I’ve always been drawn to geometric figures and visual repetition, and my glass work is no exception. Since discovering kiln-formed glass, I have found it to be the best medium for expressing my love of pattern while creating unique works that I find challenging.
Working with fused and kiln-formed glass gives me the opportunity to experiment with endless possibilities. I enjoy the process; the step by step progression of building a work of art. I’ll begin construction by cutting and stacking layers of glass. I often combine sheets of glass with other forms; stringers, coarse chunks of frit or even powdered glass. I’ll separately fire pattern bars, pot melts, or pull cane from my vitrigraph kiln and cut the glass into slices to place atop layers of glass. I’ve also enjoyed integrating transparent areas into my work allowing the background or lack of color to play a part in the overall composition.
After fusing the glass into a single piece in a kiln, it can be formed over a mold and fired again to create a functional piece like a platter or a bowl. I hand-build some of my molds in clay. With some designs I prefer the subtle slope of a basic shape to emphasize the design, with others I want to add a more sculptural quality.
The rich colors, glossy sheen, and range of transparency available in glass are all qualities that I love and try to emphasize when crafting a new piece. I do my best to keep my work personal; each of my pieces is designed, built, fired and formed with the expectation that it will turn out to be something that I would like to keep for myself. Although I find it hard to let go, I take pleasure in the thought that someone out there is enjoying a tile, platter or bowl that I made.
Working with fused and kiln-formed glass gives me the opportunity to experiment with endless possibilities. I enjoy the process; the step by step progression of building a work of art. I’ll begin construction by cutting and stacking layers of glass. I often combine sheets of glass with other forms; stringers, coarse chunks of frit or even powdered glass. I’ll separately fire pattern bars, pot melts, or pull cane from my vitrigraph kiln and cut the glass into slices to place atop layers of glass. I’ve also enjoyed integrating transparent areas into my work allowing the background or lack of color to play a part in the overall composition.
After fusing the glass into a single piece in a kiln, it can be formed over a mold and fired again to create a functional piece like a platter or a bowl. I hand-build some of my molds in clay. With some designs I prefer the subtle slope of a basic shape to emphasize the design, with others I want to add a more sculptural quality.
The rich colors, glossy sheen, and range of transparency available in glass are all qualities that I love and try to emphasize when crafting a new piece. I do my best to keep my work personal; each of my pieces is designed, built, fired and formed with the expectation that it will turn out to be something that I would like to keep for myself. Although I find it hard to let go, I take pleasure in the thought that someone out there is enjoying a tile, platter or bowl that I made.
