Touch of Glass

Rankin is the artist behind Glassic Art, which offers unique glass pieces.

“It helps people have a little wow in their homes,” she said of her creations. “It’s like adding jewelry to the little black dress. I come up with textures and colors that enhance the environment.”

She said she is enthralled by glass’ translucence and its ability to change in the light.

“The art changes every half-hour. That’s why I love it so much,” she said.

Her art glass pieces can be functional as well as decorative, depending on each person’s needs and desires. She said that whenever possible she tries to find a functional use for each piece to help justify its purchase.

She and her small, familylike team of artists can create nearly anything out of glass. Rankin’s portfolio includes tables, countertops, room dividers, shower enclosures, sink vessels, light fixtures and decorative accents.

She said glass also is ideal for kitchen backsplashes because it adds color and design to the room while being easy to clean because it has no grout lines.

Although she is known around the world for her work, the Las Vegas resident didn’t set out to become a glass artist. Attending the University of Utah on a ski scholarship, she earned her degree in fine arts specializing in metal sculpture.

But after taking a stained glass class, she discovered that metal didn’t captivate her soul the way glass did. She became a glazer but still felt glass was too flat, cold and boring. So, she taught herself how to sandblast glass to create different textures. Then, she experimented with paint coatings to add bright colors, warmth and life to her work, leaving samples exposed to the elements for six months behind her home to test their ability to hold true to her original designs.

She said it took 12 years for her to perfect her method of coloring glass, and she refuses to share it with anyone. “The recipe is dying with me.”

Her unique and secret process of adding color and texture to glass allows Rankin to match nearly any other material, including fabric. She even can re-create the shimmery looks of metallics or put a reflective back on a piece of glass to make it appear as if it was glowing, she said. She’s used the reflective technique on floor tiles to make it seem like they were lit from underneath and was pleased how they changed their appearance as the room’s light changed.

Most pieces made by Glassic Art are custom designed after Rankin meets with the client.

“I call myself a surrogate, giving birth in glass what they want,” she said, adding that it is important that customers’ personal tastes be reflected in the pieces because they will be displayed in their homes.

After coming up with the initial ideas, Rankin’s team of artists puts its creative takes on each piece, especially the larger works. Smaller creations truly are like Rankin’s babies. She has kilns at her home so she can tend to them at all hours, as needed. Because glass must be fired to make it malleable, it must be heated precisely so that it doesn’t turn into a puddle at the bottom of the kiln and cooled slowly so that it doesn’t explode, crack or break.

But that’s only while it’s being molded and shaped. Once completed, the glass is extremely strong and durable. “People think glass is fragile, but it can endure 60 miles per hour winds and sandstorms,” she said.

Despite the originality of each piece, Rankin said she creates art in all sizes, shapes and price ranges, and recently introduced a line of glass plates. She wants to bring a little beauty to as many people as she can.

Glassic Art’s showroom is located at 5850 S. Polaris Ave., Suite 700.

For more information, call 658-7588 or visit www.glassicart.com.