Quotes and Anecdotes

"Step inside the Sunflower Glass Studio and you step back in time some two centuries.... Their four-acre homestead is set on a sunny hillside completely surrounded by evergreen trees. The buildings include a house, a studio, and a small barn....On the lawn, sprawled in the sunshine, are an assortment of dogs and cats. The former of these inhabitants include a friendly English Springer, who comes over to offer a welcome when I drive up" (Robin Wittemore, Princeton's US. 1, 1993).

Geoff Caldwell assembles his wife's intricate designs. He works at the beveling machine, where he deftly cuts and polishes clear plate glass in five stages, using different sized wheels made of diamond, carbide, stone, cork and felt.Beveling was almost a lost art, but now it is coming back," he said."It requires a lot of coordination." The craftsman noted the beveling process transforms an ordinary piece of plate glass into a sparkling prism or a variety of shapes, 'Since I am a musician', I compare using beveling equipment to playing jazz or blues on my guitar, because there is a movement and rhythm in the work"' (Joan Babbage, The Star Ledger, 1983).

"What began as a small retail operation turning out small items for sale at craft shows has now blossomed into a growing business of custom designed windows... What makes the Sunflower Studio resemble a slice of life out of the 18th century is the fact that the Caldwell's stake their entire business on their reputation for skillful craftsmanship" (Robin Wittemore, Princeton's U. S, 1, 1993).

"Rural Hunterdon County, New Jersey, is one of the last places you would expect to find skyscrapers. However, quite a few of them join together to create the interior 'skyline' at the Sunflower Glass Studio in Stockton. Like the real things, these skyscrapers have crisp, geometric contours and rows of light illumination from within. The tallest stands three feet high, and all of them are crafted from clear, textured glass. Karen says she borrows 'flavors' from existing skyscrapers, but sometimes changes the roofs" (Eileen Watkins, Glass Craftsman, 2001).

When "buying something handmade, you also are buying the positive energy of another person. It makes [for] a more personal, loving gift" (Jean Mansur, The Star Ledger, 1999).

"If you think that the best place to witness the brilliance of stained glass is a cathedral, then you must visit Geoff and Karen Caldwell's Sunflower Glass Studio in Stockton. This husband-and wife team creates ornamental windows and glass panels of textured clear glass in an array of brilliant colors... Their work ranges in complexity from traditional to more modem conceptions, and hangs throughout the studio, a long workshop adjacent to their charming 1872 stone house. I was struck by their collaborative success and wanted to know their secret. 'We're both stubborn,' laughs Karen. And it's their persistence that allows them to design their work" (Kathleen Ball, New Jersey Country Roads 1997)

Stockton - Sunlight streaming into the First Presbyterian Church of Stockton takes on a different glow than it used to. Now it passes through the church's new stained glass windows (By Joelle Subourne, Observer, 1994.

"You can get a close-up look at the kind of stained-glass panels that the Caldwell's have installed in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., in stately churches and in private homes....But there are love-to-touch and have-to-take-home glass works as well. Jewel-toned beveled boxes, sparkling glass tree ornaments, elegant vases and picture frames, plus
tabletop accessories" are among the most popular items (Andy
Clurfield, Asbury Park Press, 2001).

"Driving away from the studio at last, I feel a tremendous bond with this family. They work with their hands and can contribute works of beauty to both public and private venues. They also live and work in one of the prettiest settings I can imagine." (Robin Wittemore. Princeton's U.S. 1, 1993).

SUNFLOWER Glass Studio

(877) 658-5400 • Contact Sunflower Glass Studio

Decorative glass achieves its' greatest beauty in the full glory of sunlight. Color

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