Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Nicholson & Alana van Altena.
Hannah & Alana, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Hannah and I am a second-generation glass blower. My business partner Alana and I have been best friends since second grade. Creating with our hands is a lifelong love affair and we work hard every day to co-create a business where we can be creative, spend time immersed in the flow state, and bring something colorful and unique to the world.
My parents, Rick and Janet Nicholson built the glass studio by hand back in 1982 when they were 29 years old. Pairing their dedication with the passion found in many young hearts, they were able to create art glass in their hotshop in North Auburn for over 40 years. Alana and I are proud to continue the journey they started into the next generation.
Alana and I find the process of blowing glass captivating. With the amount of focus it demands and the adaptability required to meet the material halfway, it is a moving meditation unlike any other. A direct portal to the flow state on a good day, a direct mirror to our internal state of being on a bad one, but with three moving parts. Alana, myself, and the material.
Born in Argentina and holding a BA in Anthropology, Alana brings an open perspective and mindfulness to everything we do. Where I push to work bigger and faster, she brings attention to detail. Where I am forever flying by the seat of my pants, Alana approaches projects calmly and methodically. Every day is a dance between our two energies and the result is something that just plain works.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
While the creative process and working with our hands feels like a dream, owning and operating a creative business has proven to be a delicate balance filled with many struggles along the way.
We are a two woman show. From designing and client communications to the glassblowing, metalwork and marketing, we do it all. Managing the time and energy it takes to cultivate our creativity while maintaining client relations and monitoring the stability of our business has become essential. To keep things interesting, we find ourselves scheduling creative breaks to simply play with new ideas and foster our imagination. It can be tricky to learn how to wear so many hats, but running our own glass studio is our passion and an absolute labor of love that we are happy to pour ourselves into every day. Finding balance in everything we do can be a struggle, but when we find that sweet spot, it is key to our happiness, and ultimately our success.
In the current cultural climate where immediate gratification is dominant, we strive to remind people that good quality, handmade items are worth investing in. The time, skill and literal sweat that goes into bringing them into fruition really speak volumes in each unique completed piece.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Glass is unique from other mediums with its vibrancy in colors and fluidity in form. The molten material is ever-changing and responds to your every movement, be it intentional or otherwise. The process of blowing glass becomes like a dance with the final piece being limited only by knowledge, skill, patience and courage.
At Nicholson van Altena Glass, we specialize in freehand blown and hot sculpted glass. We begin projects with a destination in mind while allowing the glass to inform our next move, making adjustments throughout the process. We are known for our attention to color, detail and texture. We often combine large blown pieces with detailed, sculptural parts that explore combinations of glossy, matte, and textural finishes. We also create large wall groupings, inspired by Nicholson Blown Glass – the first generation – with our own color combinations and additions of movement in the form of color. These platters also stand-alone or in custom steel stands, we make here in the studio.
We are proud to build on the vision and artistry of the previous generation and to use their hard work as an example and stepping stone towards building our own creative lives.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
With our early education rooted in a small Montessori School, Alana and I share many amusing childhood memories of exploring the arts, nature and history through various creative activities. A notable memory was our Halloween Reports when we were in 4th and 5th grade. The Halloween Reports were an annual project where the children selected a current or historical figure we were inspired by, assumed their character, and delivered a speech in full costume. Alana was Beatrix Potter, the world-renowned female author of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, and I chose my father, glassblower Rick Nicholson. Alana wore her wool frock and carried a basket of books. I wore a wig of wild gray hair reminiscent of my father and carried a long, steel blowpipe that was taller than I. Looking back, there is something comical about our choices and how they represent who we have become today. Naturally, I share the wild, uninhibited drive to create with my father and Alana has a more studious nature, preferring to approach problems and projects more methodically with attention to small details.
Contact Info:
- Email: Contact@nicholsonvanaltenaglass.com
- Website: www.nicholsonvanaltenaglass.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicholsonvanaltenaglass/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicholsonvanaltenaglass
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSFNX5PJyKJtGjFLKUX3zIQ
Image Credits:
Hannah Nicholson, Janet Nicholson
