Glass blower revels in unique creations

Rich Fizer's fish out of water are anything but out of place. The North Fort Myers glass blower has found a widespread interest in his counter and wall pieces featuring a water theme. His glass works are on every continent except Antarctica, he says, and his cobalt blue fish was placed on the Christmas tree in the Blue Room at the White House in 1998. Mr. Fizer says he was one of 200 people invited to make an ornament for the Clintons' tree.

COURTESY PHOTO Rich Fizer displays some of his blown glass artwork. Clockwise from left are "Sunset Dancers," "Tropical Fish," "Slow Roller," "Harvest Wave," "Waterfall" and "Tidal Pool." The free-form sculptures are mostly vessels, bowls, jars and wall hangings in the shapes of waves, shells, fish, urchins and waterfalls. "What I want people to do is to question how it's made," the 39-year-old says.

Mr. Fizer has a master's of fine arts, with a concentration in glass. The seeds of his current work are evident in college pieces made years ago. The early works have a clear base, or foot, which has become his trademark. Instead of a simple circular or square base, Mr. Fizer manipulates the glass to form a wavelike motion around the edge of the bottom. Pieces include the imprint and texture of pliers' jaws where he has worked the glass. "Just to make it more ornamental," he says. "By adding the attachments, it looks like it's rolling or moving."

An orange jar in his sea urchin series features a clear foot with clear raised strands ascending from it, vertical strips he compares to seaweed. This 11-inchhigh piece, equipped with a removable sandcasted lid, also functions as a vase for flowers.

Some bowls have a multicolored body with a clear lip trail and clear decorative handle, again with an indication of a wave or water drop. He uses a scissor to cut the glass to create the drops from the bowl's rim. "I'm trying to capture the fluidity of the glass," he says, noting that he has experimented with a gold lip trail though thinks "it deters from the piece."

Common in his pieces is a feathered look for the colored body, achieved by rolling and blending the glass "just like you would make ribbon candy," he says. "It's kind of the same concept."

For example, a large cobalt blue and white bowl with feathering shows more color upon exposure to natural or artificial light, which is why Mr. Fizer says he does not use a tent when showcasing pieces at outdoor festivals.

He has been creating the fish for 17 years, adding, "I made enough to pay my way through college." The small and large creatures are quite colorful, such as a lime-green blowfish with orange spots. Eyes, lips, fins and tail are clear. Also clear are the foot — for placement on a surface — and a loop at the top of the body--for hanging on a wall. Although he often uses blue and aqua green, the hues of water bodies, Mr. Fizer says red, orange and yellow pieces have become especially popular this past year.

Mr. Fizer started a waterfall series in October 2007, an idea he says originated from a frozen waterfall in Ohio. He has made 11 and sold five. The 50- to 60-pound pieces, priced upwards of $4,000, have thick copper wire arranged horizontally across the top, the glass looped over it to hang. He applies salt water, which he collects during fishing trips, to turn the copper green. One fire red waterfall is called "Sunset Dancers."

"It's the most talked about piece I've ever made," Mr. Fizer says about any of the waterfalls. "It appeals to kids and seniors and everybody in between. People want to touch it when they see it more so than a vessel. It was a leap for me."

The waterfall is a challenge to make, he says, noting that his success rate is 50 percent at this point. Temperature control is a factor because he says the pieces crack when they are touched at a temperature below 1,800 degrees. In addition, the pieces are not energy efficient because it take eight days for one to cool, he says, an equivalent to running the washing machine eight days straight without stopping.

Mr. Fizer says he attends 30 art shows a year. His glass works will be on display at the Bonita Springs National Art Festival in January and at ArtFest Fort Myers in February.