Like munching on a big bok choy, seeing the world from a different point of view is something I savor. So in addition to the amazing use of back-painted glass and other decorative glazing examples, I thought I’d share a few of my sketches from China that shows the unique experience I had during my recent trip in the Shanghai area.

MOONCAKES: It is mooncake time! As is the tradition of the Mid-Autumn Festival in China, many places were selling beautifully boxed mooncake gift sets. While most of the Chinese I traveled with claimed not to be fans of mooncakes because they were “too sweet”, I didn’t feel the same. Most have different fillings, and I became a fan of the red bean filling – which was very sweet and creamy. But the boxes were great…with cakes tucked within tins hidden inside compartments nestled in elaborately decorated boxes. Alas, I knew it would irritate me to try to bring one of the gift boxes on a plane; so I just drew one.

AWESOME MOVIES: I have a weakness for kung-fu movies, and I got to see a 2010 classic by the name of “True Legend“. It was directed by Yuen Woo-ping, who was the fight choreographer for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and all the Kill Bill films. It’s a crazy story about a Wu-Shu martial arts boy named Su, who may also be the world’s worst dad to a child named Little Feng, that defeats his brother-in-law who embodies the evil Five Venom Fists. You know how sometimes you watch a movie and you already know how it’s going to end or where it’s going far in advance? That was never a problem with this film. It was truly fantastic with a high camp value.  As a bonus, the late David Carradine and the always beautiful Michelle Yeoh made brief cameos.

STARING POLICY: China doesn’t have one. As a tourist in their country, I get stared at a lot. I’m very, very pale and know very little of the language, so I agree; I warrant some staring. I also get stares in the more rural areas for having painted toenails (not all that common), or for sketching in public. It is worth noting that in China it’s not considered rude to stare at something about which you’re curious. It’s not hostile or offensive,…it is simply observant. This guy happened to stare at me over breakfast one morning,….so naturally, I took the opportunity to stare back a bit and drew him and his beautiful blue shirt.

Do you keep a sketchbook or diary when you travel? While I do feel a little exposed baring some of my private sketchbook with you here, I hope it might inspire you to keep a more personal account of your unique experience the next time you go abroad. It is well worth the time to be able to look back later and savor the more intimate or unique moments of your journey.

Meanwhile, I’m traveling in Chicago,…probably sketching some more!

-Mandy

In Monday’s post, I showed a few of the back-painted glass installations I ran across in China. But the Chinese have embraced all types of decorative glass in various forms. Below is just a little scrapbook of my glass experience in Shanghai and the surrounding area.

Bent glass:

Bent Glass in Shanghai, China

Carved glass:

Carved Glass in Shanghai, China

Heavy glass:

Stacked heavy glass balustrade - Shanghai, China

Creative use of mirror:

Mirror detail in Shanghai, China

Etched glass:

Etched glass panel in Shanghai, China

More etched glass:

Selectively etched glass door - Shanghai, China

Pattern-etched glass:

Pattern Etched Glass in Shonguang, China

Laminated glass:

Laminated Glass with real reeds - Shanghai, China

And tinted & etched mirror:

Bronze mirror with etched pattern - Shanghai, China

Now, I admit,….some of these executions may be more successful or sophisticated than others. But what I admire is the creative uses and unique personalization in each. I hope more and more domestic hospitality interiors will show a growing confidence with glass and interior glazing techniques. If you have a unique idea you want to try, let us know. If we don’t do it, I feel certain one of our friends can; and with our 50 years in the decorative glass business, we have a LOT of friends we can call. Let your American ingenuity shine – literally – with a new glass design.

I spent last week in China – so blame it on my jet-lag if a few of my sentences don’t make complete sense. But I truly love travel. The food, the sights, the feeling of being “out of place”,…they all add up to invigorate something creative within me. And since I was there to work, I was able to find inspiration with the use of Decorative Glass in interior environments. Not just how MUCH the Chinese use, but how creative they get with its use. I’ve never seen a hotel there that didn‘t use some type of decorative glass in their lobby, individual rooms, and common areas,…and their retail, dining, and transportation areas use it widely.

Today, I’ll focus on the use of back-painted glass. Here are just a few of the applications of back-painted glass I saw during my brief stay:

Black Back-painted Glass in Ramen Restaurant - Pudong Airport

Back-painted Glass Walls in Pudong Airport - They used this treatment for kilometers of walls. LOTS of glass.

Purple Back-painted Glass used in 3-D at Furniture China 2012

Black glass in Shanghai hotel lobby spanning 4 stories

Over the next few days, I’ll show additional decorative glass and glazing techniques I spotted while in China. And don’t forget to check out some of the glass inspiration from my last trip. I have additional types of glass to share, including deep etched, laminated, tinted, mirror, and bent glass; as well as my sketchbook, and trend-spotting from the Furniture China 2012 Show.

谢谢 (Thank you!)

-Mandy

Mirrored alcoves at the Royal Hotel - DongGuan City

Glass stairway baluster in Shanghai bar

Mirrored lighting sconce - Shanghai

The mirror panels in this hotel hallway make the subtle light easier to navigate. Notice the lovebirds in the ceramic lighting fixture!

What a contrast between the sleek styling inside the hotels and the old-world excitement of the outdoor market areas, yes?

The market area in Shanghai

More hotel inspiration from China. This was the Renaissance Shanhai Yu Garden Hotel. It was really an amazing hotel and I enjoyed my time there immensely.

Notice how this backpainted white glass is slightly greenish? It is because they used regular glass instead of low-iron glass. Perhaps it was intentional.

Laminated glass stairs in the hotel health club help show off an amazing view of the city.

This etched repeating motif was found on mirrored lobby walls...

...and onto glass panels of lighting, as shown here.

After spending the better part of 24 hours just getting here, I wasn’t able to see a great deal today. I adore Hong Kong as a city, though. It’s so different than US cities, the way it’s carved into the mountain sides. It’s really beautiful. And it’s terrific to see all the glass and mirror used in the new “western style” hotels that have sprung up everywhere. I’m actually staying tonight in DongGuan City before moving on to Shunde in the morning.

However, in my hotel bathroom, I encountered an issue I get asked a lot: “What is the difference between acid etched glass and sandblasted glass?” Sure, both appear frosted or etched. And both give the soft transmission of light. However, sandblasted glass can not be subjected to moisure, chemicals, or oils. The below picture of a sandblasted glass piece in my hotel bathroom illustrates why: