TO PLACE BIDS CLICK HERE : AUCTION WEBSITE

TO PLACE BIDS CLICK HERE : AUCTION WEBSITE

LIST OF RESERVE PRICES FOR UNSOLD LOTS

L.H. Selman, Ltd. is pleased to announce our Summer 2019, 72nd Glass Paperweight Auction, featuring 336 lots, antique and modern, as well as choice paperweight-related objects. The auction is fully online, hosted on our AUCTION WEBSITE. A web friendly digital e-catalog can be viewed at E-CATALOG, while a printed copy of the catalog is for sale at PRINT-CATALOG. For those of you who have enjoyed watching spin videos of featured pieces, they can be accessed via our YouTube Channel. If you see something to your liking, please do not fail to place an initial bid in order to ensure that you have a position in the competitive bidding that follows in the second half of the auction. Competitive bidding concludes after each lot closes, whereby the Buy-At-Reserve stage commences offering all unsold lots at their reserve prices. This stage has begins August 6th at 10am CST. A GUIDE listing the reserve price, lot number, and title for these BAR lots has been prepared at LIST.

If you’re new to our auctions, or if you would just like a refresher, we recently put together a video explaining the auction process. So we encourage you to watch for a full explanation of our unique slow close auctions, including the different stages, rules and processes. And please call us at (312) 583-1177 if you have any questions: 

 

https://youtu.be/PpxAZU62-64

We recommend that you give the catalog’s Conditions of Sale a careful examination for a full understanding of the protocols, and please note that we adjusted the language on our condition statements last auction. A key can be found in the Conditions of Sale on page 62 of the catalog. Please call the gallery with any questions about these changes or the auction format, and don’t forget, we’re always happy to send additional images, videos or condition reports upon request.

You can also make an appointment to see every lot in person at our gallery in Chicago, 410 S. Michigan Ave., suite 207.  We would love to see you all in person! If you prefer to place any or all bids by phone, or have any questions, just give us a call at 1-800-538-0766.

WHAT’S IN A NUMBER?

Okay folks; if you go to the almighty Internet and ask what is special about the number 72, it will give you the same old answers we all learned in third grade…  Namely:

72 is the maximum number of spheres that can touch another sphere in a lattice packing in 6 dimensions.”

And also this from the Bible: “In the vision of Jacob’s Ladder in the Old Testament of the Bible (Genesis 28, 11-19) and the Zohar, Jacob was shown that there were 72 steps to the Earth and Heaven with angels traveling up and down the steps.”

Fine, Fine. BUT “72” now has a NEW, even more meaningful definition –

It is the number of the upcoming L.H. SELMAN LTD’S 72nd PAPERWEIGHT AUCTION

Yes, it had to happen, and not just because our last catalog was #71, but because you deserve it!  (Can you tell that our writing department has studied all written documents from sacred scripture to the questionable broadsides and flyers that advertised circuses and traveling medicine shows?)

Better than any book by Dan Brown on some far-fetched Da Vinci code or some such, our 72nd Catalog actually does hold the secrets of and clues to eternal happiness. Unfortunately the F.D.A. has recently said we could no longer claim specific improvements in your medical conditions but we can say that what we offer will definitely cure you if your ailments are caused by a dearth of glistening beauty in your household!    

So Step Right Up!

Locked deep within this sacred text, published long centuries weeks ago, are the clues necessary to pinpoint the exact combination of attributes you so dearly need—good sirs and madams—and that you will find awaiting to restore good health to each and every one of your artistic innards, and remind you that inside every real HEART, you’ll find “ART” inside!  (Too obvious?)

So, let us to the thrill of the chase, and may the best man WIN be a real gentleman and LET THE SECOND BEST MAN WIN FOR A CHANGE! Just kiddin’…

(QUITE FRANKLY, NO ONE DESERVES TO BE OFFERED THIS MUCH OUTSTANDING TREASURE IN ONE AUCTION, BUT THAT’S JUST WHO WE ARE!)

WANT TO BUY AN ACTUAL MEDIA CELEBRITY?

