Today we’d like to introduce you to Ursula Tizon.
Hi Ursula, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Ever since I could remember, I’ve always been a ‘maker.’ I hauled my crayons and markers everywhere as a child and I was always drawn to beautiful colorful art. In high school the art wing was my safe haven, and I spent hours and hours there. I then went to college where I got a BFA in Graphic Design with a minor in Painting, but I never fully dove into that degree as life called for a ‘desk job’ to pay the bills. So, art took a back seat for some years and then started to bubble up again in the last 15 years.
Since then, I’ve been evolving through various mediums; I spent the first four years heavily involved in ceramics where my love for hand sculpting and wheel throwing was all I could think about. I had a blast learning and expressing myself through this malleable medium and the KC Clay Guild became my ‘tree house’ as I was a member but also a weekly volunteer. The next six years took my attention towards metal, specifically Wire Wrapping/Wire weaving. My romance with wire wrapping began for my love of crystals, I wanted to find a way to be able to wear them in an aesthetically pleasing way, so I dove into this expression with the help of tutorials, YouTube, and books. I sold my pieces online and at local shows which is how I gained my experience in doing markets and art fairs. My Instagram grew rapidly (you can still check it out @Studioplay31) and I established my brand StudioPlay31.
Enter July 2021, where I was cleaning out my garage and found a box full of stained-glass supplies. Turns out my mother had tried it once in 2001 and never liked it, so she stored the supplies and called it good. Her discard was my gain, and once again my artistic Self got excited and wanted to explore yet another medium. This is how I found Gene’s Glass in Riverside who was at the time offering a weekly intro to stained glass class. For the next 6 Saturdays I learned all things stained-glass while also educating myself through YouTube, tutorials, and Instagram. And so that’s how StudioGlass31 was born and I was hooked!
I am now solely creating stained glass artwork. I sell my work online, through various local art fairs, and currently have my work at three local shops in the Kansas City area.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The creating aspect of art has never been a struggle for me–THAT part I am always been the easy part. The parts that have been the hardest for me have been marketing and steady sales.
Stained-glass is not a cheap craft, in fact I feel it’s a big reason why not many people get into the craft and/or stay in it. This coupled with the time it takes to create each piece, means that the price point of pieces is relatively high. And this can be a big turn off for a lot of folks, who may love stained glass, but unfortunately their circumstances do not allow for the extra expense. Not to say there aren’t any buyers, but it’s definitely not a “hot off the shelves” item.
The other struggle is marketing/being discovered in a flooded social media space. Casting that visibility net can get taxing especially when it’s just a 1-person show and everyone’s fighting for a spot. But I keep at it–slow and steady wins the race. One thing is for sure though—t’s definitely been harder to grow this account than it was growing my wire-wrapping account. This could be due to the medium or the price point. But what has really started to help my visibility has been local shows and word of mouth. Local folks are starting to recognize my work and frequent the shops I have it for sale on consignment. This is a silver lining that I’m grateful for.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work is predominantly bright and non-traditional per se. When most folks think of stained glass they think of churches, large panels, doors, and windows. I create ‘suncatchers’ of all shapes and sizes. I like the out-of-norm patterns like lava lamps, Rolling Stones lips, botanicals, abstract pieces, honeycomb clusters, large lotuses.
I also create some 3-d pieces which are my ‘potted succulents’ and ‘snake plants.’ I create these botanicals in glass and ‘plant them’ onto small ceramic pots which are decorated with small river rocks. These have been very popular as a lot of folks don’t have a green-thumb, and this is a great way for them to have a non-living botanical they can’t kill.
I’ve also made some decorative “light boxes,” which can also be table-top, celestial and botanical mobiles, and I’m currently working on a lamp concept.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
What has worked for me has been being open and engaging with other glass artists online and in IRL. Not gatekeeping how I do things, always being open to any question from others on how I do something and being generally supportive of other artists’ work.
Also staying in contact with the store manager/teacher at Gene’s Glass shop has been key, he has over 40 years in the craft and is a wealth of information. If I have a question about doing something that I can’t figure out, I go to him for advice. So, nurturing and maintaining the friendships with those who ‘lead the way’ is important.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.studioplay31.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/@studioglass31/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xylem211
