| Reviving a vanishing art form has become a | | | | have devoted themselves to the preservation of |
| passion and a business for Leucadia artist | | | | classic techniques of glass art. He customizes his |
| Roderick Treece, owner of RLT Custom Glass | | | | mirrors using inlayed abalone, mother of pearl, |
| Signs and Mirrors in Leucadia, California. | | | | colored crystals, gold or silver leaf, sandblasting, |
| Utilizing both nineteenth century techniques and | | | | etching, glue chipping, and reverse back painting. |
| modern technology Roderick creates | | | | All of the decorative treatments are applied to |
| one-of-a-kind antique mirrors. Part of what makes | | | | the back of the glass, to be appreciated through |
| each piece unique is that the artwork is in the | | | | the smooth reflective surface of the front of the |
| mirror, it's not just a mirror in an elaborate frame. | | | | glass. Practically any material can be utilized to |
| Indeed, his custom mirrors feature a broad range | | | | create an original artwork. ?I enjoy working |
| of textures, colors and finishes. "I can make a | | | | closely with every client to create a piece that |
| mirror look as if it has been passed down for | | | | makes a statement. One client asked me to |
| generations." | | | | design a mirror for his home bar. I created an |
| The wonders of history and travel have always | | | | antique style mirror with the family name reverse |
| inspired artists. Travels to Portugal, Latin America, | | | | back painted on the glass. He loved it. It's timeless |
| Italy and Indonesia clearly influence Rod?s ability | | | | and will be treasured by the family for years to |
| to creating unique antique mirror designs. The | | | | come?. |
| back painted glass of the Caf? Florin in Venice, the | | | | Roderick Treece has been creating custom glass |
| guilded signs of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, and | | | | signs and mirrors for over twenty-five years, but |
| the glass art of Bali, compelled Rod to research | | | | even as a little boy he knew this was his calling. |
| and revive these glass techniques that were in | | | | Treece's father was the director of the graphics |
| danger of becoming obsolete. Handmade antique | | | | department at world famous Knott's Berry Farm. |
| mirrors have been popular throughout history. | | | | ?I used to go to work with my dad in the |
| Ancient mirrors were just pieces of polished | | | | morning and wander around for hours |
| metal, but they evolved into expressions of | | | | unsupervised. Eventually, the security guards |
| romance and beauty. Research shows that | | | | would drag me back to my dad's sign shop, and |
| mirrors used in Greco-Roman times and | | | | for the rest of the day, to keep me out of |
| throughout the European Middle Ages were disks | | | | trouble, he'd have me repaint perfectly good |
| of metal -- bronze, tin, or silver -- that reflected | | | | signs, under the guise that they needed a color |
| light off their highly polished surfaces. From the | | | | change.? |
| late 17th century on, mirrors--and their | | | | Whether inside or outside, framed or unframed, |
| frames--played an increasingly important role in | | | | custom antique mirrors are available in any shape |
| room d?cor. Mirrors have long been used to | | | | or architectural design. RLT Custom Glass Signs |
| create an illusion of space. | | | | and Mirrors has taken on the challenge of bringing |
| Roderick is among a small group of artists that | | | | antique mirrors to life. |