Lot 1. Rare antique Clichy rose, pansy and thistle bouquet paperweight.

(Okay, so it’s made of glass.)  Someone pulled out all the stops here, not a bad thing when you’re at war.  Word on the street has it that the weight’s main elements represent the mystical (or was it temporal) bond between the great countries of France, England and Scotland during the Crimean War. It’s been rumored some of these weights were actually used in battle (cringe!) which would explain the rarity of this one, which is in Fine Condition. Anyway, the amazingly successful and elegantly complex design is expertly centered and the glasswork is so fine that the assemblage resembles a three-dimensional etching with exquisite hand tinting. This represents an aesthetic and political triumph that will stand the test of time – an early attempt at a European Union!  Such history and worth the price just for the work on the thistles alone! This little masterpiece is also the heaviest crystal for its size that we can remember. Why can’t international politics always be this beautiful?

P.S.  This is the EXACT SAME WEIGHT that rocked “Antiques Roadshow” – (Google £22,000 Paperweight and watch…)  Now you can do more than witness history – you can buy it!  (Sorry – monarchs held for ransom cannot be applied as payment for this limited one-time offer!)

EXPECT AN ARMORED KNIGHT TO SHOW UP!

Lot 3. Rare and exceptional antique Bacchus close concentric millefiori paperweight.

A beautiful example of the basic color prism laid out in classical concentric rings.  Striking reds and happy yellows protected by a ring of royal blues and luscious aqua-greens, with breathing room provided by comforting sheets of white, wrapping and nestling each color against the chilblains, a common ailment in Victorian England and beyond. (You youngsters can look that up and be grateful for central heating!)  This might have belonged to Charles Dickens – or probably not! However, history teases us again in this artwork, as 3 (a mystical number itself!) Heraldic Canes nervously provoke the imagination with their arcane, unknown references. Don’t be surprised if the Crown calls upon you one day to return this to Windsor Castle!

WITH TRANSFUSIONS FROM LIVING ROSES?

Lot 6. Rare antique Baccarat “thousand petal” red rose paperweight.

“Step Right Up and Make a Fortune, Gentlemen!!”  Okay, actually we mean save a fortune.  Why? Because for a small investment you can save yourself from ever again having to buy flowers!!  That’s right, take advantage of this limited offer and your duly intended will be so taken with the eternal beauty of this perfect rose, that all you’ll need to do for the next several decades is remember to pick up a card at the pharmacy.  Seriously, though – this rose is captivating with seriously sensual tones that bespeak a living presence, such is the effect of the incredible craftsmanship here. And all is given an electric burst of energy by a perfectly engineered starburst cut base.  

WHO LEFT THE LIVING ROOM DOOR OPEN?

Lot 7. Rare antique Baccarat spaced concentric millefiori and Gridel silhouettes carpet ground paperweight.

We just received this high-end carpet and someone left the French doors open again.  Which is appropriate for a French paperweight we guess, but who has time to keep an eye on all the animals in the living room?  At least they seem to be clean, well-behaved and beautifully detailed. And they respect each other’s spaces, while sharing a soft and inviting stardust carpet with joyful red dots.  An elegant example of beauty and behavior—a well-groomed weight of classical lineage. Dry Clean Only.

THE FULL MONTY, THE WHOLE ENCHILADA!

Lot 9. Extremely rare and very fine antique Clichy scrambled millefiori and signature cane paperweight.

By which of course, we mean A COMPLETE CLICHY SIGNATURE! The studio was rightfully being loud and proud about this riotous circus of shameless colors and barely controlled chaos that is a party of one anywhere! Full signatures are rarer than steak tartare.  Seriously if your friends don’t ask for a cocktail or begin to dance against their will upon encountering this living, breathing artwork, feel free to banish them to the colonies. You actually won’t even need friends if you have this. Someone get this paperweight a microphone, because it has a message for all of us, and that is to “Live Life to the Hilt!”

Lot 9 signature detail.

MORE VALUABLE THAN ITS NAMESAKE?

