About

How the Houdini came to be?

For years I struggled with the question of how to replicate my vision of my transparent artglass panels floating off the wall. I've tried various mounting systems and spent a zillion dollars on some of the products. I kept coming up against the same issue, you could always see the bracket from the front… and the adhesives were not only expensive but had troublesome application techniques.

Beside the mounting bracket needing to be transparent, I decided that I needed something that was easy to use (and generally idiot-proof so I didn't need to bug my husband for help). It also had to be economical so that I wasn't investing more money in the panel mounting system than creating the artglass!! My husband who is a firm believer in “a happy wife is a happy life”, who also loves a good challenge (and was tired of my whining), got involved with solving my problem.

We tried diverse mounting mechanisms, various materials, a variety of types of “clear” adhesives, different constructing approaches and surface preparation. Finally, after a lot of investigation and trial and error (including some dramatic failures), my husband and I came up with mounting brackets for my glass panels that are simple, effective, easy to use, and work like magic! Hence, as a joke, we started referring to the mounting brackets as “My Houdini Levitating Mounts” which in turn became “Houdini Mounts”!

When my artglass friends started requesting we make them for them, I knew we were onto something and Float Your Art was born.

ME?

I grew up in Irvine, California back when there were orange orchards, strawberry fields, and lots of room to roam. As a child, my mom exposed me to various art media from watercolors and acrylics to junk art and clay to dance and theater. At university, I took a stained-glass class to fulfill my art requirement to get my science degree. By the end of the semester, I had found my deep connection with the translucent beauty of color that only glass could give. I continued with my new stained-glass hobby until I took another glass class at a local community college where I fell in love with kiln-formed glass!

Twenty-five years later, my career as a geologist has morphed into being a professional glass artist. I love creating glass art using sophisticated colors, intricate details, and rhythms in textures and patterns. I am a meticulous crafter and arduous planner. I am passionate about the pure beauty of color and enjoy creating unique art with transitional hues of colors. I often use bright unexpected pops of color to grasp and then maintain the viewers’ attention. I love the challenge of modifying and combining different techniques until I figure out how to make my visions real.

I teach Covid-friendly glass classes at Orange County Fine Art Loft Studios, California. My artglass is currently being shown at various local galleries such as the Orange County Fine Art Showcase Gallery, the Balboa Island Museum, and the San Juan Capistrano Cottage Gallery. In the summer, you can find me at the Laguna Beach Art-A-Fair.

I'm mainly focused on woven glass projects right now but here is a variety of my work.  My Glass Canvas - Artglass by Lynleigh. www.MyGlassCanvas.com.