Addison Studio Offers Natural Materials To Make Ornaments
ADDISON (CBSDFW.COM) - A studio and gallery tucked away in a shopping center in the 5100 block of Belt Line Rd. welcomes creativity and originality for anyone wishing to add a beautiful embellishment to their Christmas tree.
With a deft hand, raw materials are transformed at Kittrell-Riffkind Art Glass into pieces of art. Many local families said they feel they are creating not just ornaments, but also memories.
"It's an art form that hasn't changed much from its medieval beginnings," Kittrell-Riffkind gallery manager Sandra Outland said. "You're taking sand, soda, ash and lime and you're heating it to temperatures of molten lava."
The end result is colorful, eye-catching art.
"It's magical – you walk in here at Christmas time and it pops," patron Carol Larsen said.
For Larsen, Christmas wouldn't be the same without a signature piece.
"My husband and I collect these for ourselves plus we also collect them for our grandchildren," Larsen said.
In the studio, customers can learn the art of ornament making and create their own, adorned with shards of glass and their own unique flair.
"This is called fusing. This is the art of melting glass together that has already been made," studio owner David Kittrell said. "We're starting with a base of clear glass so the ornament can been seen from both sides and enjoyed."
After a brief stint under a 1,500 degree fahrenheit mini-kiln, the ornament cools and is tree-ready. It yields a creative keepsake – one as special as some holiday memories, Larsen said.
The studio offers ornament-making classes, as well as classes on beak-making and stained glass-windows.