Lot 12. Very rare antique Saint Louis six-paneled close packed millefiori and twists paperweight.

That’s right, boys and girls!  Given that the fledgling United States bought stolen property from Napoleon in 1803 to the tune of 15 million dollars for over 800,000 square miles, we reckon that the land that Saint Louis, Missouri occupies cost less than your average antique French paperweight of this caliber. (That same land is valued at 1.2 trillion dollars these days). So you appear to have missed the boat on snapping up a deal in St. Louis and it’s time to satisfy yourself with its namesake at an affordable price.

That is to say you should consider this glorious Saint Louis six-panel paperweight, sporting a spectacular and unusual array of complex canes (call for close-ups) all coming together at the apex—a porcelain-looking blue and white complex floret cane.  Its 28-point cog has some symbolism of its own, as you know 28 heartbeats are necessary for a drop of blood to traverse our body’s circuit. Don’t call the F.D.A., that’s not technically a medical claim! All lightness aside, this is a masterwork. Take a good look.

SEND IN THE CLOWNS… AND THE TURKEYS!

Lot 15. Antique Saint Louis close concentric millefiori and silhouettes paperweight.

There is a mystery to this beautiful paperweight that we think we have found clues to.  First, though, we are legally bound to point out the very unusual, sophisticated and delightful chromatic balance between the handsome circles of complex canes.  The balance achieved here is quite pleasing to our eyes and represents an unusual arrangement. The blues and greens on the perimeter with the delicate reds at the edges stand nicely apart from, but still relate to the top center elements with echoes of colors.  And a nice depth of field is created by the unusual spacing, which allows the colors to draw your eyes down the stems, giving an enhanced dimensionality to this wonderful piece.

Okay you say, but what else?  Well, we think we know why the 9 dogs (oh boy does “9” carry lots of symbolism) are interested in this classic clown.  Research shows that the mid-17th century origin of Punchinello likely came from Polecenella, which may have been a diminutive of pollecena, a young turkey cock with a hooked beak, which Punchinello’s profile clearly brings to mind!  So there – the dogs are chasing dinner for the master! And that explains the arrowhead canes (First Nation knows a turkey when it sees one) surrounding the head.  And who knew that European hounds from over two hundred years ago were up on their etymologies!!! (Too much of a stretch? YOU try writing like this sometime!)

NEVER BE IGNORED AGAIN!

Lot 19. Antique Baccarat close packed millefiori and Gridel silhouettes paperweight necklace and gold chain. (OPTIONAL BACK BRACE AVAILABLE IN 3 SIZES.)

You could walk into the Governor’s Ball a week late, and if you’re brandishing this lustrous statement of barely contained opulence, the attendees will start returning from home just to say they saw you and your millefiori necklace there, and the press will have to rewrite the gossip columns.  When they send the reporters and photographers over to interview your jewel-like wonder, don’t be afraid to speak up and say, “HEY, My Eyes Are Up Here!

WATCH WHAT YOU SAY AROUND HERE!

Lot 24. Very rare New England Glass Company parrot on a branch paperweight.

Before we had Siri and Echo, People and some pirates from Central Casting owned Parrots for company!  Since this rather dignified antique avian glass delight will neither spill your secrets nor ever soil its lovely cage, it offers perfect company.  And while Siri can’t wait to share your vocal musings, this confident and handsome parrot with a wonderfully alert expression will listen to you attentively and guard your confidences forever.  See, you can buy loyalty!

NOT AFRAID TO TELL ITS AGE…!

Lot 33. Antique Baccarat 1848 spaced concentric millefiori and Gridel silhouettes paperweight.

You see before you an example of French classic beauty, kind of like Catherine Deneuve, but a little younger.  (Put the Phone Down – We’re Joking!!) Catherine, a truly timeless beauty, is about 76 years young and this Baccarat just turned 171, with a very minor facelift (polishing) that left tons of glass to reflect light and dazzle you, its rightful next owner.  (Yes, you know who you are!)  This classic weight wears its age proudly in bright if tiny colors on its waistband! The only thing better would be Catherine’s mellifluous tones describing it to you.  We’re still waiting to hear back on that.

