The Fenton Decorator

Fenton Art Glass began as a glass decorating firm in Martins Ferry, Ohio in 1905. Our first decorators were Carrie Howell, Lizzie Moore, Bertie Rhumbach, and Carrie Wood. Company founders Frank L. Fenton and John W. Fenton probably designed the decorations (and perhaps they wielded brushes and did some actual decorating, too).

When Fenton built its glass plant in Williamstown, W. Va., and began to make glass in 1907, decorating was an important part of our enterprise. None of the early decorators "signed" their work, so we can only speculate about who painted what.

Public tastes for decorated glassware began to change in the 1920s, and Fenton's decorating department, then under the direction of foreman Otto Goertler, was phased out during the difficult financial times of the 1930s.

Decorated glassware began to return to fashion in the 1950s, and Frank M. Fenton and his brother Bill, who had taken control of the company after their father's death in 1948, wanted to add decorating to Fenton's product mix. After quite a search for just the right person, Frank and Bill hired Louise Piper, a decorator from Westmoreland County, PA, who had many years experience in this field. Within a few months, Louise had hired and trained a staff of decorators and had created several new handpainted designs, including Violets in the Snow and Apple Blossom.

During the 1980s, several Fenton decorators (most of whom had been trained by Louise) became involved in decorating design. Linda Everson created a number of handpainted decorations for the Fenton line or series pieces as well as special items for the Connoisseur Collection. Diane Johnson and Michael Dickinson also developed noteworthy designs, as did Dianna Barbour, Susan Bryan, Beverly Cumberledge, Kay Cunningham, Richard Delaney, Carol Evans, Gloria Finn, Sue Jackson, Susan Johnson, and Robin Spindler. Linda Everson, Dianna Barbour, Susan Bryan, and Diane Johnson are with the company today, and their talents and experience contribute to our tradition of decorating excellence.

Fenton collectors appreciate the skills of our decorators, and some seek items signed by a particular decorator. Since 1996, many Fenton decorators have been featured in our quarterly Glass Messenger newsletter.

Fenton decorators' signatures are often preceded by the words "handpainted by." This phrase may not appear on small items due to space limitations. Most signatures are on the bottom of the piece, but sometimes the decorator signs on the side.

Martha Reynolds

Martha Reynolds was a decoration designer at Fenton Art Glass for more than a decade until her retirement in 2001. She loved to experiment with new materials and styles, and her creations ranged from the simple and contemporary to the ornate look of Victorian glass. Martha was often honored with design awards, including the prestigious Vandenoever Award from the Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators, and she was recognized several times by Collector Editions magazine.

At Fenton today, four decoration designers continue to create works of art with glass as their canvas. We value each of them: Kim Barley, Frances Burton, Robin Spindler and Stacy Williams. The challenges of handpainting on glass are many, as one must adapt to both colors and contours while striving toward a result of aesthetic appeal and artistic merit.

Frances Burton

Frances Burton loved sketching and painting with watercolors long before she began working as a Fenton decorator in 1973. She enjoys her job as a designer because it gives her the freedom to create. Frances particularly enjoys painting scenery, and she describes her style as characterized by "big floral designs...with just one type of flower." Much of her inspiration comes from her garden. "I love to grow flowers, and I get many ideas from them," she says. "It lets me see what they look like in nature and how they change as they grow." Frances has won many awards for her creations on Fenton glass, including several Awards of Excellence from Collector Editions magazine.

Kim Barley

Kim Barley has flourished as an artist since joining Fenton's decorating department in 1979. Her designs have become more intricate and elaborate as she's gained experience. Kim says much of her inspiration comes from her love of water. Since becoming a designer in 1993, she has created many designs with aquatic themes. She also believes her art is heavily influenced by fashions. "Growing up, I loved to sketch. I wanted to be a fashion designer and was always drawing clothes," she grins. Kim often sketches designs on glass before beginning to paint because the marker can be erased if changes are needed. Kim's work has been recognized with awards from the Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators as well as the National Association of Limited Edition Dealers (NALED).

J. K. "Robin" Spindler

Robin Spindler who is known as "J. K. Spindler" to those who collect Fenton glass, says she is the "serious one" among the four-person Fenton decoration design group. She came to Fenton in 1979 after her family encouraged her to pursue a love for art and painting. Robin's unique designs are always of the highest caliber, and she says much of her inspiration comes from nature. Robin often studies the different shapes and colors in her garden. She is amazed at the different lines and textures there. Her talent has been recognized with many awards, including a Discovery Award for Technical Excellence and, most recently, the Vandenoever Award and the Judges' Award from the Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators. She also has Awards of Excellence from the Collector Editions magazine and
special recognition by the National Association of Limited Edition Dealers (NALED).

