Steven Vlasich

My name is Steven Vlasich, owner of Clear Creations. I do a form of glassblowing known as lampworking, or torch glass, but I prefer to call it glass sculpture. I fell in love with this art at the age of nine when my father decided to teach himself how to do it. At that point the interest had nothing to do with the glass, but it involved fire and I really liked playing in fire. It took a year to convince my mother to let me play on the torch and it has been my passion for most of my life. I did my first art show at thirteen, that is, if you consider it an art show when buying a table at a small-town art and craft fair that let anyone in if they had $15.00! I made a little over $300.00, and I was hooked! I spent the next ten years refining my art, working with my father at a variety of art and craft shows, Christmas booths at malls and a couple of shops that my father thought were a good idea. We were known as Vlasic’ Glass. 

During that time, I married, had three children, divorced, then ended up with custody of the kids. Raising children solo and traveling art shows proved difficult so I quit working with my father and for the next ten years I ended up with what is known as a “real job” in the art world. I developed fire rates for the commercial insurance industry and did route sales or Frito Lay. It didn’t leave much time for the glass, but I made a point to play when I could. Once my children graduated high school, I decided to get back to the career I loved the most. I wanted to be my own boss, so instead of returning to work with my father at Vlasic’ Glass, I started my own company, Clear Creations. I did not want to compete with my dad, so I made a point to do art and craft shows and fairs in other states and areas of the country.

I was doing a show in northern Ohio and one of my artist friends suggested that my work would do very well at a renaissance festival. I have a very wide variety of sculptures, figurines and ornaments, which consist of flowers and animals, ships, sea sculptures, and trees. Many of my ideas come from custom pieces and requests. My catalog is your imagination! I have always loved making mythical creatures like dragons, wizards and fairies. And that was the beginning of the renaissance world for me! I have been doing renaissance faires and festivals all across the country now since 2003.

For the last couple of years, I have been debating on getting back to the heart of the festivals and doing more local and prominent art and craft shows. The coronavirus has really changed how we all are doing business at this time. The virus has shut down all the Renaissance Festivals I participate in. I have the opportunity to participate in Old-Fashioned Christmas in the Woods, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. This is very special to me because my father did the Christmas in the Woods show from the very first year in booth number one until he passed in 2017. I am looking forward to bringing back our style of glass to the show that my father considered to be one of his favorites. I hope to be able to have as many years with Christmas in the Woods as my father.