BETWEEN REVOLUTION AND WAR LIES ART

Lot 51. Antique Clichy Napoleon III sulphide pedestal paperweight.

That’s right, history buffs, this Napoleon came to power after the 1848 Revolution as president of the Second Republic and “left office” when he was captured during the Franco Prussian War in 1870.  But don’t let that disappointing personal batting average keep you from enjoying this particularly interesting paperweight. Nice of him to find time to pose for this artwork between conflicts. A brightly hued green glass base provides the perfect background for this almost iridescent sulphide portrait resting in a clear, low dome.  To look at his severe but serene expression, you’d think he was still in power!

And with tearful apologies to the 66 remaining antique lots we move on to more recent centuries…

HARVARD’S GOT NOTHING ON JERSEY, BABY!!

Lot 81. Paul Stankard 2002 “Morning Glory with Damselfly and Ant” paperweight, from the Walt Whitman series.

That’s Right! Word on the street says Czech artists Leopold Blaschka and his son Rudolph did a pretty good job hammering together their over 4000 glass models of plants representing more than 830 plant species; apparently this is a big deal at Harvard where the models reside. But WE have Jersey and that means Paul Stankard and his output of phenomenally exquisite and faithful glass interpretations of nature.  And, the best part is that you can acquire a Stankard of your very own. (Actually when we called Harvard to see if they would consign any of the works in the Blaschka collection, they just kept laughing and hanging UP!) So anyway we believe Paul’s work ranks above the Blaschka team, especially if you put his orbs on the top shelf. And on top of that, Paul creates outstanding insects and human figures – a challenge that has gone unanswered.  

So Hands Down, South Jersey beats Harvard!

SO TAKE THAT, Mark Zuckerberg, Helen Keller, Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Conan O’Brien, Henry David Thoreau, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Leonard Bernstein, and F.D.R….  Jersey Rules!   

ONLY HITCHCOCK UNDERSTOOD THEIR ANGER

Lot 94. Mantua Glass Studio 2002 salamander paperweight, by David Graeber.

Okay, originally this was going to be about how birds can’t catch a break!  If they’re not being sucked into plane engines, they’re having to wear discarded napkins to avoid breathing Roundup insecticide and trying to figure out just what happened to the proper change of seasons!  Why the only safe place for them is in a glass studio!! BUT, it turns out this little fella hasn’t broken into a poor mother bird’s egg – he himself had just plopped out of it! At least that was his story when we asked him.  Alive for 5 minutes and he’s been profiled!  Not good. But he’s (if it’s a he) so beautifully constructed with handsome coloring subtly mottled, statistics say he’ll have a charmed life, and we bet he will be dutifully buying his organic eggs like the rest of us.  A wonderful piece by Dave for Mantua, but we’re not surprised!

THIS TIME THERE WILL BE SUSPENSIONS!

Lot 96. Andrew Byers 2007 New Zealand marigolds and crocus double bouquet paperweight.

Okay, folks.  Last time around there was a bit of flurry and some elbowing in line at the door of Andrew’s lot before it opened.  PLEASE BEHAVE! You’d think these were unusual or something. Although…this joyful arrangement is rather breathtaking…!

WINNER OF THE BRAND NEW AUDUBON AWARD!

Lot 103. Rick Ayotte 2000 “Wetland Wonders” heron, turtle and purple iris rectangular paperweight.

Okay we made up the award.  But honestly, if Audubon DID give awards for beautiful verisimilitude of nature in the wild, this could win First Place twice in the same year!  So striking in color and design. And we dearly love the fact that the frog, heron and turtle seem as close as Winnie, Tigger and Eeyore. The Pooh cast members were also friends off-camera, right?  

JUST TOO CUTE FOR WORDS!

Lot 119. Rick Ayotte 1987 “Grassland Yellow Finch with Wild Barberry Flowers” miniature paperweight.

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AND YOU’RE BUYING A STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN!

Lot 120. Barry Sautner (2008) “Striving Nirvana” men and angel carved sculpture.

