Handcrafted kaleidoscopes by Sue Rioux

Sue Rioux and I met many years ago at one of the East coast craft shows. As a designer and craftsman, she has been making fine handcrafted kaleidoscopes for about 20 years, working from her home studio in Kennebunk, Maine.

When I saw the detail and expert workmanship of her pieces, I was blown away. Not only does she make each of the kaleidoscope bodies of beautiful stained glass – which are works of art in their own right — but the many fine touches of brass, silver, iridized and dichroic glass, enhanced here and there with semi-precious gemstones give her kaleidoscopes a creativity and brilliance I have never seen before.

An artist as well as a craftsman, the mechanics of her pieces are just as stunning as their beauty. Many of Sue’s designs have oil filled chambers that enhance each dazzling, slowly changing image. The views are also very bright due to the expert designs allowing in maximum light. She often builds dual independently rotatable wheels and multiple mirrors, allowing for brilliant, intense viewing which changes dramatically with the light source.

Sue has developed a large following (I am a huge fan) and her kaleidoscopes are highly sought after collectibles (I own several). Each kaleidoscope is signed and dated with the year.

I am so proud to have several spectacular Sue Rioux kaleidoscopes in my showroom right now – in time for Father’s Day gift giving. I hope you will consider stopping in for a look. They make a fascinating and timeless gift – that will get lots of attention through the years.