Now, as I type this, I’m only hours away from boarding the first of four flights that will get me to Australia’s Gold Coast Sunday morning: RDU to ATL, ATL to LAX, LAX to SYD and SYD to OOL. I had the opportunity to visit the country two years ago and am looking forward to being back. Yes, the flight is long (very long) but it’s really not as bad as you might think. I had a hard time believing those who told that to me before I went the first time, but they were right. As Stew Langer with Uroglass had told me, you have a meal, watch a movie, take a nap; repeat three times and you’re there. And he was pretty much right.

But travel advice aside, Australia is great for glass–decorative glass, curved glass, tall glass, colored glass (splash backs, not back splashes). I am excited to see it all and snap lots of pictures, which I will share with you right here.

In the mean time, why not share with me pictures of your favorite projects–those you’ve see in your travels; the ones that made you stop and look twice. Whether a building facade, interior partition, flooring or even outside art piece, I’d love to see them all.

The Architects’ Guide to Glass & Metal a DG magazine sister publication, recently talked to three architects about glazing trends and they each noted decorative glass as one that’s growing in popularity (be sure and look for this issue online in the next couple of weeks). Los Angeles architect Chris Ward, for instance says he uses glass extensively in almost every project. In 2009 he was even recognized for his work on a school where he created a glass tree curtainwall.

Ward is not alone, as others agree. Paul Sternberg with CSO Architects in Indianapolis says at his firm they are also using decorative glass more and more.

“The number of producers of cast, molded, formed, coated and colored glasses is increasing. We are finding more ways to use these unique and artistic products and to add interest and highlights to our interior spaces. Glass adds sparkle, transparency, color, form and texture in a way unlike any other product,” says Sternberg.

And at Ennead Architects in New York, Craig McIlhenny noted that the demand for color, among other features, is also increasing as there have been so many developments such as laminated films, which can offer a wide variety of color choices.

He also says, “Frit patterns are nearly limitless in design, and some glass fabricators offer a dual-color application, with one color facing outward and another into the building, allowing glare issues to be addressed.”

Now it’s your turn—what makes you want to work with decorative glass products? We would love to hear your thoughts on this growing trend.

But one group with a lot of ideas for bettering the decorative glass industry and its processes is the Glass Association of North America (GANA). Since the launch of its Decorative Division in 2006 the group has worked diligently to create resources on working with and designing projects involving decorative glass.

Now, for the first time, the division is involved in a new educational venue: GANA’s Glass Fabrication (GlassFab) program will include a track on decorative glass. The event is taking place next week, May 2-4, at the Embassy Suites Kansas City International in Kansas City, Mo.

The program, geared toward those new to working in the glass industry, will offer insight into a number of topics important to those fabricating and installing decorative glass. Some of the areas that will be covered include clear versus low-iron glass and its affect on color; silicone-based paints; ceramic enamels; processing fabricated glass for decorative use and field/installation situations with decorative glass.

And be sure and check back to the DG magazine website, as we’ll provide reports and updates from the meeting.

Attending the event yourself? Let us know which sessions you took part in and what you found most valuable.

I had no idea what to expect. I can’t remember the last time I was at an auction, but I know it was when I was a kid and I was with my parents. At this particular auction hundreds of pieces of Carnival Glass were up for bids–bids, I was told, that could range from $50 to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The show was moving along and I was enjoying the rapid cries of the auctioneer and the excitement from the crowd as the callers worked to help drive the bids up and up. People were there to buy and they indeed were doing just that.

But the real excitement started when it came time to auction off the marigold People’s Vase. A sister vase had sold at a previous year’s auction for $100,000. So it was probably no shocker to those there that the auctioneer opened the bids at $150,000. He described it as “the ultimate vase” and “the kingpin of Carnival Glass.” And though it didn’t reach that $150,000 mark, it did well enough with the buyer paying $80,000.

But those buyers who shelled out 80 grand weren’t done for the day. They later bought a $20,000 tankard. Shew–that’s a lot money for a little glass!