Seriously this is a museum quality objet d’art, with a master’s hand behind a carved glass human tower of supplicants reaching for the divine.  The complexly carved angel’s wings that can adorn the back of the man closest to the heavens are removable and offer pause for reflection on the nature of fate and salvation.  We beseech you to ask for detailed images.

CHARLOTTE’S WEB FOR ADULTS!

Lot 127. Debbie Tarsitano, Delmo Tarsitano and Max Erlacher 1984 collaborative lampwork flowers, spider and etched web compound paperweight.

It’s been too long since we actually read that book but since we just mentioned the Winnie the Pooh gang…  Anyway if you saw this imposingly striking spider, you know what we mean. Think of the E.B. White classic being newly illustrated by say, Quentin Tarantino – we mean this is one gorgeously adult spider.  And this in the midst of such lovely florals. Debbie and her father Delmo have teamed up with the great Austrian glass engraver Max Erlacher to complete the narrative. Complete with a dragonfly trapped in a silky, etched web–not for the faint of heart.  A masterful work!

TRIPPING THE LIGHT FANTASTIC!

Lot 133. Chris Buzzini 1992 red roses fancy-cut faceted paperweight.

That elegant phrase came dancing back into our minds as we (carefully) twirled this large jewel in our hands and the light literally danced up and down and around it in joyful curves. The cut glass alone is so exquisite, that you would be grateful to own this if it encased nothing more than an old wisdom tooth. But at no extra charge you instead receive a pair of absolutely and we mean totally flawless, red roses!  Stop the cameras right there! It can’t get better than that! True Love not included, but you won’t care!

WHO YOU LOOKIN’ AT?

Lot 157. Jim D’Onofrio 1997 pair of yellow and black frogs paperweight.

These wonderfully imagined frogs are thought to favor flies but here they seemed poised for an eating contest. But the plants in question are simply too beautiful to desecrate by ingestion, so they will just dare one another to start something for eternity, or at least until winter comes…

KISS YOUR BLUE CROSS POLICY GOODBYE

Lot 170. Parabelle Glass 1995 close concentric shamrock millefiori paperweight.

That’s right kids!  We can go back to skating and bicycling without helmets.  Seatbelts are for others – others who don’t have the ultimate lucky talisman, namely this all-out, no-holds-barred Parabelle Official Shamrock Shield.  Never fear illness or adversity again. Why now, you can even go confidently to fine restaurants on the weekend without a reservation. The Shamrock Shield has you covered!  Health and good fortune are yours forever. Each magical paperweight comes equipped with one sack of potatoes and a handbook of ripostes by Oscar Wilde!

CAN A COLOR BE A SENTIENT BEING?

Lot 206. Saint Louis 1997 “Ruche bleu” honeycomb paperweight.

Let’s hope not.  The world is strange enough with artificial intelligence writing its own code and hesitating to obey, while waiting for the Singularity (you don’t want to know.)  We can’t also have colors that are awake and aware. But this honeycomb comes close. Maybe this weight is the original reason we first heard the expression “IN LIVING COLOR” on our old Zeniths and Motorola televisions!  Truly drop dead gorgeous and luscious!

Honey and bees extra.

All right, we see you looking at your watches so we’ll wrap this up in just a few… but it’s a real agony deciding which works get special attention when so many deserve it!

AN EXTREMELY COOL COLOR COMBO

Lot 222. Baccarat 1968 aqua and coral close packed concentric millefiori paperweight.

Possibly the most charming and unusual color combinations in the auction.  Enchanting shades of blue working perfectly together to soothe the eye while teasing it a little at the same time.

BACK TO BASICS AND GLAD TO BE HOME!

Lot 312. Perthshire Paperweights 1986 close packed millefiori paperweight.

We leave you with sadness but the pets at home are waiting and many of you know what that means, so our last thoughts today are about the comforting beauty of this timeless classic design and pointillist beauty, that is the close packed millefiori.

