Craig Angus WHAT Glass and Tile Artist WHERE Home Studio, 13 McDiarmid Lane, Carleton Place 257-4481; craig_angus@sympatico.ca WHEN Sunday, June 27, 10-4 Studio/Gallery Open House, 13 McDiarmid Lane, Carleton Place WHY "In search of meaning."   See samples of Craig's work	Previous Artist Trading Cards

Craig Angus - Looking Through the Glass
By Sally Hansen

Craig Angus searches for meaning in his life by creating art from glass and tile. He used to search for beauty. Somehow his switch in artistic focus has heightened the beauty of his works.

His home in Carleton Place brilliantly exemplifies how glass and tile art can be utilized to extraordinary effect in home decoration. His glass window hangings and his wall and floor mosaics transform the home he shares with his wife, Parvaneh Rowshan, and stepdaughter, Tahirih Rowshan-Lips, into a visually captivating and energizing space. An undulating tile mosaic invites you to follow its path across the downstairs floor and out the door. But I have to stop repeatedly along the way to admire stained glass windows and a complementary two-panel tile wall installation. Ten-year-old Tahirih glows with accomplishment as she shows me the pieces she has made under Craig's tutelage.

The kitchen is awash with the hues of a variety of stained and painted glass hangings, and it's an overcast day. I can only imagine the continuous kaleidoscope of colour that plays across the room when the sun is out. Behind the stained glass cupboard windows there are fused and slumped glass bowls and plates, and Parvaneh tells me that Craig's decorative glass pieces elevate food presentation to a new level. I want to buy them all.

Through the Glass Clearly
Art has always been part of Craig Angus' life. He was raised in Quebec City and attended the weekend program at the School of Fine Arts. "Everything I needed to know in life I learned in drafting class," he quips. "It was a critical tool for me." He believes that the act of creating art can be a powerful tool for self-discovery. "Everyone has at least twelve talents or gifts; we also each have a set of challenges to overcome. Art can provide a window into ourselves."

He spent many years doing housing research for CMHC, but his true interests remain centred around how we humans build successful interpersonal relationships and realize our unique potential. He has done a lot of sports and personal coaching, and believes that the key to unleashing the best in ourselves is to find ways to remove obstacles to performance. In his personal process of self-discovery, he published a book entitled Stepping Stones - values-based stories and strategies for the 21st century.

To Craig, the difference between art and craft is that art pushes the boundaries and constantly strives for originality. His own progression from doing traditional leaded stained glass to his current work with fused and slumped glass shows how he practices what he preaches. His initial interest in glass as an artistic medium was triggered when his elderly father developed a hobby of cutting the tops off old bottles and presenting them to acquaintances as gifts. When he realized that his father's offerings were not appreciated, Craig felt challenged to demonstrate that cut glass could be of value.

After mastering the exacting technique of lead soldering, he decided to make a window for a transom. Next he taught himself to make Tiffany windows and lamps, and began painting on glass. This was followed by learning how to make glass and tile mosaics. He has studied the psychology of colour and line, and incorporates his knowledge into his designs. He finds it stimulating to position glass or tile fragments into a unique flowing design that is visually interesting. Like life, mosaics tend to defy carefully planned structure, pushing back with their own energy and surprises.

Five years ago Craig took early retirement to focus on his art, and two years ago the family moved to Carleton Place. They love living closer to nature, and Parvaneh too is pursuing her dream; she teaches Middle Eastern creative movement to adults and creative movement to kids.

In his ever-evolving quest for discovery and growth, Craig has devoted the past year to disciplined experimentation with fused (melted) and slumped (shaped) glass. The results are gratifying. His hours of logging kiln temperatures and times and recording the effects of various colour combinations enable him to achieve desired results working with the intrinsically volatile medium of melted glass. Now he is taking pottery lessons to expand his capability to mold original shapes for his slumped (draped) glass pieces.

"I was raised with a lot of rigidity, and I have had to fight for fluidity. Fusing and slumping enable me to step outside the boundaries." He looks forward to taking a more sculptural approach to his glass art in the future; he believes it holds even more potential for insight. In July he will be taking Stephen Brathwaite's workshop "An Approach to Glass Art" in Almonte at the Mississippi Mills Summer School of the Arts.

Craig Angus is passionate about the importance of art as a community building tool. Over the last few months he has been holding glass fusing workshops in his home studio. "There has been huge energy and excitement - a shared affirmation of 'Wow - I can do this!'" That is certainly the impression that Tahirih conveys as she exudes pleasure in Craig's and her own artistic accomplishments.

British writer and art critic John Ruskin (1819-1900) wrote that "The highest reward for a man's toil is not what he gets for it but what he becomes by it." I have the distinct feeling that Craig Angus agrees.

Come By It
On Sunday, June 27th, from 10-4, you're invited to see Craig Angus' works at his annual Studio/Gallery Open House and sale at 13 McDiarmid Lane, Carleton Place. Bird lovers will experience an extra treat. Based on my experience, I encourage you to expand your interior decorating horizons by dropping by to see how Craig and his family enlighten their lives through his pursuit of meaning. He can be reached by phone at 257-4481 or by email at craig_angus@sympatico.ca.