Art In The Pearl: Fine Arts & Crafts Festival

Description:

I create unique and carefully considered works of art that are inspired by the Pacific Northwest. I am very much influenced by place: the environment, color palette, textures and architecture that define a location’s character speak loudly to me. Using my background in drawing and fine arts as a foundation I try to break down these elements and combine them in different ways in my work to capture the spirit of a place, to give a hint of its story.
I begin each new piece with drawings in order to determine composition and colors. Then, I cut and arrange pieces of sheet, crushed and powdered glass in layers to create my composition, like putting together a 3-dimensional puzzle. After arranging all of the glass elements together they are fused on a ceramic shelf in a kiln. Most pieces undergo multiple firings to allow me to create deeper and more complex pieces. When the glass has returned to room temperature I am able to remove it and proceed to finish it using a variety of cold working techniques. These may include grinding, polishing, etching and sand blasting, all of which have different effects on the appearance and personality of a piece. After cold working, some pieces may be returned to the kiln to be fire polished, slumped or have enamels applied. In certain cases I will also incorporate other mediums, such as steel or concrete, to complete a piece.
I create glass art using fairly traditional methods, but with my influences and background in fine art and other mediums the results are quite different from ordinary glass work.