Stacy Williams

Stacy Williams started at Fenton as a decorator in 1993 after attending the Columbus College of Art and Design to pursue her love of painting. She became a decorating designer in 2000. Stacy likes "fun patterns" and loves to design landscapes and seascapes. Her brush deftly sweeps on broad strokes of paint but turns gentle when she creates the minute details. "Sometimes I look at a piece of glass and I just know what I want to paint, she says, "It just hits me." However, she admits she is sometimes challenged and she will scour art history books for inspiration. Stacy's work has been recognized with an award from the Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators.

Current Fenton Art Glass Decorators

List updated June 20, 2007

Anderson, Vicki

Augustine, Karen

Barbour, Dianna

Bryan, Susan

Cunningham, Chris

Cutshaw, Debi

Cutshaw, Jeanne

Farley, Alice

Fleak, Pam

Fredrick, Dane

Jackson, Sue

Hughes, Shelly

Kibbe, Michelle

Lauderman, Pam

Miller, Sheela

Neader, Tammy

Powell, Julia

Riggs, Christy

Riley, Kitty

Robinson, Donna

Smith, Charlotte

Spindler, Robin

Stephens, Sandy

Waters, Sharon

Young, Mary

The Fenton Craftsmen

Glassmaking is an extraordinarily complex process, and the casual visitor on a Fenton tour really sees just a fraction of the total workforce. Every piece of glass is touched, directly or indirectly, by dozens of pairs of hands. Each individual is truly a craftsman at his trade from sculpting the clay models, and chiseling the fine patterns into the moulds to working with the molten glass in the Hot Metal Shop.

Glassmaking is a team activity with many glassworkers working with one another for years or even decades. Some craftsmen have also followed in the footsteps of their fathers and grandfathers as Fenton glassmakers. A unique blend of science and art (with some trial and error added), combined with years of experience produces the extraordinary pieces of glassware these individuals are known for. At left is Mike Sine, Sr., who retired in 2003 after 11 years at Fenton and 41 years in glassmaking.

Ron Dick

Three generations of Ron's family have been glassworkers at Fenton. His grandfather, Ralph Dick, was a gatherer, and his father, Robert, was a presser and later a supervisor. With 41 years of experience as a presser at Fenton, Ron Dick has recently added the distinction of being a skilled trainer. "I like the challenge of helping our glassworkers develop and learn new skills."

Wayne King

Wayne's position as Fenton's chemist and supervisor of the Mixing and Furnace Departments involves both production process and research and development. He relies strongly on his experience, attention to detail, and problem-solving skills for the production problems. However, he feels that the research and development portion presents more of a challenge. Whether it involves generating a new color or reviving an historic one, Wayne's enthusiasm and dedication result in colorful Fenton successes.

Sonny Burdette

In 1951 16-year old Sonny Burdette joined the Fenton work force as an apprentice glassmaker, following in his grandmother's footsteps who was working as a caser in the blow shop at the time. As a presser for the past 35 years, he is often given the toughest new pressing jobs to work out the "bugs". His quiet, calm manner makes him a great problem solver and an easy person to work with.

Mike Sine, Jr.

Glassblower, Mike Sine, Jr. who learned his trade at The Beaumont Company (Morgantown, West Virginia), has been employed at Fenton for 13 years. "My dad and I often worked side-by-side as members of the same shop," he recalls. "He was a good teacher, and I learned a lot from him." Mike's father retired from Fenton Art Glass in 2003, and he sometimes helps us with special projects and training.

Alan VanDyke

Our highly-skilled mouldmakers are "sculptors in reverse," and longtime mouldmaker, Al VanDyke is a master at his trade.

Many Fenton moulds contain intricate patterns or fine details, and the mouldmaker is responsible for "chipping" these features in the mould. Keen eyes, steady hands and infinite patience are a necessity, as the mouldmaker uses tiny chisels and a small hammer to create the "art in cast iron" which will later give form to our glass.

Al completed his apprenticeship in 1971. He has been responsible for many moulds, including Lily of the Valley and Strawberry pattern pieces. The "bridesmaid" doll figurine (5228) is one of his favorites.

Al lives in Marietta with his wife Merry. Their son Brent recently completed his master's degree and is employed in Seattle.

Frank Workman

Since joining Fenton in 1996, Frank has held a variety of jobs. He began by carrying-in and soon moved up to the position of handle gatherer. A hard worker and, according to his co-workers, "a quick study". Frank's skilled jobs now include gathering, blocking, finishing, and attaching handles to baskets.

Frank says one of the most challenging pieces he's worked on is the base for the Willow Green Opalescent epergne in our 2000 Centennial Collection. This item is also among his favorites, because, as he says, "it's so unique...you had to crimp the rim twice and then hold it on the air and let it fold over."

In his spare time, Frank, a Belmont, W.Va. resident, enjoys drag racing.

