2008 Craft Show Artists

Form, line, texture and light are the foundation for the design of these sculptural and functional pieces. This work is gathered out of the furnace and blown, using multiple layers of transparent and opaque glass. Once annealed, the sculptural forms are carved on a lathe with stone wheels to add a detail of texture and line quality on the surface, like drafting with charcoal on a page. This drafting carves away an opaque layer of glass to allow the transparent glass beneath to become visible, enhancing the element of volume. They are then sandblasted and acid etched to soften the form, while allowing refracted light and shadow to permeate from within the harness of the form itself.

My work is one of a kind, made from translucent, opalescent, iridescent and dichroic glass that is hand cut and up to 8 layers are used to create a design and fused flat in a kiln. Gold and silver leaf or mica may be incorporated in the layers. It is then re-fired and slumped into a clay or refractory fiber shape. Often pieces are fired multiple times to create a desired effect. Many people collect glass and put it on display in their homes. I purposely make functional and affordable pieces that I encourage people to also use, enjoy and incorporate into their daily lives.

My work is about Nature and the natural beauty of glass. Animals in landscapes, waterscapes or stylized environments evoke a global connection between animal life and human vessel. I explore this emotional engagement with sensitivity to color and the light that inhabits the form. My work is hand-blown and sand carved glass. The artwork is originally drawn and hand cut on each piece.

With imagery of stones, bottles, eggs, etc, I am employing glass and reflective surfaces to describe solitary moments of retrospection. Whether it is a fallen stack of stones or one's gaze into a bar, there are informative moments. For this work, I am interested in the solitary and quiet effort.

I use graphite molds designed & made by me, to cast or press thematic/symbolic imagery & structure into & onto blown glass. The smoothness of the blown interior surface contrasts w/ highly textured cast exteriors. Over the past two years, in addition to vessels, I've begun making architectural "tiles". They are designed to be grouped and built into free-standing architectural panels (as shown) and site specific installations. The metal structures are custom fabricated under my supervision. I complete the final assembly of glass and metal. All works are one of a kind.

I incorporate innovative and traditional glassmaking techniques to realize my designs. Many of the pieces require extensive processing. Each piece bears the signature bottle and goblet mark.

Stained glass is often viewed narrowly, as a religious or decorative art form, or merely relegated to the realm of craft. As a stained glass artist, I constantly challenge these notions by using glass as a means to create work that communicates on multiple levels, encompassing formal, conceptual, and narrative elements. Beginning with my photographs, I render the images by hand into a working drawing. I use the traditional materials such as blown glass, lead came and copper foil, and apply techniques such as sandblasting, vitreous paints and enamels to add details.

My work explores texture/pattern, transparency/opacity, & depth in glass. My education & experience as an architect influences the design of my glass pieces. As an artist & an architect, I find inspiration in the human-made environment & in the vast landscape of the American west where I grew up. I am fascinated by the constructed & the natural, which I often express in my work. I find that it is critical to my existence to make things with my hands, using real materials. The End Grain series is inspired by fields of grain & by fibers/fabrics, expressing softness in a hard material. The composition of these glass pieces explores the juncture between the organic & geometric. The cutting & fitting of pieces & patterns to compose the finished object is reminiscent of quilt work or mosaics. Purity of form, as seen in the roundness of the bowls & the square plates, is an essential element in many of the functional pieces. The bowl forms are intended to evoke a sense of holding & balance.

My work is a celebration of traditional techniques, opulent colors and classical forms.

My work is my passion. It has consumed me, entirely, for over a decade. The possibilities when working with glass are limitless and every day in the studio is an exploration and a pursuit of what I can create with this dynamic and intense substance.

I'm inspired by the tradition and beauty of Italian glass. The intimacy of working and shaping molten glass into simple but elegant pieces gives me great satisfaction. I strive for a combination of function, contemporary colors and clean lines in every piece.

I like to describe my work as clean, simple, spare, and well thought out. My pieces most often revolve around the vessel, and are frequently functional. Those works that are not functional, have used functionality as a spring board to enter a more sculptural realm. I enjoy vivid powerful colors, as well as subtle and quiet hues of glass. A strong emphasis on clean lines and sharp forms anchor the three dimensional explorations that embody my designs.

After earning my BA in printmaking and illustration in London, I created an original process for the application of color & design onto glass, earning me British and US patents. Using sandblasting and translucent enamel overlays, I create a graphic finish more reminiscent of textiles than glass. I incorporate both illustrative and decorative elements in my work. I pay particular attention to my color palette so that my entire line of glassware is cohesive. My designs are produced in small, limited editions and one of a kind.