Business is "Blooming" for Northwest Glass and Metal Artist

A magical jewel-like garden will dazzle the crowds at the West Seattle Summer Fest's street fair this weekend, July 13-15. Just north of "The Junction" of California and Alaska streets and right in front of Jak's Grill, beneath a banner that says Moss Studio Metal Art, metal flowers, large and small, with centers of brighly colored glass, will shine, shimmer and glow in the sunshine.



And that's not all. There will be colored butterflies, perched on slender posts. Lifelike metal dragonflies, hummingbirds, and elegant cranes can be found among metal leaves and vines that wind gracefully through sculptured garden trellises. Light will shine through a glass birdbath.This might sound like a scene from a science fiction fantasy, but all of these beauties grew right in the neighborhood, in a local artist's garage.



That artist is Mike Pond, a man with vast experience at wood-working, stained glass, metal sculpture, and glassblowing. He retired recently, but the business called Moss Studio Metal Art that he runs with his wife, Gayle Garvin Pond, has blossomed into a full-time job. It all started when he decided to make a few pieces of yard art for their own home. Then friends wanted some too. Now enough people want his unique creations to keep both Mike and his wife Gayle  busy, each in their own way.

Gayle, who still works full time at another job, said, "I find the glass, and I set up the events, and I get to do the bookkeeping—and he does the actual making of the stuff." Among the types of glass she must constantly seek are vintage 12" railroad stoplight lenses that Mike uses for the centers of large sunflowers made to hang in windows or on walls.



"Everything’s glass," Gayle told me. Daisies on 15" stems have centers made from tealight candle holders, installed backward. "We started out with reproductions of old bowls and plates. Now, whenever I find cool bowls or something like that, from the junk store, we get those too. But because they’re clear, he’ll sandblast the inside and then paint them with translucent paint. That’s how he gets the color on the butterflies too." The paint will last, even in rainy Northwest weather.

No two pieces are alike. When a woman ordered three hummingbird trellises, Mike made each one a little different. "The herons, they are gorgeous," Gayle said. "It’s all hand done. He doesn’t use any machines. They are all unique."

By now, Mike's work has made its way into a large number of Northwest homes and gardens, but the audience for his creations keeps growing. "We have shipped them to Colorado and Florida," Gayle said. "Yesterday, a lady bought three and was taking them to Alaska." With every sale, the Pond's request that buyers send them a photo of how their art looks in its new environment. Some do, and you can see those through their "Found a Home" link.

Prices vary greatly according to style, size, materials, and the hours involved, but you can own one of Mike's butterflies for only $25 and the daisies on 15" stems cost $35. Because of the unique nature of each item, it's best to buy them in person or custom order.

A week after the West Seattle Summer Fest, this couple will bring their magical garden to the Vashon Island Strawberry Festival July 21-22, and among the people they meet there will be many dear old friends. Gayle's family came to the island several generations ago, and Mike's family moved there during his early childhood.

"It's so much fun to be at the fairs and meet people," she said. She would love to meet you too.

Here are some other upcoming opportunities to find Moss Studio Metal Arts:

Ballard Art in the Garden Festival August 4
Auburn Good Ol' Days  Aug.10 - 12
Issaquah Salmon Days  Oct 6-7Best of the Northwest Nov. 16-18

The Best Christmas Shopping in the Northwest- (plus a FREE GIFT for you)

Forget about Santa’s workshop at the North Pole. The best gifts are made right here in the Pacific Northwest, and they’re waiting for you in an old brick building on the corner of 27th and Proctor, in Tacoma, Washington. It’s the Pacific Northwest Shop, one of my favorite places any time of year, but especially now. (Read on to find out about the totally FREE gift you’ll get just for coming in.) I stopped by today, greeted by the bell on the door, and a pretty display of lighted trees in the window, and owner Bill Evans. “Well hello there, Candace!” he said, while giving his usual caring attention to customers, employees, and boxes of new merchandise that keep arriving. I call him a friend, but so do hundreds of other local people, so it’s always “old home week” in the shop. Those four walls contain not only the bounty of the Northwest, but the spirit of this place as well: natural beauty, good taste, friendliness and warmth.


Every year I send gifts with a regional flavor and flare to places as distant as Denmark. It’s easy to find something special at Bill’s shop. If you’re reading this but don’t live near Tacoma you can even browse the vast selection on line and read about the products and their makers. I picked up a basket at the door (that is, a REAL basket, not a dirty plastic one) and started selecting gifts I wish someone would buy for me, and that could mean anything in the store.





Specialty foods tempt shoppers immediately. There’s smoked wild Pacific salmon from Kasilof Fish Company, local preserves, dried fruit, extraordinary chocolate, coffees and teas (try Enchanted Teas made right in Tacoma), soup and baking mixes, Dan the Sausage Man summer sausage, and novelties like Space Needle Pasta, or Huckleberry Salt Water Taffy. I wish I could mention them all. How about a Washington State wine? Delights like these end up in specially chosen or custom made signature gift boxes the shop sends out each year by the hundreds, if not thousands, all over the country. They do the packing and even take them to the post office for you. I love thinking of recipients in far away states, or right in town, opening one of those collections of treasures.



Man cannot live by delicacies alone, but must also feed the soul with art. I am madly in love with the exquisite fused copper and glass creations of Jones Glassworks in Seattle, with their classically Northwest salmon theme. “It’s two brothers, the Jones brothers,” Bill said. Knowing about the vendors means a lot to him. I relished the richly colored pottery by northwest potter Mark Hudak, and tiles by Paul Lewing. These combine form with function, but the shop carries framed artwork as well, with subjects like regional scenery, Native American images, maritime, etc. The artwork extends to greeting cards, calendars and more. How could I forget the jewelry? Oh my! Those silver pieces in Northwest Native American designs call to me every time, and I've bought a lot of the Jody Coyote earrings.


If you love art glass, in addition to Jones Glassworks’ wonders, you'll find a huge selection from Glass Eye Studio. Made from the ash of Mount Saint Helens, these gems are arranged in front of a south-facing window like one huge kaleidoscope in every color and pattern imaginable. Impressive bowls and vases sit on shelves, but for only $22 you can buy one of the hundreds of glass balls displayed hanging or heaped in a trunk. Call them Christmas ornaments if you wish, but I’d hang one in a sunny window all year around, and they’re always available.



Books make great gifts and the Pacific Northwest Shop is loaded with titles from local authors, on a variety of regional subjects: cooking, travel, nature, history, and more, including one written by the store’s owner Bill Evans himself, along with historian Caroline Gallacci. It’s a fascinating history, from the popular Images of America Series, called "Tacoma’s Proctor District".



What makes this shop so special is Bill himself. He loves supporting local artists, artisans, writers, photographers, and cottage industries, especially in small towns, with products ranging from foods, like Thorp Prairie Corn Bread to natural soaps and lotions of which he has a large selection. “Look at this,” he said, holding up a bar of handmade soap. “Shepards Soap Company, in Shelton, Washington. Aren’t these great?” What’s also great is the way Bill knows his vendors personally and sincerely wants to help their businesses succeed. ( I too, wish I had space to mention everyone by name.) You can feel the warm and giving spirit of this shopkeeper permeating the store, so if you need a dose of Christmas cheer, unique Northwest gifts, and old-fashioned customer service from a great staff, come on in, and… (here’s the surprise) If you tell him you read this blog post on Good Life Northwest he’ll give you a FREE package of Rocca Thins chocolate coated buttercrunch candy.

Hey Santa, you’d better watch out! With a red hat and a beard, this guy could have your job.