Artist Profiles

In working in this wonderful world of kaleidoscopes, fabulous and inspiring people have entered our lives. Judith Paul and Tom Durden are 2 such people for Karl and I.

Judith and Tom were an unlikely love story to start but they have built an incredible life full of color and love. Judith’s background is in color. Color preservation to be exact. She is a highly respected restoration artist and has restored paintings in many exclusive and famous art collections. Tom brings engineering and precision to match Judith’s color palettes. This combination implodes within their fabulous kaleidoscopes.

Monet’s Japanese Garden is an lovely example of how this works.
Delicate lavendars, blues and pinks bloom inside the object cell with a unique arc for a mirror system.

Youtube Video of Monet\'s Japanese Bridge by Judith Paul

Judith has so much inspiration, she has plenty to share! Christine Feehan has been the latest person to be inspired by Judith. The most recent book is Spirit Bound

The main character is Judith Henderson, a painter and kaleidoscope artist whose main love interest is Thomas Vincent…..

Judith’s life is filled with color and love. This book is inspired by this and we are honored that Judith includes is in a corner of her vibrant life!

Oh, we’re in the holiday spirit here at Kaleidoscopes To You!

We decorated with trees last week and strung some holiday lights! I even changed my Facebook Job title to Chief Holiday Elf! Planning a relaxing dinner with staff and their spouses this Saturday. We have had a unique year with the remodel and starting new work patterns and habits. This YouTube link
Warehouse Remodel on YouTube
shows the warehouse complete, but the offices hadn’t been finished out. Looking forward to a chance to relax and fellowship with everyone to celebrate the end of the remodel and the beginning of the BIG season!

This past weekend with orders was humming along and we have huge amounts of inventory arriving this week from N & J Enterprises, Collier Studios and hopefully Deborah and Kevin Healy, Joanne Jacobs and maybe even Corki Weeks.

Here’s a kaleidoscope we just received from Corki last week!
Corki Weeks Bead Parlor Kaleidoscope Video on YouTube

The scope shown below is the Cathedral Windows Trio scope by Collier - an incredible kaleidoscope value for gift giving this season! And a brand new design this year, so if you need a gift for a collector, you haven’t given this one yet!

I just made a phone call to double check our box order is ready for pickup. We have kaleidoscopes waiting for the inner box so they can get labeled and go on the shelf and be ready for shipping out to customers and gift recipients

So if you need Hannukah or Christmas gifts, now is the time to browse and shop while the selection is phenomenal and the shipping is easy. So dial up some Bing Crosby on iTunes and get to it!

In early October, we had a wonderful afternoon on the Northeast Iowa Artists Tour. Our destination and purpose was the art glass and kaleidoscope studio of Peggy and Steve Kittleson.

We are always amazed by hot glass work. Peggy allowed us to take video which is hosted on YouTube.
Peggy Kittleson Lampworking Glass

On this gorgeous Saturday afternoon, we had the opportunity to learn the back story on Mystic Resolution and its full inspiration. Watch here.

This Mystic Resolution Parlor Kaleidoscope by Peggy and Steve Kittleson is a rare kaleidoscope limited to only 5 pieces. The one shown here is #4 in the series of 5.

Karl and I here at Kaleidoscopes To You just love our Flip Camera technology. It allows us to capture so much more of the kaleidoscopes that we feature and now we are beginning to capture interviews with artists. This allows you the rare opportunity to learn even more about how and why these kaleidoscopes are so fabulous.

At the most recent Brewster Kaleidoscope Convention, Karl had the opportunity to interview Sue Rioux; a fabulous stained glass artist. During this interview, Sue talks about her work throughout almost 30 years of art. Her training is as sculptor and painting; however her work in the late 70’s is predominantly flat panel stained glass installations. Then Sue saw the brass kaleidoscopes of Janice Chesnik in a gallery in southern California. Sue began using brass tubes with her stained glass to create kaleidoscopes as well and then the glass inspired Sue even more.

Sue’s work since the mid 90’s has been flat panel stained glass construction with beautiful barrels or oil filled barrels for the chambers. Sue also fuses glass and dichroic glass in her kiln to create beautiful components for her kaleidoscope exteriors, barrels and interiors.

Take a look at Miraposa.

This creation showcases all that is fantastic and unique about Sue Rioux’s kaleidoscopes. The fused and dichroic glass soldered into this exquisite turning barrel.

The technique and solid construction of the body and the mirror system.

The vibrant colors.

Just returned from the ACRE show in Las Vegas!