Until next time kids, and remember if your dogs, cats and turtles have trashed the house because you stayed late at work to share beauty and wisdom with your friends and colleagues, their sacrifice and your décor were worth it to get the word out…

 


TRUE TALES OF THE GOLDEN CHILD AND HOW HE MET TINA TURNER

No. 6 in the LHS Pop Mini-Bio Series 

Okay, how many of you were ready for THAT subtitle?  Press on, gentle reader…

We sat down with Danny Salazar at the recent PCA national convention, this year held in Dearborn, Michigan, and asked him to tell us his life story in the twelve minutes we had between lectures.  When he told us that he is the son of a Comanche-Apache-Italian-Spanish American father and a mother named Minnie who brought him to California from Texas in a shoebox, and that Tina Turner had once kissed him backstage, we realized the interview could take a full 20 minutes.  Nonetheless, we “set to task” (Old French) and began our relentless interrogation…  

Danny was conceived in California but born in 1956 in Del Rio, Texas, where the family had deep roots (“My mother had a thing about it…”). Soon his little stagecoach of the aforementioned shoebox shuffled him right back to actual family home in San Jose, California.  He was the fourth of six children. His father was a successful architect but in 1970, Mom moved part of the family back to Texas for Danny’s freshman year of high school. We asked if this were in response to the parents wanting their son to not be exposed to gangs and drugs, and it turns out the fear was of hippies and drugs!  So Danny completed his first three years of high school in Del Rio.  They needn’t have worried. We asked Danny about whether or not there had been a period of teenage rebellion we could discuss and the worst story he could come up with was almost being arrested once as a teenager for smoking a little joint at a carnival.  And remember this was the 1970s in California!

As it turns out, Danny’s roots really do run deep in Texas, pre-dating the state of Texas, in fact.  He was raised Methodist and his ancestors helped build the first Methodist church in the area in the 19th century.  With a tone of bemusement, the artist also shared that there was a family uncle who had been a Confederate soldier.  

In 1973 Danny returned to California to work with his brother David in a glass studio as a summer job.  That operation was just transitioning from the name Nouveau Glass to the Lundberg Studios.  Word on the street says Larry Selman had a hand in that.  It was he who convinced James and Steve Lundberg, Mark Cantor, and David Salazar to make paperweights.  Prior to that they had been primarily “surface decorators,” and often sold their works at renaissance fairs (or is that renaissance faires?).  

Anyway, in 1974 Danny began as a glass grinder.  We asked what glass the studio used and Danny said that Lundberg Studios has always made its own glass from scratch.  He was good-natured, quiet and conscientious. He laid out colors, set up the pipes, cleaned up the work areas and did whatever else that was asked of him.  By the next year he made pontil man. The studio liked him enough to want him to work full time. Danny stayed in California his senior year, living with his brother and trading sleep for school and work.  The first semester he attended classes from about 8am to noon, and then reported for his shift at Lundberg. The second semester he worked full time days and went to night classes to secure his high school diploma.  

So here’s Danny, a kid coming in raw to a studio full of older and experienced glass artists, some with college educations.  And it’s this kid, who is driven to experiment relentlessly on his own, to where he becomes the one who then elevates the quality of work produced by the studio by introducing the crew (1982-83) to truly expansive three- dimensional work!!  Impressive, and although he learned things from observing Chris Buzzini and the others, Danny modestly but firmly says, “I was nobody’s student!”

(Early on, Danny’s brother David and Chris Buzzini were fired from the team.  Rumor has it that there were some strong egos bumping around in the shop!)

Our artist took his inspiration from nature, fused that with his knowledge of art and engineered the blend fueled by an incredible work ethic.  This all led to Daniel Salazar having his work included in the exhibitions and collections of every major museum and institution interested in contemporary glass—as well as in countless private holdings.  This productivity and inventiveness is also where Danny earned his nickname “The Golden Child,” from Jim Lundberg. Maybe that meant gold for the studio – Cha-Ching!

