Community Highlights: Meet Josh Tjapkes of GlassWood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Tjapkes. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
It really all started due to Covid. I was a part of the hospitality industry since I was 10 years old, now 35. I’ll never forget March 15, 2019. That was the day I was sent home from work due to Covid. Fortunately for me as an artist, this was the perfect opportunity to work on my craft. On a whim, my two Dobermans and I moved into my girlfriend Whitney’s home (3/16/2019) THIS is the exact moment when it all started to change. 

I worked on my craft for months and eventually left my career on 11/01/2019. My general thought, especially with all the uncertainty was “I could die tomorrow, let’s go chase your dreams and achieve happiness.” 

During this time, I started to build custom 

Float frames for my art. As soon as I finished, the piece sold, and another one followed by one more. I quickly fell in love with this new medium and all of the opportunities to learn about tools, methods, and wood. This stems back to my passion of wine. 

I don’t want to bash other frame shops but they’re very expensive. They certainly have far more overhead cost than I do, but I also mill all of my lumber which substantially saves money. 

After realizing how expensive framework was, it didn’t surprise me that none of my artist friends framed their art. Why would you invest $250 on a frame to sell a $700 painting, especially when you’re an artist trying to pave your path. So, I started offering frames and those artists started selling more work. NOT ALL ART SHOULD BE FRAMED. I want to be the first to say that statement, however, the art that does, makes you look more professional and the art is “ready” to be taken home. It adds more value to the artist/collector relationship. 

Fast forward a bit and I started to make premium artist surfaces made of birch. Everything has came up in this adventure because I’ve found areas of the art world that I disagree with. Framing is VERY expensive and the art panels available on the market are of poor quality. Everything I make has love, passion, and perfection. Some Companies import them from 3rd world countries and resell which has a whole basket of issues in itself, we’ll not go there. 

Now I’m at the point of which I have my GlassWood LLC, product catalog, website, and talking with a couple art stores. I am beyond grateful that I get to wake up every single day excited about what I have on my palette… 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Actually, it has been a pretty smooth road for the most part. I’ve held out until the right time to make my business investments. Not to mention all the free money from Covid. Again, if it wasn’t for Covid I don’t know how this all would’ve came to fruition. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I think the most important part that I want people to know is my passion. I genuinely make every product with love and passion. As this business grows, I plan to only hire skilled individuals with the same mindset. 

Whether it’s a surface yet to be painted or a frame I’m building for a piece, I feel a connectedness to it. It is truly humbling to be a part of the beginning and potentially a forever home (frame) the art resides in. 

I have a lot of plans under the umbrella of this company. One day we will be donating products and funds to keep art programs alive in elementary schools. it’s always the first to go and such an important part of a child’s life- expression and a fun break from the mundane, who wants to go to their 4th-grade class and sit there all day like a 9-5. 

Locally my products and services are starting to take hold as I offer something better, for less. 

One of the main things that sets me apart from the rest is that I mill my own lumber which opens up doors to ANY lumber. I LOVE working with exotic wood. This whole process I’m very proud of. I feel connected to each project from start to finish. 

I’m most proud of the simple idea that I’ve started this from nothing and have grown it without any loans and have gradually built this company up to where it is today. Every day I tell myself “We’re only just beginning” 

I want people to know that they’re in good hands with their fine art in our possession. I’ve framed artwork that I would’ve never imagined I would even see in person. The work I create always exceeds the expectation, as the expectations have been low for most industry standards. We specialize in, but not limited to exotic frames (over 100 species globally to choose from). Also, have LED-infused frames which have been a big hit. These frames (exotics) are sanded down to 12,000 grit which is 20 stages of sanding and preparation between each abrasive. Then they’re finished with odies oil. You can see your reflection on the wood and that’s GlassWood. 

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I love rims on cars, trucks, and SUVs. One day I’ll own a 2 door Tahoe with 26” rims. It’s not for everyone but this is my jam! 

Contact Info:

• Email: Glasswoodinc@hotmail.com
• Website: Glasswoodinc.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/GlassWood.inc
• Other: 2319557732