I had planned to post about California-based glass artist Nick Leonoff today, but when I Googled him last night to get more information about the artist and his process, I learned that just yesterday, the artist’s studio burned down. I am still going to talk a bit about Leonoff’s art and process, but today’s post has become about something bigger. It is a hard enough struggle to try to make a living out of art, but to be dealt a blow like this must be just devastating. Luckily, Leonoff’s sister-in-law, Heather Lazare, has started a GoFundMe for him, so I have shared that alongside his website and social media links below.

I don’t know about you, but my phone has been blowing up for the last few months with pleas for political campaign donations. It was this year’s version of the car warranty calls, and it was a right pain in the butt. I did donate to a few local campaigns in which I believed, but it is a relief that today is election day in the U.S. Presumably, that endless begging will stop, at least for now. Thank goodness! I’d much rather put my money toward supporting an artist who has fallen on hard times.

Now, a bit about the artist. Leonoff creates glorious, substantial glass forms using a Swedish overlay technique. The technique involves adding layers of colored glass both in the walls and on the surface of his pieces. He then employs wheel carving to strategically cut away parts of the pieces, revealing the colors underneath. It’s a labor-intensive process, but it yields amazing plays on color and opacity and light.

You can follow Nick Leonoff on his website and on Instagram (@LeonoffArtGlass and @NickLeonoff) and Facebook. And you can donate to the family’s GoFundMe here. Wishing Nick and his family better days.