Artist Profile: Russell Spitler

Russell Spitler studied photography and  political science at San Jose State, then went to law school. Over his 30 year career as an attorney, he kept is sanity with gardening and making art glass.

Spitler has been making stained glass and sandblasted glass for 20 years and is self taught. He started by taking one class at holiday time. The project was making a glass snowman or Santa, Spitler decided to made a sunflower instead.

He soon realized he knew more than the teacher and he was hooked. He set out to learn all he could from books and experimented with new techniques. “I made made mistakes but learned from them,” says Spitler.

After he completes the design, he carefully cuts the glass pieces, wraps each in copper foil or with lead cane and assembles the piece. The whole thing is soldered together. Spitler uses lead cane and copper foil because he finds to be more delicate.

Working with glass has it's challenges. Obviously it's breakable, but it can also be expensive and dangerous to work with. Spitler is used to cutting his fingers while he works. Many glass sheets are one of a kind so he can't afford mistakes.

Taking inspiration from nature, Spitler has made an African animal series and a popular butterfly series. He cleverly made the butterflies 3-dimensional so they appear to be flying right off the glass. Other motifs include a popular western series featuring cowboys and horses. His sandblasted glass pieces have images etched into the glass.

Having been around Benicia for the past 16 years, Spitler currently enjoys working in his studio at his downtown home. He's looking forward to his second Open Studios event. Spitler's art glass has been exhibited at Beringer Winery and on his website.

At the age of 61, Spitler is retired from his law career but is still an avid kayaker and canoer. He canoed from Southern Saskatoon to the North West Territory, a trip that took over four months.

He continues to garden and has built a large garden at his neighbors house where he grows as assortment of vegetables, sunflowers and luffas. The luffas grow like squash, they are dried on the vine, squeezed then bleached to make bath sponges. He and wife Gail have also built a backyard sanctuary with fountains and art work, which Gail calls the Secret Garden.  

Open Studios location: 186 West H Street