Chris L. Buzzini

February 24, 2010

Dear Collectors,

I recently had a major computer crash and lost a great number of unsaved emails from the latter months of 2009. I spent four days installing a new hard drive on my computer and reinstalling all my programs and files. Wow, what a job that was! Unfortunately, the majority of these emails were from friends and collector/friends who were concerned about my well being during my prolonged bout with depression and spent the time and effort to send along well wishes and wonderful words of encouragement. I had planned on replying by personal email with an update of my progress, but sadly, this is no longer an option. So, I am resorting to plan B; a ‘blanket’ email to all. I do hope you understand.

I am so grateful for all the support, both emotional and financial, that I received from the paperweight community (a group of the finest people I have ever met!), Joan Parsley, the International Paperweight Society, Mitch and Ben Clark, the new owners of L. H. Selman Ltd. and of course Larry and Marti Selman. Without this help, I would certainly have lost my home, glass studio and my career. Words seem so lacking, but from my heart and soul, thank you all.

I am very pleased to give you a positive update on my life and progress since undergoing Electro Convulsive Therapy at Portland, Oregon’s, Health Science University Hospital last November. I received a total of eight treatments, scheduled most MWF’s and ending the Monday before Thanksgiving. The treatments leave one a bit ‘fogged in,’ so on Thanksgiving Day I flew to Los Angeles, CA to spend some much needed time, with both my children. My son has been living in the Los Angeles area since graduating from the University of California at Northridge several years ago, and my daughter just moved there last June to attend Southwestern Law. The visit was a perfect place to be while the ‘fog’ lifted and I returned home at the beginning of December.

With December came the harsh reality that although I was making great strides with my depression, the five-month absence from paperweight artistry had taken its toll. I took stock of my situation, formed a loose game plan and immediately got back to work. Since the beginning of December, I have taught two ‘one on one’ classes in my studio, one just before Christmas and the other during the middle of January. I have been very productive at my lampworking station and have created some extremely nice paperweights. Some of these can be seen in the Recently Sold Gallery on my website while others were special orders that I completed.

Last week I had a follow-up appointment with my Doctor from OHSU and he seems very pleased with my progress. I told him that the treatments were an answer to my prayers and that I feel like a new man. I am so pleased that my life appears to be back to normal and I can continue on my artistic journey. Two more positives in my life: I will be going back to Japan in April to teach a floral paperweight class and my daughter has transferred from Los Angeles back to Portland, to attend Lewis & Clark Law School. She is currently living with me.

In closing, I must say that my life is full of blessings. I still have my family, health, home, career and more friends than I ever realized. The Paperweight Community is an amazing group of individuals and I am honored to be part of such a group. I’m grateful to everyone who has helped me in my time of need. Thank you all!

With respect and best regards,

Chris　

Yes! it is true, a whale has been spotted in my Garden! With such 'big' news I felt a blog was needed to show all. So,
please scroll down and you will see that indeed in one of my flower beds, a thirteen foot whale has appeared! There
are also some nice images of recent blooms in the Garden...

View of back yard from path leading to my studio.


Awesome Blossoms!


There she blows!  I am removing lawn to increase the size of my flower beds, but this baby is staying put!


Nellie Moser Clematis.


Oriental Poppy


Wisteria with Golden Chain in background.


Golden Chain Tree.


Wisteria...Look at that trunk! I love it!


Shooting stars...One of my all time favorites.


Peonies.


Peony close up.

I have lived in Oregon since 1991 and I have never seen snow this deep since I moved here. I know that many of you in the colder regions of the country think this is a normal winter, but there must be others that think like I do, that this is just way to crazy! The snow started sticking around the 15th of December and I did not leave my property until Christmas Eve day. That was a trip to the store in my neighbors Toyota FJ Cruiser (all wheel drive with snow tires and chains!) which took about three hours. And the store is only about three miles away! My daughter, who lives two hours south in Eugene, Oregon could not make it home for Christmas, and I could not get down to see her. She finally was able to visit on the 26th, but had to return the following day...I hate snow and ice!


Looking out of south studio window.


Apple tree branches with about 1" of ice.


16 feet tall Arborvitae, now about eight feet tall!


