens are cut on dimensions - a twin, full, queen, king - and are sized appropriately. However, a double-king bed is unusual and to sew the fabric together to simply make a double-king meant a seam would run through the middle of the bed. Ask any royal and they'll tell you: one should never sleep on a seam. The result: A custom-created silk comforter, seams appropriately placed on the edges, fit for a King (or two) and now slept in by guests at the villa.

The other guest rooms are quintessential Versace with the Barton G. touch. Golds, blues, reds and greens serve as the backdrop to patterns and prints you'd likely see in Roman churches and temples. Each room has a butler devoted to the guests, each butler expertly trained. Frescos line the hallways providing a history and art lesson to those who pass through. The interior frescoes were created by Versace's artisans and were restored by Barton G. The exteriors feature art that dates back to 1930 and the Versace era, and throughout the mansion you'll spot mythological figures that were brought in exclusively for the mansion when Versace lived here.

While I wasn't given the official confirmation, there are specific rooms in the villa that were designed with specific guests in mind. I opened the door to one room and found shades of red and gold plastered throughout the walls and on the furniture. A cherry wood desk sat at the far corner of the room and placed perfectly on the window seat was the most recent issue of Vogue. The room was said to be Madonna's personal suite when she stayed with Versace, and is currently the only room in North America with a gold-plated sunken bathtub (a perfect fit for the Material Girl, herself).

As if the mansion couldn't get extravagant, the scene was from the top of the villa. On the rooftop were lounge chairs, cabanas and sofas in shades of blue and corals offering exclusive views of South Beach, but kept completely private from passersby on the street. It was on the roof that Versace undoubtedly spent a few nights watching the sun set and entertaining guests, and today is serves as the ultimate retreat for guests wanting a little privacy under the South Miami sun.

Few people inspired fashion the way Gianni Versace did. Few people did it in a way that is as recognizable as Gianni Versace. Few people lived the way Gianni Versace lived, and today, few people get the opportunity to step inside the villa that was once owned by the iconic fashion designer. The Versace Miami Beach house today stands as a tribute to the man who helped define luxury to its core.

McMow Art Glass Workshops

The McMow Art Glass studios are open to all glass enthusiasts who may need a place to work on their projects in stained glass, fusing and mosaics. You are welcome to use our light tables, grinders, ring saws and band saws. Other cold working apparatus is available upon request. All persons using our workshop must bring their own personal cutting and breaking tools along with other materials and supplies needed for their projects. Previous glass cutting experience is required.

WORKSHOP HOURS

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday - 8 am to 4:30 pm

Tuesday - 8 am to 9 pm

Saturday - 9 am to 3 pm

WORKSHOP FEES

$10 - One 3 hour session

$40 - Five 3 hour sessions

$100 - Unlimited studio time for one month

KILN FIRING FEES

$40 - One firing in medium size kiln

$80 - One firing in large size kiln

If you need specific help with a project, please call ahead for instructor availability. Workshop fees are paid in advance and please remember - SAFETY FIRST - Closed toe shoes and safety glasses are required.

Shanon on Artful Glass Business Practices

Shanon Materio, co-owner of McMow Art Glass, was the featured presenter at the Palm Beach Rotary Club meeting this morning. Shanon spoke on the business philosphy that has guided McMow Art Glass for 32 years. That is the collaboration with art glass suppliers, the McMow Dreamweaver team of artists, craftsmen, and business specialists along with our clients, our retail customers and our glass artist friends who practice and perfect their work at McMow - each of whom contributes to our success and the continued vitality of all the glass arts. Some of the pictures below will be familiar to readers of the McMow Daily Times. Some are new and all these were presented in a slide show during the meeting. Enjoy

July Specialty Class Schedule

The Dreamweavers at McMow offer a dazzling array of art glass specialty classes. The fees for each class include the necessary materials except where noted. Students must provide their own personal cutting tools, breaking tools, foil and solder where necessary. These are one day specialty classes unless otherwise indicated.

July 1, Thursday ~ Beveled Boxes with Natalie
9 am to Noon, $35

July 2, Friday ~ Beveled Candleholder with Natalie
9 am to 3 pm, $75

July 3, Saturday ~ Mold Making with Kaiser Lee Board
9 am to 3 pm, $165

July 8, Thursday ~ Sea Treasures with Natalie
9 am to Noon, $35

July 9, Friday ~ Panel Lamps with Natalie
9 am to 3 pm, $135

July 10, Saturday ~ Spontaneous Mosaics with Annie Shank
(1 of 2 sessions) 9 am to 3 pm, $225

July 13, Tuesday ~ Scrap Frames with Lee
9 am to Noon, $35

July 15, Thursday ~ Pressed Flowers with Natalie
9 am to 3 pm, $75

July 16, Friday ~ Beveled Boxes with Natalie
9 am to Noon, $35

July 17, Saturday ~ Spontaneous Mosaics with Annie Shank
(2 of 2 sessions) 9 am to 3 pm

July 22, Thursday ~ Sea Treasures with Natalie
9 am to Noon, $35

July 23, Friday ~ Beveled Candleholder with Natalie
9 am to 3 pm, $75

July 24, Saturday ~ Dichroic Dazzlers with Faith
9 am to Noon, $85

July 27, Tuesday ~ Scrap Frames with Lee
9 am to Noon, $35

July 29, Thursday ~ Panel Lamps with Natalie
9 am to 3 pm, $135

July 30, Friday ~ Beveled Boxes with Natalie
9 am to Noon, $35

July 31, Saturday ~ Open Face Kiln Casting with Phil
(1 of 2 sessions) 9 am to 3 pm, $250

July 31, Saturday ~ Lead Came Class with Jurgen
9 am to 3 pm, $130

August 7, Saturday ~ Open Face Kiln Casting with Phil
(2 of 2 sessions) 9 am to 3 pm

Are you interested in taking a class that isn't listed here? Please let us know! Call 585-9011 to be included on our email list and receive updated class information, our monthly newsletter, special incentives and notice of upcoming events. Stayed tuned for the upcoming Beginner and Intermediate Stained Glass Classes. Where There Be Light . . . Let There Be McMow!

Summer is Officially Here

This is a great time of year to bring your muse and check out the cool art glass classes at McMow. Our new schedule of classes in beginner and intermediate stained glass, fusing, mosaics and more more more will be starting soon. Have a great Summer Everyone!

Flag Day, Monday June 14th

The Dreamweavers at McMow hope to see all our friends at the Lake Worth Band shell in Bryant Park, on Monday, June 14th to join in a Flag Day celebration hosted by the Scottish Rites Masonic Temple.

God Bless America.

Phil Phixes Phear of Phiring, or How to Make Friends with Your Electric Kiln

A 14th century kiln

A 21st century electric kiln

And these are beautiful examples of glass art created by Dreamweavers using temperature and time to fuse different glass elements together.

Last Saturday, Phil Materio, owner of McMow Art Glass and resident specialist in fusing techniques offered a special class to students and artists of the glass arts who choose fusing as their medium of expression. Specialty glass has different co-efficients of expansion and knowing how much and how long to fire the piece is critical to the process of fusing. More than 25 fusing artists came to learn the intricacies and subtleties of this fascinating process. Come by the McMow studio galleries for an up close look at some of these marvelous pieces.

Memorial Day

To honor all those we remember with gratitude and affection, the Dreamweavers at McMow will spend the day with family and friends in celebration of the life and liberty we hold so dear. The McMow studio/gallery will be closed on Monday, May 31st and reopen Tuesday, June 1st.

from pajamadeen.com:

If we had lived a century ago, we would be celebrating Decoration Day today, instead of Memorial Day. While the patriotic sentiment of honoring the fallen remains the same, the holiday, originally celebrated to honor Union troops who perished in the Civil War, has changed in scope; we now honor all war dead on Memorial Day. As seen in this c. 1907 embossed patriotic postcard, the term “Decoration Day” is used to describe the holiday.

Great care has been taken in detailing the post card, which shows an elderly veteran with a cane saluting his fallen comrades, with a large wreath of forget-me-nots placed in the foreground and the whole enveloped in a patriotic red, white and blue surround.

The holiday fittingly began as a black history celebration, with the first impromptu Decoration Day observed in 1865 by liberated slaves in Charleston, SC, at Washington Race Course (now Hampton Park). The race course had been both a Confederate prison camp and a mass grave for Union soldiers who died in captivity. In a process which took only 10 days, freed slaves exhumed bodies from the mass grave, reinterring each Union solder in an individual grave. When finished, the former slaves built a fence around the graveyard, added an entry arch, and declared the site a Union cemetery. On May 1, 1865, a crowd of up to 10,000 mainly black residents, including 2,800 children, went to the graveyard and celebrated with a picnic, sermons and singing. And thus Decoration Day was born. However, Waterloo, NY gets the credit as the official birthplace of Memorial Day, because the village first formally observed the holiday on 5 May 1866.

Major General John A. Logan, a Murphysboro, Illinois native, helped popularize Decoration Day. On May 5, 1868, while commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (a veterans’ organization), he issued a proclamation calling for nationwide observance of Decoration Day; it took place on 30 May, a date chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any battle. Noted postcard publishers such as Raphael Tuck created Decoration Day postcards, while postcard artists such as Ellen Clapsaddle created dramatic patriotic compositions. The London-based Tuck publishing company also created a series of much scarcer Confederate Memorial Day postcards; the South, unwilling for years to participate in a holiday honoring Union dead, didn’t adopt Memorial Day celebrations for the most part until after World War I, as Memorial Day began to take on a larger meaning commemorating all war dead. The alternative Memorial Day name, first used in 1882, didn’t become more common until after World War II. It wasn’t until 1967 that it was declared the holiday’s official name by Federal law. Copyright © 2009 pajamadeen.com

McMow Art Contest

The Dreamweavers at McMow welcomed artists, family and friends to the 12th Annual Art Glass Contest on Friday, May 7th to celebrate and highlight the many talented people that have become friends over the years. This contest was designed to showcase the extraordinary talent of our glass artist friends and to promote the medium of the glass arts. Our common dream is to keep this ancient and beautiful art alive and thriving into the future. Here are some of our friends who made the evening festive.

Click on any of the images to make them larger and click the back button on your computer to return to McMow Daily Times. Enjoy.




Special Thanks for the support offered by our friends,

Katrina Gaffney, who supplied the wine for the evening Mayor Rene' Varela and Tanya, our celebrity bartenders Greg Rice, our emcee for the awards presentation Randy and Carol Wardell, for their years of continous support Annie Shank, our Featured Artist for the evening.

Prizes for the artists were kindly donated by our generous Vendors and Sponsors:

Action Bevels, Houston Glass Craft Supply, Glastar Corporation, Victory White Metals, Art Glass House, Wardell Publications, Yougiogheny Glass, Diamond Tech International, Gemini Saw Company, Morton Glass Works, Bullseye Glass Company, Kokomo Glass Company
The grand prize, $800 worth of art glass , donated by McMow Art Glass, Inc.

Before we share the names of the winners in all categories, here are all the fabulous pieces that were entered.

In the Mosaic Category








Three Dimensional Entries



















The Fused Glass Entries









Pattern Adaptation Stained Glass














Original Design Stained Glass










Featured Guest Artist Annie Shank










And the winning entries are...