Description
As an artist, I exist somewhere between sculptor and machinist. My work begins in the kiln, where raw colored glass is loaded into purpose-built casting molds. At 1600*F, the glass takes on its basic shape. After cooling for a week’s time, raw blocks come out of the kiln, and the sculpting begins.
In essence, I employ the same process that a stone carver would use. Rather than a hammer and chisel, diamond grinding wheels carve away glass from the solid cast blocks. Every peak and valley and curve and facet is hand carved. The process is rough and raw. Glass is delicate, but it is also an incredibly hard material. Even stone is soft by comparison. So, the grinding process is brutal, with diamond coated steel wheels gouging out glass a millimeter at a time. Remarkably something so delicate can only come from such rough treatment. Once the raw shaping is completed, new surfaces are slowly ground to a satin finish or a full polish.
Exploring glass as an artist’s medium since 2001, I have worked in many disciplines within glass, both hot and cold.
I earned a master’s degree in Craft and Material Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2011. In addition to maintaining a private studio, I have taught both technical glassmaking and conceptual art practices throughout the United States.