Sculptor

As the sculptor at the Fenton Art Glass Co., Suzi Whitaker is on the ground level of the century old business based in Williamstown.

"I create the shapes," maintains Whitaker. "It all starts here," she adds.

"I come up with the mould," Whitaker explains.

Whitaker is adept at sculpting with both plaster and clay.

"I love to work with the clay," she notes. "With the plaster, I'm carving with a knife and other sharp tools. With clay I can change the mould with a brush of the finger," she says.

"Clay is the basis for Fenton's new moulds," continues Whitaker.

Mould Shop

Beginning with blank moulds cast from special high quality alloys and using delicate chisels and files, the mouldmaker patiently carves the intricate designs, some taking several months to complete this work. Translating the designer's drawings and the sculptor's plaster and clay into the complex bold relief and valleys of a finished mould requires great patience, skill and artistic feeling. New moulds represent an investment of $20,000 or more.

The Ingredients

The main ingredients and their approximate percentage of a Fenton batch are: Sand (SiO₂) 71%, Soda Ash (NaCO₃) 15% and Lime (CaCO₃) 9%. Some manufacturers substitute potash for soda ash, and barium or borax for lime. In some opaque glasses, fluorspar and feldspar are substituted for

lime.

The color ingredients (5%) are mixed with the main ingredients before melting.

Materials Colors Materials Colors

Gold Cranberry Neodymium or Erbium Pink

Gold Burmese Iron or Chromium Green

Gold Rosalene Selenium and Cadmium Black

Uranium Yellow Selenium and Manganese Orange

Cobalt Blue Alumina and Fluorine Milk Glass

Sugar and Iron Amber

Batch & Melting Process

Once the ingredients are mixed, they are placed in a "pot" or "day tank" to melt at a temperature of about 2500 degrees F. The pots are inside a furnace which circulates flames outside the pots but where no flame touches the glass. The day tank, about three times the size of a pot, melts glass by fire directly on the batch. It takes 24-30 hrs. for a pot melt and about 12 hours for a day tank melt.

Gatherer

This skilled worker winds hot molten glass on a hollow blow-pipe or the tip of a long steel rod called a punty. He judges the proper amount of glass to gather by the speed at which he turns the punty and the size of its tip, so that each pieces of ware begins neither too heavy nor too thin. He must also shape the gob properly and drop it precisely in the center of the mould.

Presser

Years of experience give the presser the sense of feel so vital to making hand pressed glass. With his shears, the presser snips off the molten glass dropped into the mould by the gatherer and smooths the cut end to prevent a shear mark. He pulls the lever and holds it for just the proper time to form the glass. Too much pressure and the glass will shatter, too little and the mould will not fill properly.

Blower

After the blocker has shaped, cooled and blown the first bubble of air into the "gather" a carry over worker delivers the blowpipe with the gob of glass to the blower. The blower reheats the glass in the glory hole and rolls it on the flat steel marver plate to obtain a shape similar to that of the mould. Standing on the traditional blower's platform, he blows the hot glass into its final mould to form the basic shape and pattern.

Finisher

The finisher, or "gaffer," forms the piece to its final shape using the Pucellas (or "tool") and a cherry wood paddle, age-old implements of the glassworker's art. Changing the shape by flaring, crimping, and/or straightening, his sense of timing must be honed to a fine edge, for he works the glass as it is on the threshold of becoming immovably chilled. The tools and techniques used by Fenton's finishers have remained essentially unchanged for nearly a century.

Ringer

Two techniques for which Fenton has become particularly famous are the colored edge and distinctive crimping. The delicate ruffle of the crimp and double crimp has earned Fenton a place of special recognition in the art glass world. Only Fenton's most highly skilled craftsmen can spin an edge of molten color on a piece that is about to be born.

Handler

Great skill is needed to put handles on baskets and pitchers. In about 25 seconds, the handler attaches a glowing ribbon of glass to a piece, forms a loop and attaches the end. He works it into a graceful arch, straight and true. The design on the stamp he uses to affix the handle is his alone, and every Fenton handle can be traced to the craftsman who created it.

Hand Decorating

Very careful procedures are used to choose the artists who handpaint Fenton glass. A continuous training program is maintained to ensure high standards for decorated ware. A mixture of enamel paints and finely crushed glass is used in decorating. The piece is subjected to high temperatures in a decorating lehr to ensure fusion of the paint to the glass. Each piece is signed by the artist who painted it.

Fenton Quality

The quality inspection of each piece of Fenton glass begins the moment it is first formed in the hot metal department. Every worker assumes responsibility for quality checking each piece. Fenton glass may be checked as many as a dozen times before reaching the quality selector who passes the final judgment. Each first-quality piece meets the high standards required of Fenton handmade glass.