Michael began blowing glass at Washington U in St Louis in 2001. Enrollment in the first class was a fluke. Before the first class began, he flipped through a book of Venetian glass patterns. He was enthralled. He could not stop thinking about these patterns. He soon realized he had an uphill battle controlling the lines for the desired effect. With a patient and meticulous approach, he studied both the material and the ways his body moves. Growing these understandings are integral to his awareness about what he can and cannot (or maybe doesn’t want to) control.
The forms he makes are containers for bold and, hopefully, mesmerizing patterns. Using traditional Italian and Swedish techniques, each piece is one of a kind and can not be replicated. The themes and colors can certainly be revisited and reinterpreted.
He moved from St Louis to Spruce Pine NC in 2014. He works in a studio in Bakersville, NC with his best friend and partner Amber Marshall.
