St Pete Retreat

Jennifer and Jason
Jun 13
2 min read

On the Road Again

We slipped out of Washington just before the flooding began. On December 1st, we headed to the Bay Area to see family, then continued on to Phoenix for more family time — especially with Kala.

Nighttime freeway traffic jam with glowing red taillights and white headlights on a curving highway under city lights.

Three smiling adults sit on the floor by a lit Christmas tree, wrapped gifts, and a mantel of framed black-and-white portraits.

In between hugs and catch-ups with old friends, we ate incredibly well (the tacos… unforgettable — thank you, MikeeyB) Huarachis .We also delivered "Mint Chip" for a group exhibition at the Idea Museum, “Artfully Absurd: Quirks, Questions and Creative Chaos.”

We also managed to visit the butterfly exhibit for the very first time. (Thank you Katy and JP) So magical— though in hindsight, we might have thought twice about bringing a child who’s afraid of bugs to a bug exhibit. The carousel made it all worthwhile. He chose the Gator all on his own lol.

Blue butterfly rests on a person's forearm in a lush garden enclosure, with green foliage and a calm, sunny mood.

Two people pose in a colorful butterfly cutout at Butterfly Wonderland, with green leaves and butterflies in the background.

Young boy in a Spider-Man shirt rides a green crocodile on a carousel, smiling against a gold-and-blue ornate backdrop.

Two boys in glasses sit in purple-lit theater seats, one wearing a Spider-Man shirt, watching quietly.

Weather permitting....It was that time of year in AZ and Steve Ciezki had his furnace running. Stopped by to catch up with a quick morning blowslot. Leaving Phoenix was difficult. We drove through Dallas next to see the Kittrell crew and drop off “Don’t Let Speed Change You”. With a cold and quick stop in Jackson, MI for tacos, we settled for a couple of days blowing glass with friends in Americus, GA.

Glassblower shaping a glowing orange-yellow glass piece in a bright studio with furnaces, tools, and skylights.

Wide desert plain under a clear blue sky with power lines overhead and dry grass in the foreground.

Colorful felt animal-shaped craft pieces with embroidered flowers and yarn in a box, with partial text reading Introducing B...

Graffiti-covered freight boxcars on tracks in a dry valley, with snow-dusted hills rising behind under a pale sky.

Frost-coated shrubs in a wintry mountain landscape under a gray, foggy sky, creating a cold, quiet mood.

Dusk cityscape with lit office buildings, bare trees, parked cars, and a snowy mountain under a clear blue sky.

Neon mural of a skeletal mariachi cowboy in a sombrero, raising an arm, behind empty restaurant tables and chairs.

Two people in animal masks sit in a storefront window, one pointing; red plaid decor and a hoodie reading THE MAIN INGREDIENT behind them.

Three men work in a smoky glassblowing studio, shaping a glowing orange glass piece amid tools and shelves.

In Americus, we got to see where the little dragon was born- Mobile Glassblowing and picked up an incredible mold. Thank you Phil! Devan Cole hosted us. We had a wonderful time blowing glass out of his Dragon, reconnecting with friends, making new ones, and even meeting a few local legends. It was one of those creative detours that fills you back up.

We arrived in St. Petersburg on my birthday and spent the most perfect day — the museum, the farmers market, dinner, pelicans diving into a bait ball in the bay. It felt like a gift.

Three pelicans rest on a weathered dock at a quiet marina, with sailboats, masts, and calm water behind them.

Tall building mural of a white peacock with flowers beside an empty parking lot under a blue sky.

The next morning, we headed into Duncan McClellan Gallery to begin our residency — and from the moment we walked into DMG, each day bled into the next. Thankfully Pauli and Kevin were available to assist us with any of our hot shop needs. We worked relentlessly for nearly three weeks, and were able to complete eleven new pieces. Gillian designed a great flow to the show which highlighted the strengths in pieces. The gallery and studio had so much daily traffic, we were constantly rewarded with opportunities to interact with the public while in the process of making. The residency and show were very successful, made even better by the support of the entire DMG crew.

Smiling couple takes a selfie in a lobby beside a lit Christmas tree and red EXIT sign.

Two glassblowers in a workshop shape a glowing glass piece near a bright furnace, wearing safety gear and gloves.

Two men shape a glowing orange glass piece amid smoke in a workshop, with a seated observer behind them.

Woman in a workshop uses a torch on a glowing amber glass sculpture by an open garage door.

We even stayed an extra week to complete a special commissioned piece — the kind of opportunity that makes the long days worth it.

Abstract glass sculpture with tentacle-like curls atop a glossy pink-and-blue patterned sphere on a white background

Glowing molten metal on a rod inside a dark industrial furnace, with bright orange-yellow heat and an intense fiery glow

Glassblower shaping a pink-and-white molten glass orb with a blowpipe in a workshop, focused near a small flame.

After one more stop in Georgia to say goodbye to dear friends, we raced back to Washington — bearly before the snow hit.

Smiling couple in hoodies and workwear take a selfie in a workshop, with teal-tipped tools and a blue 1 sign nearby.

We had such an inspiring time making new work and building new friendships in St. Petersburg. And now, we’re home and already deep into preparations for our next opportunity in March. Stay tuned. Thank you.

Person in a bear mask scrapes ice off a car windshield in a Ford dealership lot, with Holiday Inn Express sign and mountains behind.

Jason returned with a lingering “y’all” in his vocabulary — thank you, Leilani, Figz, and Pauli.

St Pete Retreat

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