While Carnival Glass may not be the glass we think of today when we think of large-scale architectural art glass, it still has a place in the decorative glass world—and probably a higher per-square-foot price in some cases. If you’ve been involved in an elaborate, upscale, architectural art glass project, we’d love to hear about it. Post your comments below and tell us about the biggest, boldest and brightest with which you’ve been involved.

But when it comes to adding color, how do you know you’re making a good color selection? For those who like to follow the trends, fashionable color choices change almost season-to-season, just like anything else that’s stylish. So, what have been the hottest colors of late? According to Color Marketing Group (CMG), think “barefootin.’”

In describing “barefootin,’” James Martin, president of CMG, says the need to ease up on stress and strain brought this new “color infused” neutral to the forefront. “With its roots in orange, an often highly energized, vivacious color, barefootin’ has taken a step back to soothe a weary psyche, but without being dull.”

Other 2010 color trends according to the CMA include:

Red – Reds are strong with pink intuition; bright and clean with energy and excitement – a clean pop to go with neutrals;

Yellow – A greener, more natural yellow, softened with gray;

Green – Optimistic and uplifting, a clear and bright accent green with a slight shift toward blue;

Blue – A saturated blue with gray influences; rich without being too luxe;

Beige-Brown – A true chameleon to complement darker hues, it can be either matte or metallic.

Neutral-Gray – Gray with a touch of purple, drawing inspiration from mineral, concrete and steel.

Color through glass is becoming an increasingly popular design option. As architects and designers embrace these selections, I would bet we can expect to see more and more cutting edge designs.

Earlier this year Dreamwalls Colored Glass issued a press release on how designers are using chromotherapy principles in their designs. Mario Morales of Artesanos Design Group stated that chromotherapy proposes that colors have psychological temperatures, which bring about emotional reactions and responses … allowing the walls in the overall design of a space to not only add depth to a project, but also complement, connect and integrate the décor of the space itself into an all-inclusive design.

Likewise, a number of studies have been done about how colors can affect our emotions and well-being. Earlier this year I had the opportunity to interview John Blazy (CLICK HERE to read more in our online digital edition) who told me that architects often specify his color-changing Dichrolam product for use in children’s hospitals. “Architects specifically know that children love color-children love my product way more than adults,” Blazy said.

And, in its predictions for the most popular color choices for 2009 (2010 has not yet been announced) the Color Marketing Group listed its top choices as those influenced by both concern for the economy and optimism about the future.

“We’re finding comfort in colors that are familiar, and yet, at the same time, we’re embracing colors that make us happy — especially as accents,” says executive director, Jaime Stephens. “Also, the demand for colors and products that reflect an environmentally ‘greener’ world goes way beyond a trend. It’s now ‘a given.’ ”

And what were the group’s top picks? Purple, blue, browns and grays, yellow, bright accents from India, China, and Turkey (i.e., oranges, turquoises and teals, reds, and yellows), white and mauve (yes, mauve).

OK. So that was just a few thoughts from a few different sources about working with color. Now, I need to hear from you: why do you use color and does it really have “mood-altering effects”? Does it give your designs that extra something and what do you think of combining color with glass?

More than decorative glass, the first thing I noticed was just the massive use of glass itself. One of the most popular applications, from what I could tell, is the use of glass in handrails and balustrades on condo and apartment balconies. Just walking down a street and looking up you’d see them all around, building after building. As someone explained to me, Australians love sitting outside, and the glass can provide a nearly unobstructed view of the surroundings (in this particular case, it was a beach view).

Considering the definition that the Glass Association of North America has given decorative glass (“glass that is designed to produce distinct artistic, textural, dimensional and tactile elements that extend the physical, functional, and visual properties beyond traditional flat glass”) you could say that an all glass balustrade might just add a bit of flare to an otherwise dull porch.

Another way to add flare might be with a glass canopy or elevator. Check out this picture on the left. I snapped it after I arrived in the Sydney harbor via ferry (just to provide a bit of geography, from where I stood to take this shot the famous opera house was ahead of me to the left).

