Over the rumbling of hot shop equipment, Dan LaChaussee described and demonstrated the various processes behind making glass-blown sculptures.
“It is the most expensive artform in the history of the world,” said LaChaussee, who owns LaChaussee Blown Glass with his wife, Joi. “Don’t try to convince people. They’re not gonna believe you, but it is true.”
After coating the molten glass with refined precious metals that give the sculptures their vibrant colors, LaChaussee stretched and twisted it like a piece of chewed gum into a spiral shape.
A peek into an artist’s studio such as this one is the reason behind the Whidbey Art Trail, which opens for its 13th season this Saturday, June 1. The self-guided tour runs an entire year and features 20 different artists scattered across the island. Brochures containing a map can be found at ferry terminals, visitor centers, chambers of commerce and businesses.
“It works out real nice for us. And it’s fun,” LaChaussee said about the art trail. “It can be really isolated, and this way, we get customers year-round.”
His studio is located at 5555 Emil Road in Langley, not far from Earth Sanctuary. Look for the bright red Whidbey Art Trail sign. Regular hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or call 360-420-7624 to schedule a later time to see the LaChaussees in action.
Dan LaChaussee has been creating glass art for nearly 40 years. He and Joi met at the Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle and attended the Pilchuck Glass School together. Their son Aaron lends a hand from time to time in making some of their bigger pieces.
The majority of customers they get in the off-season, LaChaussee said, are people who have some knowledge of the art trail. His studio has been part of the art trail since its inception in 2011.
In the past few years, sculpture parks and galleries have joined the studios of individual artists on the map.
“The best thing about the art trail is that it’s self-guided and that it isn’t just on one weekend,” said Carol Rose Dean, who owns Dean Tile and Design in Freeland, which is also on this season’s map.
An artist and licensed tile contractor, Dean designs and installs tile in homes; one of her current projects is some backsplash depicting a Pacific Northwest scene of nature, including a heron and a kayaking couple.
She also creates a myriad of other art projects using tile, such as a newer collection of shiny abstract pieces. The tiled floors in her studio are past mosaics, one of which aptly reads, “Follow the yellow brick road.” Octopuses, dogs and mermaids are just some of the creatures featured in her work.
Lately, she’s been working on massively heavy signs cast in concrete for her studio, which read “open randomly.”
“I believe in truth in advertising,” she said with a laugh.
Though usually open in her 1660 Roberta Ave. location from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, she encourages people to make an appointment by texting 360-499-2965 or emailing info@deantile.com.
Visit whidbeyarttrail.com for more information.
Dan LaChaussee stretches and pulls the hot glass as easily as a piece of chewed gum. (Photo by Caitlyn Anderson)
Dan LaChaussee stretches and pulls the hot glass as easily as a piece of chewed gum. (Photo by Caitlyn Anderson)
Glass pieces made by Dan, Joi and Aaron at LaChaussee Blown Glass studio. (Photo by Caitlyn Anderson)
Tiled floor in Carol Rose Dean’s studio reads “Follow the yellow brick road.” (Photo by Kira Erickson/South Whidbey Record)
Carol Rose Dean designs tile backsplash for homes. In this mural, scenes of the Pacific Northwest are seen. (Photo by Kira Erickson/South Whidbey Record)
