John Cook Studios

Top two rows: selection of Sun tiles.

Middle row: selection of Lighthouse tiles

Bottom row: Starfish, Fish tumbler, and a Fish plate.

The glass artist who made the fabulous Fish glasses, Starfish, Sun and Lighthouse tiles is John Cook, who lives and works in Oregon.

We bought our first Cook piece (the red Fish glass) from an Amen Wardy store in the Caesar’s Palace shopping mall in Las Vegas in late 2003! On the base was the signature “Cook” and the date 2003. We were determined to discover more and so we did, courtesy of John’s wife, Tina.

John was born in Hollywood, California and raised in Santa Barbara, California. He obtained his B.F.A. at The Institute of Fine Arts in 1972 and subsequently started Phoenix Glass Studio with two partners, selling his partnership in 1982. John Cook Studios was started and he lived in Santa Barbara with his wife and children until 1990 when the Cook family moved to Gearhart, Oregon (Gearhart is a small beach town on the Oregon coast). The building was a 1946 gas station on HWY 101. The Cooks bought the building and set up the glass blowing studio and adjoining art gallery in it. Besides the wonderful Fish glasses and tiles, John specializes in lighting: chandeliers, lamps, wall sconces and more. Bowls, vases, perfume bottles, wall platters and many more items can be seen as well.

John has been fuming (iridising) glass since the 70's. He makes the Carnival by spraying a metallic solution on the glass while it's on the end of the blow pipe. It is reheated and then annealed; the iridescence is permanent. All his work is signed "Cook" plus the year of production.