Seller of the Week: Local Art Glass

In this week’s Seller of the Week, you straddle the blurred border between glassware and artwork.

Born out of Portland, Oregon in 2010, Local Art Glass has gone from strength-to-strength ever since and founder, Evan Burnette, has now become the number one seller of glass ornaments on Etsy.

His glass bowls, vases and accessories are like none we’ve come across before – their vibrance, color and hypnotizing marbling evidence enough for Evan’s quality and expertise.

The reviews on Local Art Glass’ Etsy store are extremely impressive and many people say the colors are even brighter than they expected.

Would you like to read all of the other great things they’re saying about Local Art Glass?

There’s no extra cost to you but we wanted to let you know some of the product links in this article may be affiliate links so we can earn a living for our hard work.

Etsy Store: Local Art Glass

We wanted to catch up with Evan to understand why he chose glass as his medium for expression, his process for designing and where he plans to take Local Art Glass in the future.

You can read the Q&A session below…

Q&A With Evan from Local Art Glass

What first drew you to working with glass and not working with other, similarly creative materials?

I am very lucky that I was brought up in a world that was extremely art oriented.

I attend art camps and training from as young as I can remember.

I was first introduced to glass while in high school, first making small glass beads on a propane torch, and then off-hand glass blowing at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, where I would receive my BFA.

I later would go on to earn my MFA at Ball State University in 2017.

How long does it take you to produce an ornament and vase? Do you have a formal design process that you use and stick to or does each piece evolve as you proceed?

There is something very seductive about the immediate gratification glass blowing process.

One rarely works on one piece for more than an hour.

Because of this, many students don’t plan their work; they simply start working and see where the process takes them.

The unfortunate result of this is typically shallow and poorly executed designs.

It is important to remember that there needs to be a process of thinking things out, a concrete connection between the brain and the hand.

I may work on a design for months, invest hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars into it, and it may still never see the light of day, if I feel it isn’t up to my expectations.

The colors are very striking, it’s a quality that wouldn’t be seen in high street retailers – why not? What makes your glassware different?

Thank you. From what I can gather, there is a minimalist trend in designed glassware at this moment in time.

Lots of single color items. If I had to venture a guess as to why, I think it is a symptom of the rising costs of running a glassblowing studio.

It is a lot faster to blow a vessel that is one color, and therefore less overhead, more profit.

I want to treat my customers the way I want to be treated, highest quality for the best value, even if that means a smaller margin for me.

Local Art Glass have some wonderful reviews, have you found selling on Etsy has helped you reach more customers?

If anything, I think it has been about putting out a quality product at a extremely reasonable price –  that and time.

When I first opened my Etsy shop ten years ago, I don’t think I had more than two or three sales the entire year.

As long as you care about what you do, and you treat your customers the way you would like to be treated, I feel that is a perfect recipe for success.

What plans does Local Art Glass have for the future and do you have any forms or glass techniques that you are ambitious to try out?

I am very proud to say I recently moved into a new, beautiful 2358 square foot studio in Portland, Oregon.

This has been a very big deal for me. It’s fantastic to finally have a “brick and mortar,” and not need to work out of the cramp quarters of a two-car garage.

It was my plan to sell enough orders this year to be able to finally afford my own glassblowing furnace (I rent glassblowing time at a separate studio), but with the pandemic, that dream may be delayed a bit longer.

The Overview

Local Art Glass is a brand that should be known, not only for making very high quality glassware, but for bringing art home in a unique format.

We’re really impressed with the way Evan creates stunning visuals and has worked his way up to being the top seller of glass ornaments on Etsy, it’s a position he’s going to hold for a long time.

We’re sure on that!

Want to see more of Local Art Glass’ work and read the superb comments customer after customer is leaving in the review section?

You can.

Etsy Store: Local Art Glass