Tell us about yourself.
I began my glass fusing adventure with a workshop by Dan Fenton in 1993 in our local glass shop in Durham, NC. Since then, I have taken several kilnforming workshops with him and other amazing fused glass artists including Klaus Moje, Kirstie Rea, Richard Whiteley. After retiring from a long scientific career at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, I was able to focus more on my artistic endeavors. My glass art has been exhibited in many local and national juried art shows since 1999, and I have been a long time member of the Carolina Designer Craftsmen Guild and Glass Art Society. In 2012 I won the Dino Reed Foundation award at the Carolina Designer Craftsmen Fair, and my art has been featured in two books about glass art. I also teach fused glass techniques at Carolina Stained Glass in Durham, NC.
What draws you to the material you work with?
I view each piece as an experiment, and it is exhilarating to open the kiln and see the results of the fusing process. Fortunately, with experience, the results of these experiments have become more predictable. I love the colors, textures, and depth of view that can be achieved with kilnformed glass, and the possibilities for creativity seem endless.
What themes do you pursue in your work, and why have you chosen the processes that you use in your work?
The inspiration for my artwork stems from a lifelong fascination with biology and the patterns found in nature. During my scientific career, I was always intrigued by the life forms I studied under the microscope and by the beauty I perceived in the research going on in my laboratory. Many of my fused glass pictures and sculptures have underlying scientific themes, although my style tends toward the abstract and representational rather than the literal.
What is your dream project?
Commissions for local biotech companies
Why are you a member of GAS?
To keep up with all that is happening in the glass art community