Jim Wright
Olive Lane Glass
Fused Glass, Copper and Steel art
Contact me:
805 218 5398 - Jim
Find my art at:
Facebook - Olive Lane Glass
About Jim -
I started metal art in Ventura CA in 1969, partnering with a friend to open a hand made goods store. I was doing projects with oxygen and propane, having a basic knowledge year’s prior taught by my Dad.
I always liked making small projects to make you smile. As the years passed, my skills grew moving on to arc welding. Working at an oil service company I learned a lot of welding. As the oil work dried up I was able to enroll in formal training in welding in a college program. I spent 15 years in the Pipe Fitters Union getting more training. Working in nuclear power plants, aerospace and clean room medical manufacturing plants. All the while I was still making fun things out of scraps. I also picked up on the Hot rod Habit, building hot rods for people in my home garage.
In 1987 I was injured in a chemical accident. I was off work 2 years and had to leave my Pipefitting career. I wound up buying a hotrod shop which started the art stuff with all the odd scrap parts. I stayed at that 13 yrs building cars for people and selling metal art made on my spare time. Health issues raised it head again and I sold the shop. A year passes and I am good again, working repair jobs on ATM’s lighter cleaner doing metal art in off hours.
My wife retires and we take a series of stain glass classes which leads to fused glass. Another adventure begins. We attended a glass trade show in Las Vegas, wind up buying our first Kiln. Next thing you know we are doing craft shows 3 weekends out of 4. Buying more equipment, out growing our 2 car garage. Not finding anything affordable in Calif we stumble on a house in Lake Havasu City, with a huge garage/studio separate from the house. We bought it and started our retirement adventure .