This is my "cold shop" where I grind and polish my paperweights (when I can get in).... What an appropriate name!


Trampoline anyone?


Looking out my studio door.


Brrrrrr.....I'm glad I'm not a Doug Fir.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Here are just a few of the wonderful flowers that are currently in full bloom in my garden. Sorry the photos aren't better, but I do not have time to reshoot them.


Western Columbine


Evening Primrose


Rhodie


Blue Lupine


Red Lupine


Aster and Friend


Foxglove and Friend

Bleeding Heart


Veined Wonder


Japanese Iris


Green Oddity


Lady Stratheden Geum

Well, after weeks of non-stop gardening, mostly in the wet and rain, I have finally whipped my garden into shape!
This set of photos will be an  overview of the yard and hopefully in a week or two I'll have some spectactular close-up shots of some of my favorite blooms. I hope you enjoy the pictorial.


Front Yard


Left side back yard


Overview main garden

Closer view main garden 


Even a bit closer


Right side looking toward main garden


Left side again towards studio


Closer view toward studio


Apple trees and vegetable garden (Japanese style)


From cold shop towards house


Wisteria and arbor


Left side rear towards main garden


Right side rear towards main garden


Main garden from deck

In the blog I posted yesterday, I stated that I had no recollection of any of my Ribbon Bouquets coming up for resale on the secondary market. Since that posting, I received an email from a paperweight collector who stated, "I have come across a ribbon bouquet paperweight in the L. H. Selman auction of Fall 2004, it is lot No. 169." This lot was a Ribbon Bouquet paperweight created in 1996 and the original price in 1996 for all the full ribbon bouquets was $2400. If you include Selman's 10% buyer's premium fee (from 2004), it pushes the price realized for this paperweight to a $4125!





Lot 169
Chris Buzzini 1996 "Ribbon Bouquet" paperweight, with red azaleas,
blue phlox, golden asters, buds, green leaves, and white ribbons looped
around the stems. Signed/dated. One of one. Diameter 3-3/8".
$2250-$3000

Current Bid:                                                                          Sold
$3750

I thought some glass collectors might enjoy a few extra pictures pertaining to my latest "Ribbon Bouquet." I first created  these pieces in 1996 and between 1996 and 1998 I produced about fifty different "one of one" designs that were sold through L. H. Selman Ltd. I don't recall ever seeing one of these for sale on the secondary market.


This is my "hot plate" where I place all the finished components for the "set-up"
I am working on. Not every single item will end up in the paperweight, but it is
better to have a few extra components, than not enough!


This is the final "set-up" ready to be encased. It is only 2-1/4"
in diameter which is the same for all my designs.


The completed "Ribbon Bouquet" paperweight.

For over a year I have been thinking of and dabbling with the idea of creating some kind of "glass" wallpaper
or linen or fabric to use as a background for floral designs. So, throwing caution to the wind, I finally just sat down at my torch and worked on this until I got, what I think, is a pretty unique and excellent result.

I tried several different ways of trying to create the background and ultimately I settled on the following procedure. After pulling out about 150 small diameter rods of pink and purple glass encased in clear, I sized and grouped the rods in sets of two. The longer ones to use for crossing the center of the paperweight and decreasingly shorter ones for use on either side of the center rods. Then I fused each set of two rods together at both ends and pulled a bit of a tip on each end. After all the rods were done in groups of two I started from the center with two rods of purple and started adding groups of two pink rods on both sides. The groups of two are fused to the next two with a very small dot of clear between the points of each end. So working from the center to each side I fused all the tips of the rods together, creating the 'circle' of wallpaper background. Then the lampwork flowers were fashioned, the design created and fused together and then all was placed right on top of the "wallpaper" rods. My major concern was that after all the work was done, when I encased the design, that the "wallpaper" rods would not allow the vacuum system to properly draw the air out of the design. I had visions of bubbles trapped all along the rods. But, low and behold, the result was flawless!

I would greatly appreciate any comments on this new direction, be they positive or negative. Any comments submitted to the blog will be published and that would allow readers some insight into what others collectors might think. There is a "Add Comment" link right below the image of the paperweight.

Sincerely,

Chris