artist statement
Using techniques perfected in Venice 500 years ago, I
enjoy applying these skills to modern glass design. All of my
work begins from the raw ingredients, silica, soda and lime,
melted at 2500 degrees into a hot, gooey liquid we know as
glass. With a steel blowpipe I am able to gather the hot glass
on the tip and blow a bubble into it. As my assistant blows into
the pipe, I sit at a bench and use steel hand tools to manipulate
the bubble of glass into a desired shape. A punty (solid steel
rod) with a small gather of glass on the tip is then stuck on
the bottom of the vessel, and the piece is cracked off the
blowpipe. Once transferred, the top of the piece is finished
and tapped off into an annealing oven to be cooled slowly.
This process of glassblowing is very quick and requires
much concentration, practiced technique, and good assistant
communication. The study of these techniques inspires my
forms and design choices. Smooth curves and transition of
lines combine to create the figure of these vessels. Because
no molds are used in my work, each piece displays a one-of-a- kind,
hand-made appearance.