Danny, who has spent 34 years at Lundberg Studios, has been interested in the arts his whole life, with painting being his original first love. He seemed destined for a life in art and recalled always liking glass.  He told of being with friends and digging up bits of colored glass along the Santa Fe Pacific Railroad tracks – how he loved those cobalt blues…  From 1982-83, he studied at Cabrillo College taking classes in drawing and painting.  He loves watercolors and happily acknowledges the symbiotic bond his glass art shares with his other artistic passions.

Danny has a particular attraction to Japanese and Chinese art and has collected netsuke, woodblock prints, incense burners, and Peking glass among other artworks, antiques and furniture.  He has kept favorite examples of his own work and has collected other paperweight artists widely. He enjoys nature and is a gardener. When we asked if he were personally as sanguine as the lush, flowing and harmonious little worlds of glass he is famous for creating, he said quietly, “Yeah, pretty much.”  There you go – practically a Buddhist.

In this artistic environment Danny has made a life in Santa Cruz, with Steve Wilson, a retired parole officer and the artist’s partner of 37 years.  They share, along with so much else, a love of Hawaii and the South Sea Islands. Danny fondly remembers a trip in 1980 to Tahiti and New Caledonia. And he admits that his dream is to be able to split his year, wintering in Hawaii and summering in California. HEY! Get in line!

Presently, Lundberg Studios remains very much in business under the helm of Rebecca Lundberg, although it is not currently blowing glass.  Besides being in charge of sales, Rebecca recently informed us that she also worked in the hot shop as an assistant and as a finisher on the luster work that the studio produced.  She also became the creative director.  (Both the Lundberg brothers have passed on.)  “James Lundberg was the first artist here.  He founded this company with determination, incredible talent and grit,” Rebecca wrote to us.

Glass artist Chris Johnson leases some of the studio space and Danny subleases space from him.  But much of Danny’s creative time these days is limited by his day job blowing scientific glass at Oxford Instruments in nearby Scotts Valley.  These days Danny also must be more careful physically, because the sumptuous weights for which he is known have exacted a toll on our artist. You guessed it – back problems!  The constant strain has made it difficult to now maneuver the heavy glass as he once did. When we asked what his daily career work regimen had been, he said “I liked to start early, about 4 am and work straight through the day, not taking breaks or eating lunch.”  (Wow, he’s lucky he can walk!) Nonetheless Danny’s still in there at bat, and we’re looking forward to masterful paperweights yet to come!

Danny smiles (we think; we were actually on the phone at this juncture) as he describes special highlights of his glass career.  Several involved his passion for music. He loves rhythm and blues, soul, reggae and more. “Because of my glass, I got to meet Tina Turner!  I met Ike Turner after first telling a guard at a concert that  ‘Yes, I know him!’ (BIG FIB!) Ike asked what I wanted and I said I had a gift for Tina, and he said, ‘Okay, follow me…’  I was actually ushered into Tina Turner’s dressing room where I spotted the dozen roses I had sent earlier. I said that I was glad they had arrived and she was totally surprised.  ‘You sent them?  THANK YOU!’ I gave her a paperweight as a gift and Tina Turner kissed me on the cheek!”

Danny also waylaid the singer James Brown with a gifted weight as he was exiting after a concert on his way to his tour bus and our artist received a surprised and gracious response.  You can tell, as Danny reminded us – this was almost 35 years ago; just try that today! Danny adores Billie Holiday and would like to have gifted her one of his gardenias, a flower she sometimes sported in her hair.  Good thing this hopeless romantic didn’t get to meet all his musical icons; he’d have given away the farm!

Other celebrities Danny has met through the miracle matchmaker of glass include Robin Leech who commissioned an aquatic scene from the artist for his mansion in the Caribbean and Andy Griffith who came into the studio and purchased several of Danny’s rose weights.  But Danny just couldn’t seem to get anywhere nearly as excited about them as when Tina planted one on him! And not being musicians, Robin and Andy had to pay for what they took home!

Despite all of these brushes with celebrities, Danny Salazar remains a genuinely modest artist.  When we mentioned recently that we had just spoken with a huge fan of his work, the artist’s reflexive reply was, “Are you sure they didn’t mean my brother?”

No, Danny, they didn’t.