Explorations in glass

I begin each piece or series by finding inspiration in nature or the world around me... anything that has an interesting or pleasing pattern, texture, or color palette. I take photos, sketch, plan, and experiment on a small scale, trying to capture these elements in glass. When I am happy with the direction of my research, I begin work on a larger scale. Each piece is usually fired several times in the kiln as I add design elements and eventually slump or mold the glass to create a three-dimensional form.

I often find myself at odds with glass, which becomes hard, smooth and shiny after being fired at high temperatures. My goal is the opposite: to create glass objects that are more organic, softer or textured in design. I appreciate both the active and inactive aspects of kiln-formed glass. For much of the process I actively participate in design and creation. But I must eventually surrender the glass to the kiln and let heat, gravity and time do its work.