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Show Sun Advocate Erica, Utah Thursday October 31. 2002 IB BeHumMaMm By RICHARD SHAW Focus pfeges editor : ' , '?$4 : - ,H$:V : Nan Conrad worts i 2i '. at one of the many machines in the work area of the shop. Most people look at glass and see right through it Nan Coonrod looks and glass and only sees possibilities. After majoring in art in college and working with all kinds of mediums she just couldnt find what she was completely comfortable with. Then one day she attended a demonstration on using glass to create beauty. In less than 10 minutes she was hooked and the addiction has lasted for almost two decades. Today she owns and runs Classy Glass (Hi Helpers historic Main Street And die beauty of what is in the shop almost flows out onto the sidewalk. I have seen people from out of town driving down Main Street amnnri and suddenly they rubberneck as they see my shop, says Coonrod. Soao they have turned around and are in here looking at everything and wondering what I am doing here. What she is doing is running a business where there is never a dull moment. If she, and her friend and associate Paf Weaver arent teaching someone to make lass beauty then they are making it themselves. For years before opening the she had a shop in the workshop in the basement ofher and her husband Mels home. Then one day he and she decided she needed to get her priorities straight, set a designated spot where she could do herwork and open a shop. They purchased the building in Helper and opened up. Her work no longer was scattered all over their house; now it was in one spot. But it still hasnt been easy. Without Mels support I could have never done this, she says. He supports this shop in its lean times. This is a spurty jiMtf Innicing Lamps, like the ones displayed in the front window of Classy Glass are Nan Coonrods passion. found that concentrated classes over a couple of days were much more effective for teaming, and for business. About two erf every six people who take the classes stick with stay overnight and love the classes and the town, she says. Its an intensive training that they dont forget as they would week to week, an hour or two at a time. The atmosphere in Helper is part of that. But while teaching is an important part of the business, so is her passion: lamps. It is obvious, the front of the shop window is mid-199-0s This train engine hanging in the front of the shop in the railroad town is symbolic. Coonrod teaches classes on glass, mostly for beginners. She used to do it once a week but it, she' says. Sometimes they take it and then later come back to it. She says people from the Vbsatch Front are particularly attracted to her shop in the little old railroad town. They crane for the weekend, filled with them. I find old lamp bases in various places such as second hand stores, and then I take off the shades and create glass ones, she states as she walks along a counter full of brass, wood and glass bases. They are simple in design and gorgeous to look at We use the copper foil method for them because it allows elaborate designs. ' Certainly no one can argue with that. What would glass be without light? The lighting source in the lamp is important, she states. Incandescent gives off a differ- - As beautiful as this is, once it is baked hi the kiln it will take on even more rasabraah. Miwmm&m Glass is particularly nice when it comes to Christmas decorations. ent light than fluorescent, and so on. The glass has to be right. The equipment in the shop variesffom grinding machines to various sizes of kilns. However one of the most interesting machines is also one of the most simple; a torch mounted to heat glass and make jewelry. Coonrod can fire it up and within a few minutes multicolbeads ored and show up all over the table, almost multi-design- ed by magic. As she works she uses unfamiliar words to rookie ears; fused glass, slump glass, cabochons, foiling. The list goes on and on. She builds many kinds of things to sell in her shop including bowls and plates, music boxes and figures. . And unlike the familiar say- ing, she also does windows. Stained glass windows to be ex- act .. a .. V. :0nca . .Ss- the burner is lit glass rads and used ere worked under the heat of the flame unti it beads up into a ball. To make designs other heated glass is dripped onto the figure, giving it layers. I have done some big windows and I have done a number of windows for cupboards, she says. And right now she is doing a project very dose to her heart On the new Rio Theatre just down Main Street from her shop there are some thin long windows that can only be seen from the east side of the building. Right now they have nothing in them. Soon however, she will be up there on a lift truck installing long strips of colored glass in various shapes. Its interesting where they put those windows. They are in the wing of the stage where most theatre people dont want light she says. But there they are. The city asked me a few years ago to put some type of stained glass in but it just wasnt time. Now it is. Once the block glass is put in, it will be a beautiful and unique surprise to anyone who notices them. Just like that little shop across the city hall in downtown Helper. A single red glass bead produced from a small a berry on a stem. piece of glass red looks like 3r colPY - .S . fc It took a lot of work and a great deal of time to produce y ? all the layers on the beads in ttiis bowl and on the table, but the colors and designs are amazing. - v ' |