It’s wonderful to spend time with other artists! It’s always great to spend time with our partners on the wholesale side; Jim and Nancy Koscheski. And it’s even better when our existing galleries love the new items!

Nancy, Jim, Karl and I design and create this elegant and affordable line of teleidoscopes and wooden
kaleidsocopes.

We introduced 4 new pieces at the ACRE show and fabulous response to them.
Watch for them soon at the above link. We are redesigning the 11 inch tube into a 9 inch tube. This will improve the optics and also bring the price down slightly. Definitely a Win-Win!

Watch for this pattern of Padauk with laminated Ebony, Teak and JalNeem wood to show up on our egg shaped kaleidoscope!

And watch for this pocket piece to show up as a kaleidoscope! We are now able to offer this very affordable scope as a kaleidoscope as well as a teleidoscope!

We intend to ignore the economic headlines and forge ahead. We are enthused and excited to be offering this line of kaleidoscopes! And we know that the future is bright AND colorful just like our kaleidoscopes!

Thinking today about kaleidoscopes as an art form. A kaleidoscope is a media for art inside and outside.

Some kaleidoscope artists are inspired by great paintings. Here Carolyn Bennett has interpreted Van Gogh’s Starry Starry Night into a bright and modern kaleidoscope inside and out.

Carolyn is a pioneer in kaleidoscopic art. Her interpretations of fine art onto and into kaleidoscopes are respectful and innovative. She has also been a leader in the mechanics and design applications of scopes. Carolyn is the original designer of the Jazzy Kaleidoscope; the first toy style kaleidoscope that can be customized on the interior image without compromising the quality of the optics.

And to top it all off, she’s a great person! With a great sense of fun and compassion! We are honored to consider her a friend and a colleague!

There are times I think artists have more inspiration than could ever be contained within a kaleidoscope.

Take for example Judith Paul and Tom Durden. Many a theme have been put into play within a scope and always successfully. This couple combines Judith’s color palate which is professionally trained in over 30 000 shades and hues for painting restoration and Tom’s engineering skills from the aircraft industry to create truly incredible kaleidoscopes.

Look at Monet’s Japanese Garden.

This unique mirror system creates a bridge shaped mandala image forever unfolding. The color palette is superb showing every vibrant and pastel shade of lavender and pinks to bloom with new images within this scope.

Then, if the simplicity of the execution is too subtle for your taste, try some excess with Lumiere This parlor design is lit from within by multiple LED lights and every corner is encrusted with white dichroic glass. This design absolutely shimmers inside and out.

The internal LED’s are aimed directly into the object cell which makes the dichroic just glisten as it dances within the kaleidoscope by kaleidoscope artists Judith Paul and Tom Durden.

People often ask us “What is the most popular color in a kaleidoscope?” The answer is blue. Blue is a calm and soothing color; something people are always searching for in the hectic, modern life. And here are some of my favorite Blue scope options covering all styles and prices.

This Liquid Motion Kaleidoscope has a great bang for the buck. Many people describe the interior image as fireworks within a scope!

Here’s a fun and whimsical design in gorgeous blue stained glass and fused glass. Kathleen Hunt creates an airplane that is a kaleidoscope!
The perfect holiday gift for a pilot!

If you are looking for the ultimate blue kaleidoscope, look no further than the work of kaleidoscope artist Charles Karadimos.

Charles is celebrating 30 years of kaleidoscope artistry this year and we have been honored to carry his work for 28 of those 30 years. Thank you Charles for creating such amazing kaleidoscopes! You can browse through some of Charles’ work here.
Watch a few minutes of this work in action at the following link to YouTube.
YouTube Video of Blue Cone Kaleidoscope by Kaleidoscope Artist, Charles Karadimos

2010 Marks the 30th anniversary of Charles Karadimos making kaleidoscopes. Charles’ kaleidoscopes have a precision and preciousness that is rare to find in a kaleidoscope. He is truly in the top 10 kaleidoscope artists in the world.

Karl has been selling scopes for 28 years now and has watched Charles keep raising the bar; not only for his own work but has raised the standards for all kaleidoscope artists.

Working from his studio and acreage north of Washington, DC, Charles continues to create the highest standard of modern scopes. See for yourself!

Charles Karadimos Video of Black Spiral 4

Here’s my favorite scope this week!

Cosmic by the Parettis. This incorporates beautiful painting on the exterior as well as some painted medallions that float in the interior. The handcrafted kaleidoscope is made with fine leather, acrylic paintings, brass and Bubinga wood. Optical lenses and front surface mirror creates stunning images.

Enjoy!

Brilliant Art Kaleidoscope!