And as far as other decorative products, such as cast and kiln-formed glass? I was told that the excitement there has come and gone. Now companies are exploring other decorative possibilities (such as printing onto glass; more on that in a future blog).

But I did find a bit of cast glass in a spot where you might not necessarily expect to find it. Walking down the street I passed a bus stop that was constructed almost entirely of cast glass. So that got me thinking about all of the different places where decorative glass can be used. What are some of the most unusual places for decorative glass products? Share your comments in the space below. Got a picture? Email it to me at erogers@glass.com.

I will be off to Australia. Yes, the opera house and the zoo in Sydney are definite musts, but like I said, the glass is also important. So, to prepare myself, I asked around to try and learn more about what I can expect to find in terms of glazing.

My fellow blogger Stew Langer with Uroglass told me I will find decorative glass just about everywhere.

“It’s not unusual to drive through neighborhoods where every house is adorned with one or more stained glass windows (“leadlights” in OZ). There are commercial districts where every storefront has some decorative glazing or glass sign. When you visit a venue that is perfect for glass (e.g. Star City Casino, in Sydney) then LOOKOUT. Floors, ceilings, escalator sidings, signs (unbelievable stuff), miles of balustrade, bar backs, lighting, more, more, more, more. Talk about feeling like a kid in a candy store! This is EYE CANDY at its best, and there’s so much to take in. It’s unforgettable if you’re in the glass biz.”

Sounds like I’ve got a lot to take in, which made me wonder: what is that has made Australia embrace decorative glass more than the United States?

Alexsandra Guinan is a principal with GlassKote USA, a commercial joint venture with GlassKote Australia P/L. She told me that Australians are not afraid to travel the world, look at what others are doing and then come back and put their own spin on a design.

“They are not scared to incorporate new materials. Decorative glass and glass period was an accepted material much earlier in Australia than other parts of the world … Australia has had the tenacity to create new designs with a sense of ‘lets try something really new’ being the overriding principal,” she says.

OK, so now it’s your turn. If you’ve traveled to Australia I want to hear your take on the architectural and decorative glass trends there. If there are places I simply must see, post your comments here and let me know. (I’ll take any restaurant recommendations, too.)

In addition to the “Longfellows,” the exhibition also includes Fräbel’s “Cavorting Clowns” frolicking on an 8-foot tall spiral fountain, as well the “Large Cube with Imploding Glass Spheres,” an 8-foot by 8-foot structure with an illuminated center, featured outside the Tropical Forest Conservatory.

If you happen to find yourself in the Pittsburgh area, Life in the Gardens. Fräbel Glass at Phipps runs through January 20, 2010.

CLICK HERE for more info on the conservatory.

I had such an encounter a couple of weeks ago. I was walking through the sculpture garden at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and decided to stroll through the Cowles Conservatory. I was wandering through, taking in the beauty of all the plants and flowers when suddenly there was a giant glass fish standing before me (yes, a fish).

I stood there a moment, taken aback a bit … is that really a giant glass fish? I pondered this to myself and then said out load, “I do believe that’s glass.” A few steps closer and I saw that indeed it was.

Created by world-renowned architect and artist Frank Gehry, the title of the sculpture was simple “Standing Glass Fish.” Constructed of glass, wood, steel, silicone, plexiglass and rubber, the sculpture, created in 1986, stands 22-feet tall and is suspended on invisible supports over a rectangular lily pond and surrounded by palm trees.

Gehry’s comment about the sculpture reads: “In Toronto, when I was very young, my grandmother and I used to go to Kensington, a Jewish market, on Thursday morning. She would buy a carp for gefilte fish. She’d put it in the bathtub, fill the bathtub with water, and this big black carp–two or three feet long–would swim around in the bathtub and I would play with it. I would stand up there and watch it turn and twist . . . and then she’d kill it and make gefilte fish and that was always sad and awful and ugly.”–Frank Gehry

You can also read more about the sculpture here.

Decorative glass, art glass, sculptural glass – if you’ve got a story to share about an interesting example you’ve seen or worked on please share it.