Tell us about yourself.
I have been drawing for as long as I can remember and initially focused on illustration studies in college. After taking a traditional stained glass art class in 2005, I became intrigued by where glass art could be taken beyond lead came and copper foil techniques. Due to desiring more flexibility and options to express myself via glass art, my journey into low relief glass wall art began. Now in my second decade as a working glass artist, I have developed technical knowledge of glass as a medium, finely honed mechanical skills to shape its form/appearance and infused creative elements to convey storytelling with it.
What draws you to the material you work with?
Inspiration, creation, and innovation draws me to glass. Working with glass challenges me to the core and I never lose interest! I have developed proprietary techniques and am constantly pushing the preconceived boundaries of art glass. Naturally, many glass artists have inspired me past and present.
What themes do you pursue in your work, and why have you chosen the processes that you use in your work?
Nature, music, and the spirit of life are all themes in my stained-glass artwork. My family includes several musicians, which was highly influential on my creative expression. Frequent references to music genres and instruments manifest in my work.
What is your dream project?
My dream is to one day display my art glass in a museum exhibit. People must see my finished works in person to appreciate the level of intricate detail and texture involved. Most of my stained-glass art involves the direct method. That means the glass is affixed to a hard surface. It is not always translucent with a light source behind it. Instead, the direct method utilizes the light that hits the work from all other directions and plays with the textures and the colors I’ve created via a variety of techniques, including fused glass and kiln-formed glass. While viewing my art in person, it quickly becomes evident that you can walk from side to side, and you’ll notice different details as the light moves across the image based on your perspective.
Why are you a member of GAS?
To connect with GAS artists that live and breath glass.